Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education
At NeneGate School BA we promote tolerance and respect for all cultures, faiths and lifestyles through our Vision and Values. These elements run through our curriculum and all that we do. We work within the framework of the Equality Act 2010 to promote cohesion, tolerance and mutual respect.
Modern British Values
Staff at NeneGate promote ‘British Values’ through our Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education which permeates through the school’s curriculum. We recognise that this is most successful when values and attitudes are promoted by all the staff and provide a model of behaviour for our pupils. The curriculum in all phases offers broad and balanced opportunities.
Our focus for SMSC is delivered though a personalised approach to ensure that pupils have an appropriate and meaningful learning experience, this underpins every aspect of our curriculum. Through different curriculum aspects pupils will;
- participate in wider community and social settings
- be positive members of our school through and contribute to fostering a sense of community cohesion, mutual respect and tolerance
- develop their independence and gain skills, knowledge and understanding of democracy and personal liberty
- participate in cultural and sporting events.
‘British Values’ have been identified as:
Democracy:
The ability to understand and communicate is a core area of learning identified in our My Voyage Curriculum Framework. We ensure that pupil voice is developed, acknowledged and responded to. We empower our pupils by giving them opportunities to make choices about the things that they believe to be important and we encourage them to become confident communicators.
Rule of Law:
Pupils are supported through the Meridian Respectful Relationships approach, which is underpinned by therapeutic thinking and a trauma-informed approach to relationships. Our aim is to encourage pupils to develop their self-regulation and reflection skills, so they can manage relationships by demonstrating valued behaviours. Staff are committed to providing a consistent, structured teaching and learning environment within the school and to manage the challenges of accessing community facilities. This enables pupils to feel safe and secure which in turn, promotes the optimum conditions for wider engagement and participation for learning to take place.
Individual Liberty:
Pupils are encouraged to engage, participate and become valued citizens. We do this through our Pledges and ’99 things’ programme, supporting each pupil to become as independent as possible and recognising the right to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to ideas or activities.
Some pupils will be able to take responsibility for particular roles and to understand that with certain rights comes a level of responsibility. Learning to do things independently is an important part of developing a sense of self. We support the development of our sense of self and others by participating in events such as, Red Nose Day/Comic/Sports Relief and Children in Need and wider Meridian Trust events. We also engage with Peterborough Citizens to support our young people to become Social Ambassadors and aware of their rights and responsibilities.
Mutual Respect:
The My Voyage curriculum ensures that learning is personalised to meet need and to promote participation in activities, settings and locations that are appropriate to pupils. Within school, pupils work with a range of people; communication and interaction with others are positively promoted on a personalised basis for each learner. This may include working with pupils from other school in the Trust, coaches, theatre groups or going into the community to meet with a range of people in a variety of events and social situations. We also provide opportunities for our pupils to volunteer in the local community to foster a sense of belonging and develop their independence.
We value the diverse ethnic backgrounds of all pupils, families and staff in our school and the wider community. We participate in events and lessons to celebrate our community, promoting mutual enjoyment, tolerance of and respect for differences in the wider world.
Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs:
At NeneGate School everyone is respected and valued equally without regard to ability, gender, faith, heritage or race.
Cultural appreciation and development forms part of our curriculum. We place great emphasis on providing encounters and participation in events and celebrations to broaden all pupils’ experiences and awareness of others.
Thematic assemblies and school celebrations help pupils to find out about themselves and others. The themes cover areas such as: friendships, helping others and celebrations from a range of faiths or world events.
The staff work in partnership with parents, carers and other professionals to ensure that the pupils at NeneGate are motivated, happy and supported to learn the skills they need to live a fulfilling life as part of their community.