What is Cultural Capital?

Cultural capital is the accumulation of knowledge, behaviours, and skills that a child can draw upon and which demonstrates their cultural awareness, knowledge and competence; it is one of the key ingredients a child will draw upon to be successful in society, their career and the world of work.

Cultural capital promotes social mobility and success.

Cultural capital gives a child power. It helps them achieve goals, become successful, and rise up the social ladder without necessarily having wealth or financial capital.

Cultural capital is having assets that give children the desire to aspire and achieve social mobility whatever their starting point.

Policy Rationale

At Kirkbampton CE Primary School, we recognise that for children to aspire and be successful academically and in the wider areas of their lives, they need to be given rich and sustained opportunities to develop their cultural capital.

The school recognises that there are six key areas of development that are interrelated and cumulatively contribute to the sum of a child’s cultural capital:

1. Personal Development
2. Social Development, including political and current affairs awareness
3. Physical Development
4. Spiritual Development
5. Moral Development
6. Cultural development

Summary of the key areas of coverage for each area of Cultural Capital Development:

Personal development

1. Citizenship, Personal, Social and Health Education provision;
2. The school’s wider pastoral framework;
3. Growth mindset support – resilience development strategies;
4. Transition support;
5. Work to develop confidence e.g. role play, supporting peers;
6. Activities focused on building self-esteem;
7. Mental Health & well-being provision.

Social Development

1. Personal, Social and Health Education provision;
2. Volunteering and charitable work – eg. raising funds for Children in Need, School council’s chosen charity – Air Ambulance, British Legion, Food bank, care packages for local residents
3. Pupil Voice –School Council, Young leaders;
4. Child and Family Support Worker support;
5. Pastoral support from all staff

Physical Development

1. The Physical Education curriculum;
2. Healthy Eating policies and catering provision;
3. Anti-bullying and safeguarding policies and strategies
4. The Health Education dimension of the PSHE programme, including strands on drugs, smoking and alcohol;
5. The extra-curricular clubs related to sports and well-being;
6. The celebration of sporting achievement including personal fitness and competitive sport;
7. Activity-based residential visits – Barcaple Y5/Y6
8. Design and Technology units related to food preparation and nutrition;

Spiritual Development

1. The Religious Education Curriculum;
2. Work with local churches and NISCU
3. Our collective acts of reflection;
4. Support for the expression of individual faiths;
5. Inter-faith and faith-specific activities and speakers;
6. Visits to religious buildings and centres;

Moral Development

1. The Religious Education Curriculum;
2. The school’s Behaviour policy;
3. Contributions to local, national and international charitable projects.
4. Picture News

Cultural Development

1. Citizenship education through PSHE;
2. Arts education including Music and Drama;
3. Access to the languages and cultures of other countries through the Geography and MFL curriculum;
4. Promotion of racial equality and community cohesion through the school’s ethos, informing all policy and practice.
5. Visits to the theatre
6. First Access music lessons for all children in KS2
7. Work with UK Parliament
8. Visits to Tullie House and Carlisle Castle

Each curriculum area makes its own contribution to children’s cultural capital development and supports SMSC across the school.

(See SMSC overview below for further information)

POLICY FOR SPIRITUAL, MORAL, SOCIAL & CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT (S.M.S.C.)

1. Introduction

At Kirkbampton CE Primary School we recognise that the personal development of pupils, spiritually, morally, socially and culturally, plays a significant part 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 their cultures.

• The National curriculum has two aims:
• The school curriculum should aim to provide opportunities for all pupils to learn and to achieve.
• The school curriculum should aim to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepare all pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and expectations of life.

1.3 These two aims reinforce each other. SMSC plays a significant part in the ability to learn and to achieve. All curriculum areas have a contribution to make to the child’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

1.4 Christian values, principles and spirituality will be explored throughout the curriculum. The integrity and spirituality of other faith backgrounds will be respected and explored. The diversity of spiritual traditions will be recognised, and pupils will be given access to alternative views.

1.5 All adults will model and promote expected behaviour, treating all people as valuable individuals and showing respect for pupils and their families. Children should learn to differentiate between right and wrong in as far as their actions affect other people. They will be encouraged to value themselves and others.

1.6 Children should understand the need for rules and the need to abide by rules for the good of everyone. We promote and reward acceptable behaviour and provide opportunities to celebrate pupil’s work and achievements.

1.7 All curriculum areas should seek to use illustrations and examples drawn from as wide a range of cultural contexts as possible. This will be reflected in the teacher’s planning and learning resources.

Aims of S.M.S.C.

• To ensure that everyone connected with the school is aware of our values and principles.
• To ensure a consistent approach to the delivery of SMSC issues through the curriculum and the general life of the school.
• To ensure that a child’s education is set within the context that is meaningful and appropriate to their age, aptitude and background.
• To ensure that children know what is expected of them and why.
• To give each child a range of opportunities to reflect upon and discuss their beliefs, feelings and responses to personal experience.
• To enable children to develop an understanding of their individual and group identity.
• To enable children to begin to develop an understanding of their social and cultural environment and an appreciation of the many cultures that now enrich our society.
• To give each child the opportunity to explore social and moral issues and develop a sense of social and moral responsibility.

