At Elmtree we demonstrate tolerance, respect and acceptance.  

Children learn about right and wrong, respect for the law and other people.  They are encouraged to be responsible for their own behaviour and show tolerance of different cultural traditions. Children are inspired to develop their self esteem and self confidence.  Everybody is encouraged to take part in local events and contribute to the local community. 

At Elmtree we have a school council which is made up from 2 children from each class.  Each class votes twice a year to select their council members. 

Please take a look at the following pages. http://www.elmtreeschoolandnursery.co.uk/school-council/

Elmtree children enjoy dressing up and collecting funds whilst participating in Red Nose day and Children in Need activities.

There are twice yearly school fayres and the children and parents are very generous in their support of time and donations. The children enjoy finding out which class has won the longest bottle line award.

Every week we recognise children's achievements in a Celebration Assembly. Children receive certificates for fabulous work or behaviour.  We collate and celebrate house points collected during the week, house captains change the winning colours.  We also recognise which class has collected the most playground points on the top playground. Children are encouraged to bring in certificates and awards from home to share with the rest of the school.

Please see our Community pages for more information on how children at Elmtree engage with the local community.  http://www.elmtreeschoolandnursery.co.uk/topic/community

SMSC

 SPIRITUAL, MORAL, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

SMSC makes a unique and substantial contribution towards the School’s aims in its core belief that the personal development of young people is essential to their health, safety and achievements as individuals within society.

This policy was developed in response to national guidance from OFSTED and refers specifically to recent guidance from OFSTED, taking into account the critical role SMSC has to play in ensuring young people know how to be safe.

We aim to incorporate the four core themes; Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural by focussing on three areas of development:

● Health & Wellbeing

● Relationships

● Living in the Wider World

Our aims are to enable students:

● To form and manage supportive and stable relationships

● To develop awareness of themselves as learners and managers of change

● To anticipate the demands and challenges of  life, including the world of work and leisure opportunities

● To demonstrate their creativity enterprise and economic wellbeing

● To make informed choices on their lifestyle.

● To be aware of the need for good health and physical well being

● To value themselves as an individual and promote their self esteem

● To promote a spirit of inquiry

● To have the confidence and skills to make learning a lifelong process

● To communicate appropriately, effectively and safely using all forms of communication and social media

● To develop healthy coping strategies to deal with demands and challenges

Objectives

• To deliver an interesting, enjoyable and thought provoking curriculum as well as assemblies with outside speakers.
• To identify opportunities through the wider curriculum and to organise activities for students to participate in through school and community based projects.
• To collapse timetables for whole year group activities, where appropriate, to enhance PSHE/ SMCS understanding.

Overall these objectives will provide a full and comprehensive programme of PSHE and Citizenship which with a coherent assembly programme will offer a holistic and inspiring experience enabling our young people to be responsible, reflective and active citizens with a strong sense of British values. 

Resources

Various assemblies are allocated to outside agencies to introduce students to different speakers.

PSHE is also taught discretely through the curriculum within a broad STRIVE spiralised curriculum.

Computing curriculum (PurpleMash) deliver lessons on internet safety with some supporting lessons to compliment these in Form time Involvement of other agencies/ external bodies who can deliver specialist information, advice and guidance.

Towards Definitions

Through planning work with staff and through our daily interaction with students the following working definitions have emerged. All four aspects involve getting our students to ask questions about their own experiences and the world, together with that of considering the feelings of others.

SPIRITUALITY

Spirituality is concerned with:

● Beliefs – informed by the study of religions and philosophies, but in particular to be able to discuss with others the range of beliefs (both formal and informal) that students and adults share.

● A sense of awe and wonder – the way in which students are struck by what they see, feel and hear. For example, opportunities for visits and extra-curricular activities.

● Feelings of transcendence – the opportunity for students to discuss unexplainable issues and to feel that there is something beyond themselves.

● A search for meaning and purpose – this is encouraged through students asking questions about what is going on in their lives.

● Relationships – recognising and valuing the worth of each individual developing a sense of community and building up relationships with others.

● Creativity – where the student has the opportunity to express his or her thoughts and feelings through art, music and literature. This aspect involves getting to grips with their own feelings and emotions.

● Feeling and Emotions – the sense of being moved by beauty or kindness; hurt by injustice or aggression; a growing awareness of when it is important to control emotions and feelings and how to use such feelings as a source of growth.

We therefore aim to promote spirituality through:

● The values and mission the school identifies, upholds and fosters

● The contribution made by the whole curriculum

● Through assemblies

● Extra-curricular activity, together with the general ethos and climate of the Academy.

MORAL DEVELOPMENT

"Moral development refers to students’ knowledge

● understanding

● intentions

● attitudes

● behaviour

in relation to what is right and wrong"

(OFSTED Framework)

This involves making clear to our students the values that we subscribe to as an institution and as a community. The will to behave morally as a point of principle is fundamental to moral development. In this sense moral development is to do with understanding the principles lying behind actions and decisions and not just behaviour itself.

We therefore aim to promote moral development through:

● quality of relationships

● standards of behaviour

● quality of leadership

● the curriculum and teaching

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Social development is the students' progressive acquisition of the competencies and qualities needed to play a full part in society.

We therefore aim to promote social development through:

● cooperation and partnership

● classroom organisation and management

● the grouping of students

● leadership and responsibility

● extra-curricular activity

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

Cultural development is students' understanding of their own cultural identity. More than this however, it is also about understanding other groups in a particular society and of other societies beyond their own. The students need to understand the beliefs, values, customs, knowledge and skills which provide identity and cohesion to a particular society.

We therefore aim to promote cultural development through:

● an explanation of the influences that have shaped our culture

● the extension of our cultural horizons, through the influences of other cultures therefore extending cultural horizons beyond the immediate and the local

● past cultural features which influence and shape the present

● a study of the present values and customs of our nation and of other nations’ cultures and societies

● developing in our students respect for the values, customs and cultural heritage of those who belong to other faiths or ethnic groups.