SMSC at Boston Pioneers

Our Vision

‘Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care’ – Theodore Roosvelt

Care and guidance sit at the heart of our Academy. We recognise that learners who are socially and emotionally healthy have a greater chance of achieving success in school and later life. We therefore view the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our learners as the ‘DNA’ of our school – flowing through everything we do as we endeavour to equip them with the knowledge, skills and values required to become responsible, active citizens of the future.

Our Academy Values

Our Academy ‘REACH’ values were selected by our learners, their families and other stakeholders and were chosen to reflect the principles they felt were most important to ‘live life by’.

RESILIENCE – We keep trying even when things are tough.

EXCELLENCE – We strive for excellence in all we do.

AMBITION – We are ambitious for ourselves and those around us.

CARE – We are caring and compassionate to each other.

HONESTY – We are honest in what we say and do.

What is S.M.S.C?

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development is the over-arching umbrella that encompasses personal development across the whole curriculum. As Pioneers Academy, we aim to ensure our learners’ education is ‘holistic’, rather than purely focused on the academic by:

Providing learners with opportunities to learn how to work and play together; develop their knowledge and understanding of right/wrong and actions/consequences; whilst appreciating similarities and differences and learning to respect others’ points of view.
Enabling them to participate actively and positively in the life of the school; their local community and wider society in order that they see the value of contributing positively to society and culture throughout their lives.
Encouraging them to explore and value their own unique beliefs & talents and their contribution to society; whilst also valuing and celebrating the beliefs, abilities and contribution of others.
What is meant by spiritual development?

Spiritual development is defined as:

Developing learners’ abilities to reflect upon their own values, beliefs (religious or otherwise) and interests.
Developing their knowledge of and respect for the beliefs, feelings and values of others.
Developing their individual creative talents and imagination.
Developing their sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them.
Developing their ability to reflect on their experiences and to learn from reflection.

How do we promote spiritual development at Boston Pioneers?

Our Religion and Worldviews curriculum contains units of work focused on the beliefs, worship, celebrations and rites of passage of a wide range of religions in order that our learners can develop their own sense of identity through self-awareness and reflection. This curriculum also presents our learners with ‘Big Questions’ to reflect upon such as, ‘Do you have to believe in God to lead a good life?’ (See: R&WV Long Term Plan)
Our learners are encouraged to take part in periods of reflection at different times throughout the school week (Assemblies).
As part of our daily worship, we explore the spiritual beliefs of others within the school community. (See: Assembly overview)
PSHE activities help our learners gain an understanding of their feelings and emotions and their likely impact on themselves and others. (See PHSE Long Term Plan)
Learners are encouraged to appreciate the awe and wonder of the world around them e.g. watching chicks hatch from eggs. (See: Passport of Experiences – In Touch with Nature)
We provide our learners with the time and opportunity to observe, understand and reflect on human emotions and feelings and how these impact on themselves and others (See: Zones of Regulation).
We supply them with opportunities to be creative and expressive, through working alongside artists, musicians and dancers. (Annual Illuminate Parade)
Encouraging our learners to reflect upon their work through the adoption of Assessment for learning strategies.

What is meant by moral development?

Moral development is defined as:

Developing their ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and to readily apply this understanding in their own lives. (Recognising legal boundaries and, in so doing, respecting the civil and criminal law of England).
Developing their understanding of the consequences of their behaviour and actions.
Developing learners’ interest in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues, in addition to developing their ability to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others.

How do we promote moral development at Boston Pioneers?