Learning and Teaching

3.1 Spiritual Development – As a school we aim to provide learning opportunities that will enable children to:

• Sustain their self-esteem in their learning experience
• Develop their capacity for critical and independent thought
• Foster their emotional life and express their feelings
• Experience moments of stillness and reflection
• Discuss their beliefs, feelings, values and responses to personal experiences
• Form and maintain worthwhile and satisfying relationships
• Reflect on, consider and celebrate the wonders and mysteries of life.

3.2 Moral Development – as a school we aim to provide learning opportunities that will enable children to:

• Recognise the unique value of each individual.
• Recognise the challenge of religious teaching particularly that of Jesus.
• Listen and respond appropriately to the views of others.
• Gain the confidence to cope with setbacks and learn from mistakes.
• Take initiative and act responsibly with consideration for others
• Distinguish between right and wrong
• Show respect for the environment
• Make informed and independent judgements

3.3 Social Development – as a school we aim to promote opportunities that will enable pupils to:

• Develop an understanding of their individual and group identity.
• Learn about service in the school and wider community
• Begin to understand the need for social justice and a concern for the disadvantaged.

3.4 Cultural Development – as a school we aim to promote opportunities that will enable pupils to:

• Recognise the value and richness of cultural diversity in Britain, and how these influence individuals and society.
• Recognise Christianity as a world-wide faith.
• Develop an understanding of their social and cultural environment.

3.5 Development in SMSC will take place across all curriculum areas. SMSC has particularly strong links to Religious Education, Collective Worship and Personal, Social, Health & Citizenship Education. Within all curricular activities, children will be encouraged to reflect on the significance of what they are learning, to recognise any challenges to their own attitudes and lifestyle and to recognise a spiritual dimension to their lives.

3.6 All curriculum areas should seek illustrations and examples drawn from as wide a range of cultural contexts as possible.

3.7 Through classroom discussions we will give the children opportunities to:

• Talk about personal experiences and feelings.
• Express and clarify their own ideas and beliefs
• Speak about difficult events, e.g. bullying, death etc
• Share thoughts and feelings with other people
• Explore relationships with friends/family/others
• Consider the needs and behaviour of others
• Show empathy
• Develop self-esteem and a respect for others
• Develop a sense of belonging
• Develop the skills and attitudes that enable children to develop socially, morally, spiritually and culturally e.g. empathy, respect, open-mindedness, sensitivity, critical awareness etc.

3.8 Many curriculum areas provide opportunities to:

• Listen and talk to each other
• Learn an awareness of treating all as equals, accepting people who are different because of physical and learning difficulties.
• Agree and disagree
• Experience good role models
• Take turns and share equipment
• Work co-operatively and collaboratively

3.9 Practical activities to develop SMSC will include:

• Working together in different groupings and situations
• Encouraging the children to behave appropriately at meal times
• Taking responsibility e.g. class monitors, lunch monitors, register monitors, assembly monitors, cloakroom monitors, delivering messages and looking after younger children.
• Encouraging teamwork in PE and games
• Appreciation of, and respect for, the work and performance of other children regardless of ability.
• Hearing music from different composers, cultures and genres e.g. in music for reflection time during collective worship.
• Meeting people from different cultures and countries
• Participating in a variety of different educational visits
• Participation in live performances
• Use of assembly themes to explore important aspects of our heritage and other cultures e.g. festival days, the patron saints and global events.
• Studying literature and art from different cultures supported by visits from writers and artists and participating in workshops.
• Opportunities for the children to hear and see live performances by professional actors, dancers and musicians.
• Opportunities to make and evaluate food from other countries.
• Opportunities in music to learn songs from different cultures and play a range of instruments
• Studying the contributions to society that certain famous people have made.

Links with the wider community

4.1 Visitors are welcomed into our school

4.2 Links with the local church are fostered. Members of the churches and NISCU take regular collective worship

4.3 Visits to Carlisle cathedral are arranged to support the understanding of a wider Christian community.

4.4 The school supports the work of a variety of charities.

4.5 The development of strong home-school links is regarded as very important, enabling parents and teachers to work in an effective partnership to support the children.

4.6 Children are taught to appreciate and take responsibility for their local environment.

4.7 Liaison with the RSC and local secondary schools, to support the primary curriculum and effective transition, takes place regularly.

Monitoring and Evaluation Provision for SMSC is monitored and reviewed on a regular basis. This is achieved by:

• Monitoring of teaching and learning and work scrutiny by RE/CW/PSHE co-ordinator/ /headteacher/governors.
• Regular discussions at staff and governors’ meetings
• Audit of policies
• RE/PSHE/CW development and, when relevant, inclusion in the SIDP.
• Sharing of classroom work and practice

Inclusion

The aims of our school, enabling each child to ”reach their full potential” reflects our vision of Hope, Friendship, Compassion We Learn Together. We are committed to equality of opportunity regardless of race, cultural background, ability or any physical or sensory disability. We believe that all pupils have a right to experience a real environment in which they can learn that people are not all the same. We believe that inclusion is about the school fitting in around the child.

Implementation of Policy

The implementation of this policy and the planning and teaching of SMSC is the responsibility of all staff. The co-ordinator for SMSC is the Headteacher Mrs Andrea Armstrong. The governor responsible for SMSC is Rev. Tudor Boddam-Whetham