Intent Statement
Our Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural policy, along with our school’s Vision Statement and values, sets the whole ethos for our school. It is integral to all areas of teaching and learning as it infiltrates the whole curriculum. It is our ‘golden thread’ throughout all we do. It is especially important in a church school that there is a strong sense of caring for the whole school family and community and that each person feels valued as an individual.
Although the school promotes the teaching of Christianity, we recognise that spiritual development is not limited to religious beliefs and knowledge, but embraces a much wider code of beliefs and attitudes.
At St Gabriel’s Church of England Primary School we recognise that the personal development of children spiritually, morally, socially and culturally plays a significant part in their ability to learn and to achieve. As a Church of England school we provide an education that embodies a Christian ethos and provides our children with opportunities to explore and develop their own values and beliefs and raise their spiritual awareness. We look for high standards of behaviour, a positive, caring attitude towards others and an understanding of social and cultural traditions. We actively seek to promote British values in all that we do.
We aim to create and enrich a positive learning environment for everyone within school and within the wider community. We value every individual as wonderfully made, created in the image of God. Within our school community all adults will model and promote expected behaviour, treating all people as unique and valuable individuals and showing love and respect for our school community. The school will be a place where children can find acceptance for themselves as unique individuals and where forgiveness and the opportunity to ‘start again’ is fundamental to the ethos of our school.
Intended Impact
- To ensure the ‘golden thread’ of SMSC and British Values, alongside our Vision and values, runs through the entire curriculum and the general life of the school.
- To give each child a range of spiritual and cultural opportunities to reflect upon and to discuss their beliefs, feelings and responses to personal experiences.
- To give each child the opportunity to explore social and moral issues, and develop a sense of social and moral responsibility from a Christian perspective.
- To provide all children with the essential knowledge and skills to be educated and responsible citizens
- To introduce children to the best that has been thought and said, and help them to engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement
Pupil Views – What do our school values mean to you?
- “Self-belief means to have faith and be strong.”
- “Courage to me means you face your fears, doing things you’ve not done before and having the courage to express myself.”
- “Resilience for me is to set the example and have a go… to keep trying and not give up.”
- “Ambition means you set your own goals.”
- “Harmony is working together and means peace and joy around the world.”
- “I think FAITH means culture and following your God.”
