British Values & SMSC | Place Farm Primary Academy

British Values and SMSC

The main aim of Social, Moral Spiritual and Cultural (SMSC) education is to provide knowledge and understanding; prepare young people for later life and wider society; and to develop responsible attitudes. It is the key to ‘developing the whole child’.

At Place Farm Primary Academy, we believe that the development of pupils spiritually, morally, socially and culturally plays an important part in their ability to learn and achieve. We aim to provide a broad education and a range of experiences that provide children 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 other cultures. By developing each child’s SMSC education, we are actively promoting fundamental British values.

British Values in a diverse community

The fundamental values that we share as British citizens are:

Democracy
The rule of law
Individual liberty
Mutual respect
Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

Below is a table of how, when and where we meet, teach and enrich pupils in the five areas of the British Values:

Democracy	Pupil voice is an important element of Democracy at Place Farm. Our school has a voluntary/elected school council who play an important role in decision making. This has included: supporting the development of the lunch menu and suggesting activities for break and lunchtimes. Moreover, Place Farm is supported by the playmakers and head boy/girl who have to apply and/or work hard to achieve the title.
The Rule of Law	Our pupils will encounter rules and laws throughout their entire lives. We want our pupils to understand that whether these laws govern the class, the school, the neighbourhood or the country, they are set for good reasons and must be adhered to. This understanding of the importance of rules will be consistently reinforced through assemblies and our curriculum. Pupils are taught about the Golden Rules as soon as they enter school and understanding the rewards and consequences related to them. These ideas are explicitly discussed in PSHE lessons and other examples of rules/laws are discussed in RE.
Individual Liberty	We invest a lot of time in creating a positive culture in our school, so children are in a safe environment where choices and freedoms are encouraged. We offer a range of clubs which pupils have the freedom to choose from, based on their interests. Through our E-Safety and PSHE sessions, we educate children on their rights and personal freedoms as well as supporting them in recognising how to exercise these freedoms safely.
Mutual Respect	Our pupils learn together with absolute respect for each other regardless of language or ethnic group. Every pupil knows that we respect and appreciate each other; no matter what differences may exist. Mutual respect is reinforced throughout the school day (for example pupils are taught to be respectful when using the PlayPod) as well as during PSHE and RE lessons. This is reinforced during assemblies on a Monday.
Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs	We respect and celebrate diversity. We offer a culturally rich and diverse curriculum in which all major religions are studied and respected. we strongly believe that tolerance is gained through knowledge and understanding. Through our curriculum that has global links and the routines of our daily school life, we strive to demonstrate tolerance and help children to become knowledgeable and understanding citizens who can build a better Britain for the future. For example, The Reading Spine offers pupils the opportunity to learn about other cultures in a respectful way.

SMSC at Place Farm