This policy covers: Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development as well as Collective Worship.

At The Five Islands School the promotion of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is considered to be `a whole school issue'.

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development is promoted not only through all the subjects of the curriculum but also through the ethos of the school, through collective worship and through the development of positive attitudes and values.

Principles

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development is crucial for individual pupils and it is crucial for society as a whole. We believe it is the heart of what education is all about - helping pupils grow and develop as people.

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development is cross curricular and promotes the aims and principles of the policies for PSHCE, RE, Drug Education, Sex Education, Race Equality, Disability, Equal Opportunities, Careers Education and Guidance These policies all underpin the Curriculum model as putting the child at the centre of all we do.

It is an expectation at The Five Islands School that all staff, in all subjects, can and should make a contribution to the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development of pupils through the taught curriculum and through the use of appropriate teaching and learning strategies e.g. discussion, reflection, pupil participation, circle time etc.

The importance of relationships between all school staff, parents and governors is crucial. These relationships will be characterised by mutual respect, by positive attitudes, by the willingness to listen and be listened to and by the valuing of all pupils.

The statutory requirement that schools should encourage pupils' Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development was first included in the Education Reform Act 1988. The Act began as follows:

`The curriculum for a maintained school (must be) a balanced and broadly based curriculum which:

a) promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, and

b) prepares such pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.'

The Act clearly recognised that there is more to life than achieving high standards in academic subjects. The task was described as:

`…the training of good human beings, purposeful and wise, themselves with a vision of what it is to be human and the kind of society that makes that possible'.

Today, the responsibility of educators and others in the importance of encouraging pupils' SMSC development remains strong. Whether talking about the family, teenage pregnancy, the misuse of drugs, ethics in business or politics, football hooliganism, homophobia, the promotion of good race relations, the consequences of social disadvantage, a failure to vote at elections, or the host of other issues which raise spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues, the debate very quickly turns to schools and the role they can play.

There have been recent, significant, national initiatives in personal, social and health education (PSHE), citizenship, sex and relationship education (SRE), drug education, and careers education and guidance, all of which are linked to pupils' SMSC development. Recent legislation on race equality, special educational needs, disability, sexual orientation, religion and age has significant links to pupils' SMSC development. Schools have a statutory duty to ensure that pupils are not discriminated against and to promote good race relations. Schools must have regard to guidance set out in codes of practice issued by the Commission for Racial Equality, the Department for Education and Skills and the Disability Rights Commission

Opportunities for pupils to experience and learn about Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development in our school

It is an expectation at this school that all staff, in all subjects, can and should make a contribution to the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development of pupils through the taught curriculum and through the use of appropriate teaching and learning strategies e.g. discussion, reflection, pupil participation, circle time etc

Social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is concerned with the following ideas, beliefs and values.

Spiritual Development

This relates to the quest for individual identity and the search for meaning and purpose in our existence. It leads towards the understanding of self and others. It has to do with feelings, emotions, attitudes and beliefs It is not linked solely to a particular doctrine or faith and spiritual development is therefore accessible to everyone.

Spiritual development concerns:

Moral Development

Pupils are encouraged to understand the need for a common code and to follow it from conviction rather than because of sanctions or consequences. At The Five Islands School we work towards an understanding of what is right and wrong. From this basis pupils may develop the ability to make judgements and to become increasingly responsible for their own actions or and behaviour.

Moral development concerns:

Social Development

This enables pupils to become conscientious participants in their family, class, school, the local and wider community. Within this there should be a balance of the positive, satisfying elements of belonging to a group or society along with the demands, obligations and cooperation such membership requires.

Social development concerns:

Cultural Development

At the heart of cultural development lies the necessity to develop a sense of personal identity, whilst at the same time acquiring awareness, understanding and tolerance regarding the cultural traditions and beliefs of others.

Cultural development concerns:

The provision of SMSC development within The Five Islands School teaching bases.

For SMSC development to flourish, the following conditions need to be in place:

1) The ethos of the team needs to be one in which staff understand, value, practise and promote the guiding tenets which form the basis of SMSC development;

Every effort is made to ensure that FIS has an ethos in which SMSC development can flourish. This is achieved through rigorous adherence to the ethos of The Five Islands School aims.

