Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) education

We are committed to providing opportunities for:

• Spiritual development by enabling reflection (religious or otherwise); promoting respect for different faiths, feelings and values; developing a sense of enjoyment and fascination; and encouraging the use of imagination and creativity
• Moral development by enabling learners’ ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong; their awareness of legal boundaries; and understanding of the consequences of their behaviour and actions
• Social development by facilitating the use of a range of social skills in different contexts; learners’ willingness to participate in a variety of communities and social settings; and acceptance and engagement with the fundamental British values
• Cultural development by developing leaners’ understanding and appreciation of a range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and that of others; their ability to recognise and value the things we share in common across communities; knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system; and interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity.

There are three strands to the implementation of SMSC at Belle Vue Girls’ Academy:

1. Delivery across subject areas.
2. The Personal Development programme, including the Personal Development curriculum in tutor time sessions, and wider Personal Development including assemblies, Student Voice and Student Leadership, Character Education and Enrichment.
3. The academy’s Behaviour and Welfare policy, which sets out explicit behaviour expectations in terms of the Code of Conduct and Attitude to Learning thus ensuring a positive and co-operative learning environment.

Students experience three tutor sessions, delivered by their form tutor, which are devoted to Personal Development. The Personal Development sessions enable students to recognise legal boundaries and to demonstrate the skills that allow them to contribute positively to British society through coverage of topics such as equality, diversity and inclusion, legal boundaries and rights and responsibilities.

The Personal Development sessions also enable students to develop their knowledge and understanding of the parliamentary system and diversity within British society. It is supported by assemblies for all year groups which focus upon SMSC themes through topics such as Remembrance, Gypsy Roma and Traveller History Month, LGBTQ History Month and Holocaust Memorial Day. A number of assemblies througut the year and planned and delivered by students,

SMSC development also takes place across subject areas. In particular, Religious Studies contributes significantly to spiritual and moral development, whilst cultural development is particularly vibrant within Art, Music and Drama. All subjects across the academy play vital roles in the delivery of SMSC.

Furthermore, enrichment opportunities are open to students which enable them to further consolidate their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Our student leadership programme provides opportunities to participate widely within the academy community which is facilitated by a structure including Year Captains and Form Captains as well as Faculty Ambassadors, Wellbeing Ambassadors and EDI Ambassadors. All students are considered to be leaders and leadership capacity is shown when demonstrating key characteristics as per the Character Education programme. The Enrichment programme, including clubs and activities, further enables students to demonstrate their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. 

Please see below for SMSC mapping across the academy.

SMSC Mapping 2023 to 2024