Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) education is at the heart of every learner’s development at St Augustine. It involves developing the whole person in a holistic way, ensuring that learners are happy, secure, confident and valued so that they can achieve their full academic potential and ‘scholastic excellence’. It stems from our Mission Statement and our values as a Catholic Christian community; it permeates the entire curriculum.
- The spiritual development of pupils is shown by their ability to be reflective about their own beliefs, religious or otherwise, that inform their perspective on life and their interest in and respect for different people’s faiths, feelings and values
- The moral development of pupils is shown by their ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and to readily apply this understanding in their own lives, recognise legal boundaries and, in so doing, respect the civil and criminal law of England
- The social development of pupils is shown by their use of a range of social skills in different contexts, for example working and socialising with other pupils, including those from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds
- The cultural development of pupils is shown by their understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and those of others. (Ofsted Handbook Sept 2018)
Since 2014, Ofsted has developed the definitions of Spiritual, Social, Moral and Cultural to include British values such as tolerance, understanding of others, democracy, respect and acceptance of the rule of law and individual liberty. The school curriculum at St Augustine’s is appropriately broad and balanced to help prepare our young people for life in modern Britain by actively promoting these fundamental British values.
All learners are given the opportunity to develop their SMSC skills and to learn about British values both inside and outside of the classroom. Their strength at St Augustine’s is clearly evident in the school’s ethos and climate, with charity work, student voice, equality, collaboration and respect at the heart of all that we do. It is also demonstrated in the range of activities available to students outside of lessons.