SMSC at Dashwood Banbury Academy

At Dashwood Banbury Academy we strive to ensure we give our pupils the opportunities to be the very best they can be. We want to develop our children to be life-long, self-motivated learners who have the confidence to tackle the challenges of daily life. We endeavour to instil the values that are needed to make a responsible and considerate citizen who can make positive choices in an ever changing, challenging and diverse world. Developing the children’s self-worth is essential; we seek every opportunity to foster the children’s ability to be reflective and ensure that they gain the necessary life skills in order to succeed in their future beyond Dashwood Banbury Academy.

As an aspirations academy we are committed to fostering all pupils and staff aspirations so that everyone reaches their full potential. Our Aspirations Framework provides an outline, based on three Guiding Principles and 8 Conditions for learning that is fully embedded in our curriculum. Our academy believes that for pupils to have high aspirations, three Guiding Principles must be present: Self-Worth, Engagement, and Purpose. The Guiding Principles, in turn, are lived out through the 8 Conditions that emphasise relationships, active and engaging teaching and learning, and a sense of responsibility over one’s own aims and goals. The 8 Conditions are: Belonging, Heroes, Sense of Accomplishment, Fun & Excitement, Curiosity & Creativity, Spirit of Adventure, Leadership & Responsibility, and Confidence to Take Action. Associated with each of the 8 conditions are specific values that are integrated and discussed in all aspects of school life. Listed below are our 8 conditions and their characteristics for learning:

Belonging– Being considerate

Heroes – Showing respect for yourself and others

Sense of Accomplishment–  Showing pride

Fun and excitement– Being motivated

Curiosity and Creativity– Being imaginative

Spirit of Adventure– Showing bravery to new situations

Leadership and Responsibility – Being trustworthy

Confidence to take Action– Being resilient

What is SMSC?

SMSC is about developing the whole child through:

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social and
  • Cultural activities

in an environment which enables all children to grow and flourish, become confident individuals and appreciate their own worth and that of others.

The Spiritual development of our pupils is shown by their:
  • ability to be reflective about their own beliefs, religious or otherwise, that inform their perspective on life and their interest in and respect for different people’s faiths, feelings and values
  • sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them use of imagination and creativity in their learning
  • willingness to reflect on their experiences.
    This can be seen in our school through:
    • RE lessons
    • A progressive PHSE curriculum
    • Assemblies
    • Celebration assemblies- star of the week/peace prize
    • Religious Celebrations and visits
    • Independent Home Learning projects – imagination and creativity development
    • Participating in events such as Anti-bullying week
    • Peer and self-assessment
    • Lesson reflections Core values linked to the 8 conditions for learning
    The Moral development of our pupils is shown by their:
    • ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong, readily apply this understanding in their own lives and, in so doing, respect the civil and criminal law of England
    • understanding of the consequences of their behaviour and actions
    • interest in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues, and being able to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues.
    This can be seen in our school through:
    • School vision and ethos
    • Progressive PHSE curriculum
    • Solving moral dilemmas in curriculum areas
    • Assemblies – stories with a moral, focused discussions re: discrimination, equality and diversity
    • Discussions/debates around moral and ethical issues
    • Emotional Support Programmes
    • School behaviour policy (responsibility for own actions)
    • Peer Tutoring
    • Lunchtime monitors
    The Social development of our pupils is shown by their:
    • use of a range of social skills in different contexts, including working and socialising with pupils from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds
    • willingness to participate in a variety of communities and social settings, including volunteering, cooperating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively
    • acceptance and engagement with the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs; the pupils develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.
    This can be seen in our school through:
    • Opportunities to vote e.g. Aspiration Councillors, Family Prefects, class monitors and class rewards
    • Pupil, staff and parent voice and forums
    • Regular collaboration across partnership schools and year groups
    • Peer coaching/mentoring Buddy events between year groups
    • Aspirations Council meetings
    • Playground Leaders
    • Junior Leaders
    • After school activities
    • Community events
    • School and community trips- Nursing home/singing at Morrison’s
    • Partnership and Trust events
    • Outdoor learning and forest school
    • Inter-Family Competitions
    • Lunchtimes inside the dining hall and outside
    • Active PTFA- discos/fetes/film nights/BBQs
    • Self-worth and purpose guiding principles are high profile
    • Community feel e.g links with Mosque and Church, community café in EYFS
    The Cultural development of our pupils is shown by their:
    • understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and that of others
    • understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures within school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain
    • knowledge of Britain's democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to develop Britain
    • willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic, sporting and cultural opportunities
    • interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity, and the extent to which they understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity, as shown by their tolerance and attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities.
    This can be seen in our school through:
    • Links with local schools, churches, groups, businesses, charities, faiths etc
    • Participation in cultural events including links with the Story Museum to gain individual Art Awards
    • School visits- museums including the London Science Museum, local Arts museum, The Pitt Rivers and Ashmolean in Oxford as well as a visit to Parliament Westminster.
    • Current affairs issues within the curriculum
    • Curriculum
    • Enterprise activities
    • School productions
    • Visitors to school
    • Extra curricular activities
    • Level 1 and 2 sporting competitions
    • History, RE and Geography Planning
    • Inclusive assemblies that celebrate all faiths and traditions
    Where next

    British Values

    What are Fundamental British Values? Our school community considers these values to be those of: Mutual respect and genuine tolerance of different faiths, cultures and…

    British Values

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