Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education

All schools, including Sacred Heart promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of their pupils. SMSC is essential for children’s individual development as well as for the development of society as a whole. Sacred Heart highlights the importance of SMSC as central to the development and growth of our pupils as people and it is at the heart of what education is all about.

What is Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education?

Some people assume spiritual development is about religious exploration or faith and that this is covered in our Religious Education Programme: ‘Come and See’. Yes, this is true, but spirituality is much more than this. The spiritual in SMSC is concerned with developing the non-material aspects of life, focusing on personal insight, values, meaning and purpose. Beliefs that help provide perspective on life may be rooted in a religion, but equally may not. Creativity and imagination is important, as is a sense of fascination, awe and wonder.

The moral element is largely about choices, behaviour and how you live your life. It's also about personal values and the values owned by different societies, understanding the reasons for them and airing and understanding disagreements. Learning in class or assemblies, might explore the consequences of decisions, other people's needs, and ways of learning from experience.

Social development shows pupils working together effectively, relating well to adults and participating in the local community. This element of SMSC includes personal growth, successful personal relationships.

Cultural development is about understanding and feeling comfortable in a variety of cultures. At Sacred Heart we create opportunities for pupils to experience culture through art, performance and educational visits. We explore faiths and cultures through our ‘Come and See’ RE programme and we value cultural diversity.