Download Spirituality across the Curriculum

SMSC: where is it hiding in
your school?
19 March 2013
Agenda
• SMSC: where is it hiding in your school?
coffee
• SMSC and Inspection
lunch
• Auditing SMSC
tea
• Provision into practice
If we don’t know what it is,
how can we identify where it may
be found?
So what is SMSC?
The 1994 inspection handbook attempted a definition of spiritual development:
Spiritual development relates to that aspect of inner life
through which pupils acquire insights into their personal
experience which are of enduring worth.
It is characterised by reflection, the attribution of meaning
to experience, valuing a non-material dimension to life and
intimations of an enduring reality.
ʻSpiritualʼ is not synonymous with ʻreligiousʼ; all areas of the
curriculum may contribute to pupilsʼ spiritual development.
Moral development is about the building, by pupils, of a
framework of moral values which regulates their personal
behaviour.
It is also about the development of pupils’ understanding of
society’s shared and agreed values.
It is about understanding that there are issues where there is
disagreement and it is also about understanding that
society’s values change.
Moral development is about gaining an understanding of the
range of views and the reasons for the range.
It is also about developing an opinion about the different
views.
Social development is about young people working
effectively with each other and participating successfully in
the community as a whole.
It is about the development of the skills and personal
qualities necessary for living and working together.
It is about functioning effectively in a multi-racial, multicultural society.
It involves growth in knowledge and understanding of society
in all its aspects. This includes understanding people as well
as understanding society’s institutions, structures and
characteristics, economic and political principles and
organisations, roles and responsibilities and life as a citizen,
parent or worker in a community.
It also involves the development of the inter-personal skills
necessary for successful relationships.
Cultural development is about pupils’ understanding
their own culture and other cultures in their town, region
and in the country as a whole.
It is about understanding cultures represented in Europe
and elsewhere in the world.
It is about understanding and feeling comfortable in a
variety of cultures and being able to operate in the
emerging world culture of shared experiences provided by
television, travel and the internet.
It is about understanding that cultures are always changing
and coping with change.
Promoting pupils’ cultural development is intimately linked
with schools’ attempts to value cultural diversity and
prevent racism.
Why spiritual development?
Spiritual development is an important element of a
child’s education and fundamental to other areas
of learning. Without curiosity, without the
inclination to question, and without the exercise of
imagination, insight and intuition, young people
would lack the motivation to learn, and their
intellectual development would be impaired.
(OFSTED 1994)
Deprived of self-understanding and potentially the
ability to understand others, they may experience
difficulty in co-existing with neighbours and
colleagues to the detriment of their social
development. Were they not able to be moved by
feelings of awe and wonder at the beauty of the
world we live in, or the power of artists, musicians
and writers to manipulate space, sound and
language, they would live in an inner spiritual and
cultural desert.
• Pupils will want to do their best if they believe they matter
as unique individuals capable of growing in spirit, making
responsible moral decisions and being creative.
Experiences and relationships must convince them of their
value as individuals.
• A prime motivator for adults is a belief that what they are
doing matters e.g. teaching to help pupils fulfil their
potential as human beings, rather than just to pass exams.
• Ofsted – January 2012
Promoting spiritual, moral, social and
cultural education across the curriculum
• SIAMS inspection – April 2013
How well does the school, through its
distinctive Christian character meet the
needs of all learners?
How can we support SMSC?
Helping children to
• reflect on important questions of meaning and identity
• think about special events in life and how they are
celebrated at home and in other communities
• explore the relationship between human beings and their
environment
• develop their self-esteem and self-awareness
• think about right and wrong
• reflect on their emotions and feelings
• express and explore beliefs, ideas and experiences
through creative arts
It is important to see spiritual development not just
in lessons but in other components of learning.
Enquiry is perhaps the most obvious learning
approach, for example:
Philosophy for Children (P4C)
Community of Enquiry
"I am beginning to appreciate that this other one (Leah) is
innocent but even when I get clothes for them, I give priority
to the older one."
“I love my first daughter because I gave birth to her as
Which
religious
beliefs and practices could
a result
of love."
Joseline
gain
“One cabinet
minister told
me hope
she wasfrom?
personally in
favour of getting rid of all Tutsi; without the Tutsi, she
What
ethical
raised
by
told
ministers,
all of issues
Rwanda's are
problems
would
bethis
over.”
image?
UNWANTED
This haunting
image shows
Joseline Ingabire,
a 38 year old Tutsi
woman, embracing
her daughter
Hossiana.
In the background
is her other
daughter Leah.
Leah was born as
a result of her
being raped by
Hutu militia during
the Rwandan Civil
War in 1994.
She says that she
still finds it
impossible to love
Leah.
Quality of learning
• Shallow learning:
memorisation, information recall, replication
• Deep learning:
reflection, knowledge and understanding
• Profound learning:
intuition, wisdom and meaning
John West Burnham