2) Pastoral support should create a structure through which care and concern for the pupils can be given.

The Five islands School prides itself on the high quality of the pastoral care provided: pupils' abilities, views and feelings are of paramount concern when planning and teaching the curriculum on offer. Staff are available to provide guidance and support to pupils and their families. Both formal and informal reporting structures are in place to enable pupils, their carers and staff to raise concerns and express views. Staff receive appropriate training and supervision aimed at increasing their understanding of and ability to deal with the social and personal issues which can cause anxiety to our pupils.

3) The curriculum must be planned so as to ensure the disparate elements of SMSC development can be explored.

To meet this requirement each subject leader is charged with ensuring SMSC is highlighted and contributed to in their individual subjects.

Collective Worship

Introduction:

At Five Islands School, we believe that collective worship plays an important role in the life of our school. It is an opportunity to promote the Christian foundation of our school, to celebrate and support all aspects of school life and to provide time for stillness and reflection in what is often a very busy, active day.

We recognise that though most of our pupils have a Christian faith background, if only nominally in many cases. Some have no religious faith at all. Great care and sensitivity are taken to ensure that all our pupils are valued and feel special.

At The Five Islands School we are confident that our approach to collective worship is educationally sound and crucial to the moral, social, cultural and spiritual development of our pupils. We believe that our collective worship policy embodies an integrity which parents and teachers will be happy to acknowledge.

Aims of Collective Worship:

The Legal Position:

In accordance with the guidance provided by the Isles of Scilly SACRE (Education Reform Act 1988) we recognise that we are obliged to make our collective worship “wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character”. Likewise we recognise that the worship should not be distinctive of any particular denomination. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from the daily act of worship. Any parent wishing to do so makes a written request to the headteacher.

Aim:

To work towards the third of our four School Aims: “To prepare pupils to become responsible members of society, who demonstrate the Christian values of fairness, honesty and respect for other people.”

Objectives:

The Purpose of Collective Worship:

We believe that collective worship makes a vital contribution to the development of pupils in the following areas:-

We hope that the daily act of collective worship will touch one or more of these areas. When the majority of the assembly time on a given day is devoted to a class performance or a singing practice, we are concerned to safeguard at least one of the above elements within a clear focal point.

Implementation:

Developing Spirituality:

Spirituality can be developed through the following:

In practical terms this would imply that we need to consider the following:

Bases may find it useful to refer to the “Pause for Reflection” and “Pause to Reflect on Values” documents produced by the Gloucester Diocese.

Equal Opportunities:

Every effort is made to ensure that collective worship in The Five Islands School is appropriate and has meaning for all pupils, regardless of age, gender, location of school base, race or disability.

Evaluation:

Appendix A - DCSF guidance:

When worship is conducted in the context of faith communities, for example, churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, etc, it can be described as Corporate Worship. Corporate Worship assumes a shared set of beliefs and values. Collective Worship, in recognising the collectivity of all participants, can make no such assumption.

Words can mean different things in different contexts and the word `worship' is no exception. The term Collective Worship is used in the context of schools - an educational context. In the absence of any legal definition, schools should interpret Collective Worship in a way which recognises that the school community is a collection of people. Acts of Collective Worship will need to be conducted which are sensitive to the collective character of schools. The school community will include people from a variety of cultural, faith and non-faith backgrounds reflecting the diversity of society. If Collective Worship is to be inclusive it must be interpreted in a way which is meaningful to the range of communities served by schools.

The term “collective” when used in relation to worship in schools refers to the gathering together of a school group or groups for worship; it does not in any way suggest an act of worship which involves a group meeting to subscribe to any particular faith or denomination of a faith.

Collective Worship does not pre-suppose shared beliefs, and should not seek uniform responses from pupils. Collective Worship caters for a diversity of beliefs and points of view, allowing individuals to respond as individuals.

