Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Provision

The Radclyffe School prides itself on offering students a rounded education; as well as promoting high academic standards, we aim to ensure that all children, of all backgrounds and abilities have the opportunity to develop and grow as rounded individuals. Therefore, promotion of SMSC, in this context becomes an integral part of our whole school ethos.

This document aims to highlight some (but by no means all) of the many notable areas of SMSC provision at The Radclyffe School.

Perhaps the most obvious platform on which our SMSCprovision is based is our ‘The Radclyffe 5 Respects’ (see appendix 1). Based upon a whole school charter that was written by a student led steering group and based upon the UNICEF principles of a ‘Rights Respecting School’, we have successfully embedded a culture of mutual respect (See appendix 2). Tellingly, the charter applies to all stakeholders, staff and visitors to the school as well as students to demonstrate a collective responsibility for the whole school community to work together (and thus realising the school motto ‘Working Together for Excellence’). Emphasis is placed upon the responsibilities as well as the rights of individuals to ensure a safe and respectful learning environment where individuals can flourish and become independent contributors to the school and wider community.

Although SMSC provision is heavily supported by the Humanities Faculty (with RS as an obvious subject leader in matters SMSC), we believe that it is the responsibility of every adult and child in school to promote SMSC and key British values.

The school Achievement and Access team (a faculty based around pastoral care, support and achievement) plays a central role in coordinating projects and opportunities for students to develop outside the academic sphere. Examples of their work in supporting SMSC in the school community include: School Council; The Article 12 Group; The Eco-Team; The Charity Team; Student Leadership; Student Ambassadors amongst others. These teams are student led and encourage students to make a commitment to the school community and engage with those from all ages and backgrounds. Students at The Radclyffe School are supported in their leadership roles and this, in turn, helps students feel valued and promotes safety and wellbeing. ‘Student Voice’ is a powerful tool that is developed within all areas of student involvement. The Achievement and Access team also coordinates the whole school PLG (Personal Learning Guide) provision which allows for every student to have one to one pastoral meetings with a member of staff. This individual, personalised agenda promotes a sense of self-worth, well-being and allows for students to develop relationships with adults in school who may not be their teachers.

Within academic faculties, many opportunities exist for SMSCdevelopment. In addition to the obvious contribution of educational visits within school, there are a host of extra-curricular activities and clubs that are open to all students. Some of these clubs are focussed on curriculum areas (e.g. music vocal group), however, many offer a generalised opportunity for students to develop their teamwork, cooperation skills and social development. External groups from the local community also provide regular support with lunch clubs and assemblies (see appendix 4). Creative partnerships and The Creative Vision Team work with members of the school community to promote appreciation for the expression of collective identity through cultural and artistic development (see appendix 5). The Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme has been successfully delivered for the past three years and is increasing in popularity every year. With its core objectives being fundamentally rooted in the SMSC agenda, it is a clear example of The Radclyffe School’s commitment to our students’ holistic development.

A notable success over the last 13 years has been the Age UK project, supported by the Humanities faculty. This partnership with the Age UK charity pairs members of the senior community with students to work on shared experience ‘Life booklets’. Projects such as this are crucial in promoting the values of SMSC alongside key British values as students learn to empathise and engage with diverse members of the wider community with historical links to local culture. The Humanities faculty also leads the whole school Remembrance Day and Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations which make a huge contribution to the school and indicate the high value placed on matters SMSC (see appendix 6).

Maths and English faculties nurture students’ social development by working on highly successful ‘Peer Mentoring’ schemes. With older students given the responsibility of mentoring younger students with their academic work, positive and valuable relationships are nurtured, enabling students to experience and benefit from working with those outside their usual friendship groups whilst boosting their own academic achievements.

As a school we recognise that many of our students may not have the opportunity for life experiences that many children can take for granted. With this in mind, the school has committed a great deal of time and resources to providing all students with the opportunity for an educational visit on ‘Experience Day’ where the whole school community leaves the school premises for a day of learning outside the classroom. This shared experience offers students the chance to broaden their horizons and appreciate cultural experiences as valuable learning. A wide variety of educational visits on smaller scales (such as theatre visits, university visits etc.) as well as having valuable guest speakers and external agencies delivering in school (e.g. STEM days in D&T, annual celebration evening carnival, creative vision team projects), and numerous clubs are an integral aspect of our approach to learning as a holistic experience for each child.

As with all providers of education, The Radclyffe School is hugely proud of and celebrates, through assemblies, the achievement and progress of students of all abilities and talents as well as raising their aspirations and sharing the core principles of British values and the Prevent agenda. Celebration assemblies, ‘PROUD’ assemblies, and celebration evenings allow the school community to join to together in recognising contributions made by our staff and students in a variety of ways. Students value this recognition and thrive on the celebration of their role in the school. There is a high sense of pride for all staff and students in The Radclyffe School and this sense of belonging reflects the significance of SMSC and core British values in our everyday school life.