Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development is the over-arching umbrella that encompasses personal development across the whole curriculum.  Ofsted continues to put SMSC ‘at the heart’ of school development.  It requires us to think about the kind of people we aspire to be, the kind of world we aspire to create, and the kind of education we aspire to provide for our students.

We recognise that the personal development of students, spiritually, morally, socially and culturally, plays a significant part in their ability to learn, achieve and thrive.  We therefore aim to provide an education that provides students with opportunities to explore and develop their own values and beliefs, spiritual  awareness, high standards of personal behaviour, a positive, caring attitude towards other people, an understanding of their social and cultural traditions and an appreciation of the diversity and richness of a range of cultures. 

Students’ spiritual development is shown by their: 

• ability to be reflective about their own beliefs, religious or otherwise, that inform their perspective on life and their knowledge of, and  respect for, different people’s faiths, feelings and values 
• sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them 
• use of imagination and creativity in their learning 
• willingness to reflect on their experiences.  

Students’ moral development 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 
• understanding of the consequences of their behaviour and actions 
• interest in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues and ability to understand and appreciate the  viewpoints of others on these issues. 

Students’ social development is shown by their: 

• use of a range of social skills in different contexts, for example working and socialising with other students, including those from different  religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds 
• 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 
•  acceptance 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 and demonstrating skills and attitudes that will allow them to  participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain. 

Students’ cultural development is shown by their: 

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