Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development
At Burpham Primary School we recognise that a child’s personal development plays an important role in their ability to learn and achieve. We therefore aim to provide an education that provides pupils 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 the cultures.
All of the staff at Burpham are committed to ensuring that our curriculum is broad and balanced and provides ample opportunities for children to develop in all of these areas.
Spiritual development
This refers to a child’s beliefs, religious or otherwise, which inform their perspective on life and their respect for other people’s feelings and values. It is about the development of a sense of identity, self-worth, personality and character. Children are given opportunities to build and sustain their self-esteem in their learning and achievements as well as develop their capacity for independent thought.
We provide opportunities for children to develop a set of values and principles which complement Burpham’s ethos and inform their perspective on life and patterns of behaviour. Children will have the opportunity to reflect on their learning and progress and to learn from this reflection. We promote teaching styles which value children’s questions and gives them space for their own thoughts, ideas and concerns so they can make connections between their learning and the context of their own lives. Spiritual development in school aims to help children to form and maintain good, healthy relationships with their peers and the people around them.
Moral development
This refers to a child’s moral code, their attitude and belief in what is right or wrong. We provide opportunities for children to explore and understand human emotions and the way they impact on people through Reading, Writing, Drama, Music and Dance.
Here at Burpham, we have a clear moral code for behaviour which has been shaped by the children and is promoted consistently though all aspects of school; for example, our Behaviour Policy, Class and School rules, E-Safety learning and Anti-bullying. Children have opportunities to explore personal rights and responsibilities and to develop moral concepts and values throughout the curriculum.
Social development
This refers to a pupil’s understanding of their role in society and the opportunity to develop the skills which will facilitate positive interaction with their local community.
At our school, we pride ourselves upon fostering a sense of community through involvement in local sports events, partnerships with local churches and supporting local charities and events and visits from role models from the community.
We encourage children to work co-operatively for example through paired reading, play leaders and at sporting events. We help children to develop personal qualities which are valued in society through teaching in our Key Stage assemblies. Some of the focuses of our assemblies have been: thoughtfulness, honesty, respect, moral principles, independence and self-respect.
Cultural development
This refers to a child’s understanding of the beliefs, values and customs in their own and others’ social, ethnic and national groups. Children at Burpham are encouraged to explore their own culture assumptions and values through the curriculum and special events, such as world faiths and celebrations. Our school’s cultural values and diversity are highlighted through assemblies and RE lessons.
In the past, we have taken part in workshops provided by outside agencies and had some parents and members of our school community come in to school to tell us all about events and customs which are important to them.
