Spiritual, Moral, Social & Cultural Development

Parkland Infant School is a school which seeks to develop confident, independent, caring and enquiring individuals who are prepared for the future. We believe in fostering lifelong learning through providing an environment that values mutual trust and respect, honesty and equality and seeks to develop everyone's potential. We provide excellent learning opportunities for all and celebrate the successes of individuals and the whole community.

At Parkland Infant School we believe spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (SMSC) underpins everything we do. Opportunities for SMSC development are planned across the curriculum. Activities to promote SMSC include:

• Golden Rules & Golden Time.
• Our School Reflection.
• Being recognised as a Rights Respecting School.
• Participation in a range of different educational visits.
• Participation in National Anti-Bullying Week.
• Participation in workshops and live performances with dance and music from other cultures including English Country dancing, African drumming and Chinese Unicorn dances.
• Opportunities to learn songs, play instruments and listen to music from other cultures.
• Studying art from other countries.
• Reading literature from other cultures and countries.
• Participation in charitable events e.g. Comic Relief and Children in Need.
• Use of assembly themes to explore other cultures e.g. festivals, Chinese New Year, Hanukah and Diwali.
• Links with St Mary's Church and Spinnaker.
• Supporting the work of our link schools through the International Schools Award.
• Use of focus weeks e.g. Creative Arts Week to foster an appreciation of art from different cultures.
• Lunchtime Helpers & Playground Buddies.
• Mr O'Sullivan’s Eco Recycling Team.
• School Council.

Spiritual development is shown by:

• Beliefs, religious or otherwise, which inform their perspective on life and their interest in and respect for different people's fascination and values.
• Sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them, including the intangible.
• Use of imagination and creativity in their learning.
• Willingness to reflect on their experiences.

At Parkland Infant School we promote spiritual development through:

• Daily assemblies and special assemblies for events such as Poppy Day, Advent and Chinese New Year.
• Class assemblies and Christmas plays.
• School trips and visitors which inspire awe and wonder.
• Music and art appreciation.
• Creating class books and displays.
• Celebrations such as Star awards.
• Focus weeks such as Book week and Healthy Living Week.
• Cycle of enquiry as part of the RE curriculum.
• Peer and self-evaluation.

Moral development is shown by:

• Ability to recognise the differences between right and wrong and their readiness to apply this understanding in their own lives.
• Understanding of the consequences of their actions.
• Interest in investigation, and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues.

At Parkland Infant School we promote moral development through:

• Planned SEAL and PSHE programmes.
• Discussing right and wrong.
• Promoting making the right choices.
• Rights and Responsibilities and class charters.
• Class rewards systems.
• Assemblies.
• Circle time.
• School council.
• Caring for others including our school animals and understanding their welfare needs.
• Anti-bullying week.
• Supporting charities.
• Visits and visitors e.g. Our Police Liaison Officer and Father Mike.

Social development is shown by:

• Using a range of social skills in different contexts, including partnerships with pupils from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.
• Willingness to participate in a variety of social settings, co-operating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively.
• Interest in, and understanding of, the way communities and societies function at a variety of levels.

At Parkland Infant School we promote social development through:

• Work on friendships.
• Sharing and turn taking.
• Anti-bullying week.
• Playground Buddies.
• SRE education.
• Caring for each other.
• Rights and Responsibilities.
• Class reward systems.
• Star Assemblies.
• Supporting the local community e.g. singing at Berry Pomeroy and collecting old clothing for the United Shoe Charity.
• Parent Support Advisory Work.
• Sociable lunchtimes – eating and playing together.
• Book week.
• Sports day.
• Reading buddies.
• School trips.
• After school clubs.
• Home visits in Year R.
• Open days.
• Friends of Parkland School events e.g. Christmas Fair.
• Sharing our work with our families and friends.

Cultural development is shown by:

• Understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage.
• Willingness to participate in, and respond to, for example, artistic, musical, sporting, mathematical, technological, scientific and cultural opportunities.
• Interest in exploring, understanding of, and respect for cultural diversity and the extent to which they understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity, as shown by their attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities.

At Parkland Infant School we promote cultural development through:

• Celebrating events e.g. Chinese New Year, Advent, Hanukkah
• Sharing children’s own personal experiences
• Inviting parents to come and share their own experiences and family traditions
• Visits and visitors
• Music and dance e.g. drumming workshop, Unicorn dance
• Sporting events
• Focus weeks e.g. Rights Week, My Money Week
• Sharing stories from other cultures
• Use of intercultural resources
• Celebrating other cultures and languages (French Club, Spanish Day, MFL Day)