We develop moral understanding and problem-solving through our behaviour expectations. (See: Behaviour Policy)
There is a clear, structured reward system in place which rewards good behaviour as well as academic achievement. (Pioneers’ Purple Pound Shop)
There are weekly awards assemblies which allow the school community to celebrate success.
Individual behaviour and pastoral support plans are agreed and implemented with the help of the school SENDCo.
Our PSHE scheme of work has units of work covering rules and responsibilities, negotiating difficult situations, emotions, caring for one another, making and keeping friends and living in a community. The programme centres around children being presented with real-life dilemmas to discuss in order that they develop an understanding of actions and consequences. (See: PHSE Long Term Plan)
We use assemblies and the curriculum to highlight moral virtues, for example our ‘Pushing Boundaries’ topic on human rights in Y6.
Through the promotion of fair play in sporting activities both within school and as part of the Boston Sports Partnership (Fair play awards given in each PE session).
We provide learners with opportunities to discuss and debate across the curriculum.

What is meant by social development?

Social development is defined as:

Developing learners’ 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.
Developing their willingness to participate in a variety of communities and social settings, including by volunteering, cooperating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively.
Developing learners’ knowledge, acceptance of and engagement with the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.
Developing within our learners a range of skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.

How do we promote social development at Boston Pioneers?

We have a clear set of inclusive Academy Values upon which life within the Academy are based. (See: REACH Values)
Our PSHE scheme of work (One Decision) contains units of work on Health and Wellbeing, Relationships and Living in the Wider World. This provides a safe, secure framework within which learners can understand and discuss social issues. (See: PHSE Long Term Plan)
A significant emphasis is placed on oracy, which in turn supports our learners to be effective communicators. (See: Curriculum Vision and Drivers: ‘Learning the Words to Learn’)
In our lessons, we provide opportunities for our learners to develop their teamwork and communication skills by working cooperatively in pairs, groups, etc.
We offer social skills intervention groups for those who need targeted support in this area. These include ELSA and Lego Therapy. (See: Pastoral Care)
We provide opportunities for pupils to engage in democratic processes (Academy Ambassadors Elections)
We provide our learners with a range of opportunities to develop leadership skills by taking on a role of responsibility within school. (Playground Leaders, Little Librarians, etc.)
We host a range of community engagement activities which range from church services and performances to fundraising events and ‘learn with me’ sessions.
We encourage and support links with the wider community (Restore Church, Salvation Army, Boston Sports Partnership)

What is meant by cultural development?

Cultural development is defined as:

Developing learners’ understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and that of others.
Developing their understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures both within the Academy and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain
Developing their ability to recognise, and value, the things we share in common across cultural, religious, ethnic and socio-economic communities.
Developing their knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to develop Britain.
Developing learners’ willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities.
Developing their interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity and the extent to which they understand, accept and respect diversity. (Evidenced by their respect and attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups within local, national and global communities.

How do we promote cultural development at Boston Pioneers?

All learners are welcomed, accepted equally and play an active role in the school community regardless of their race, religion, physical ability or gender. (See: Equality and diversity policy)
Learners are provided with a range of experiences through which to explore their own culture, values and beliefs, as well as the traditions, values and beliefs of others. (See: Passport of experiences)
Cultural elements are included in many of our themes for learning and Subject Leaders are constantly reviewing the PoS for their subject in order to ensure it represents a wide range of cultural contexts.
Local Heritage Week activities ensure our learners gain a deeper understanding of and respect for their immediate surroundings and how other cultures have shaped it.
The school has a ‘language of the month’ in which the register is taken, allowing our learners to develop the ability to greet people from other cultures.
We offer a range of enrichment activities in order that learners are able to identify and develop their own unique gifts and talents.
We have developed a range of links with groups, agencies and individuals which assist us in extending our learners’ cultural development: musicians, theatre groups and artists.
The Academy takes a zero-tolerance approach to discriminatory behaviour and on the rare occasions this does happen, seeks to educate those responsible as to why their actions are not acceptable.

How do we assess the impact of our ‘hidden’ curriculum?

The impact of SMSC provision is often difficult to measure as it often seen within learners’ ‘soft’ skills such as their relationships with each other, their confidence, their intrinsic motivation and their personal moral code. To try to capture this, we have developed a ‘soft skills’ tracker which moves through the Academy with them.