Voluntary schools will need to provide acts of Collective Worship which offer pupils a quality learning experience which reflects the distinctive Christian foundation of the school. The distinctive context of Voluntary schools does not remove the requirement for collective acts of worship. Acts of Collective Worship in Voluntary schools should be inclusive, meeting the needs of all members of the school community.

Diocesan Schools should, however, seek to provide through acts of Collective Worship, opportunities for pupils to encounter the traditions and tenets of the Anglican Church.

It is clearly not appropriate for schools, including Voluntary schools, to define worship in ways which would constitute Corporate Worship. Generally, schools will find it helpful to define worship from a broad perspective and in ways which do not limit it to a particular faith perspective.

In an educational context, a definition of Collective Worship might incorporate some of the following:

The rights of parents to withdraw their children from Collective Worship established in the 1944 Act remain unchanged. Parents also retain this right in the particular context of Voluntary schools. This means that:

Parents are not obliged to state their reasons for seeking withdrawal. However, a head teacher will find it helpful to establish with any parent wanting to exercise the right of withdrawal:

A school continues to be responsible for the supervision of any child withdrawn from Collective Worship.

As with the rights of parents, the rights of teachers and head teachers to withdraw from Collective Worship as described in the 1944 Act remain unchanged. However, in Voluntary schools where head teachers and teachers have a National Society contract including the clause, “respecting the character of the foundation”, teachers will be expected to take part in Collective Worship.

Arrangements for Collective Worship in Voluntary schools are made by the governing body in consultation with the head teacher. Foundation governors have a particular responsibility to ensure that the character or foundation of the school is reflected in Collective Worship.

Diversity in the School Community:

Pupils in the Voluntary school community, both Aided and Controlled, come from a variety of backgrounds reflecting the plural and secular nature of society. The school community may include:

The governors and head teacher in a Voluntary school need to give careful consideration to ways in which acts of Collective Worship can be provided which reflect the Anglican foundation of the school but which do not impinge upon the integrity of staff and pupils or the faith communities from which they come.

Acts of Collective Worship should take account of the family backgrounds of all pupils as part of the school's commitment to diversity and inclusion. Diversity should be seen as enriching the life of a school community. Particular care should be taken to ensure that in acts of Collective Worship, diversity is embraced in positive and sensitive ways through:

Inclusive language may offend pupils from different religions or of no religion if words are used in ways which suggests affirmation or agreement. For example, the Christian religion accords a special status to Jesus Christ. However, this Christian belief should be approached with sensitivity within the context of Collective Worship. Care should be taken to avoid using language in ways that suggest that all those present at the act of Collective Worship share this belief.

Issues of particular concern for some pupils may include:

Above all, the school's approach to Collective Worship should be sensitive to the needs and backgrounds of the communities it serves.

SACRE:

There are statutory duties on every LEA to establish a permanent body, called a Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE). In relation to Collective Worship, the SACRE has the following responsibilities:

Although SACRE does not have any direct responsibility for Collective Worship in Voluntary schools, the diocese will normally be represented at SACRE through membership of the Church of England constituent group.

Christian Beliefs and Collective Worship in Voluntary Schools:

a) God as Creator

Collective Worship should encourage a sense of awe and wonder and foster a respect for the environment, the world and its peoples.

b) Jesus

An approach to Collective Worship should incorporate the major Christian festivals which focus on Jesus' life, especially his birth, death and resurrection. The cycle of the Christian year provides opportunities for reflecting on the life of Jesus and the life of the Christian Church and stories from the Gospels provide insight into Jesus' teaching.

c) The Holy Spirit

Collective Worship should include stories about individuals and organisations who have acknowledged the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The Church's commitment to supporting the poor and oppressed in the world, e.g. Christian Aid Week, also provides opportunities for schools to reflect on the activity of the Holy Spirit in the world today.

d) The Trinity

In reflecting this central Christian belief, acts of Collective Worship need to be particularly sensitive to the needs of Muslim and Jewish pupils for whom this doctrine is problematic. Opportunities to hear Trinitarian prayers (including those from the Celtic tradition) can help pupils develop an understanding of the importance of this belief for Christians. Another way of encouraging reflection on the Trinity is through an exploration of the school itself as a community in terms of its relationships both within and outside the school.

e) The Bible

Acts of Collective Worship could incorporate stories from the Bible as an aid to reflection and deeper understanding of human experience. The Anglican Church follows a liturgical calendar which specifies biblical passages for particular times of the year and schools may wish to incorporate these readings into their own acts of worship as and when appropriate.

Assemblies:

The law does not require schools to hold an assembly. However, from a practical perspective it is usually the case that acts of Collective Worship take place in the context of school Assembly. However, schools should make a distinction between the act of Collective Worship and the Assembly. The Assembly is often used for administrative purposes, such as giving out notices or sharing information. Schools should consider ways in which they can separate these administrative tasks from the act of Collective Worship. Pupils need to be clear about when the act of Collective Worship begins and ends. Some helpful strategies include:

Collective Worship and Spiritual Development:

Opportunities for spiritual development should be fostered across the whole curriculum. However, Acts of Collective Worship provide particular opportunities for promoting the spiritual development of pupils. Although spirituality is at the heart of all the world's major religions, the spiritual area of experience cannot be confined to adherents of faith communities. In approaching Collective Worship, schools should take an educational approach to spiritual development that might include:

Collective Worship can contribute to the above in the following ways:

Learning Opportunities:

As Collective Worship is not a curriculum subject, learning objectives describing what pupils should learn at each key stage are inappropriate. Rather, schools should consider what learning opportunities they intend to provide for their pupils in order to fulfil their overall aims for Collective Worship; these might include opportunities for:

Although all pupils have the capacity to explore and respond to the spiritual area of experience, some pupils will have had little or no opportunity to do this outside of school. To fully benefit from the Collective Worship learning opportunities outlined above, some pupils will need to develop skills in being still, silent and contemplative.

The Multi-Faith Church School:

Within the Dioceses of Bradford and Ripon & Leeds, a number of Voluntary schools contain pupils from a variety of religious traditions as well as many pupils whose families have no religious affiliation. The governors and the head teacher therefore need to consider how to provide forms of school worship which reflect the Anglican foundation of the school but which do not impinge upon the integrity of particular pupils or of the faith communities from which they come.

There is within the Anglican Church a strong commitment to the application of tradition and reason. Diversity in religion, race and culture should be regarded as a positive contribution to the life of the school. Pupils will be able to bring a range of religious experiences which will provide a focus for sharing values, beliefs and commitments. Pupils of different faiths should be encouraged to recognise the importance of a faith and of religious principles in a supportive religious environment.

The following advice is relevant to some degree to all schools, but in parts particularly to schools which are religiously and ethnically diverse.

Schools which have a multi-faith intake need to ensure, that when drawing up their Collective Worship policy statements, they interpret their Trust Deeds creatively and in a way which both recognises and affirms the diversity of experience of children in the school. The school should strive to cater for the spiritual needs of each child. Schools must be careful not to shrink from the delicate task of providing high quality worship in a multi-faith or largely Community Church School. It is vital that schools create a forum for discussion so that Collective Worship is prepared which is creative and sensitive to the needs of all children in school while also upholding the Anglican heritage of the school.

Beware of focussing too often on moral development or children's achievements as a way of avoiding the problems associated with providing worship for a mixed faith population. Acts of worship which focus solely on pupils' achievements or moral development are not in themselves `worship', but if the material is chosen carefully and the opportunity for children to make a worshipful response included, then these themes can be used. Careful attention should be paid to the way acts of worship are presented to ensure the opportunity to make a 'worshipful' response to spiritual content is there for those children who want to take it. Most children (70% in a recent survey) recognise a spiritual being 'other' than themselves even though most would not call it 'God'. Schools have a responsibility to give the children in their care the chance to explore that recognition in a variety of ways just as they would address other issues which concern children.

However, schools are reminded that although they must bring children to the 'threshold of worship', they cannot make them worship or elicit a specific response. It is helpful to have a clear idea of what we are trying to do in Collective Worship: an act of worship in school is different to an act of worship in a Church or Mosque - in school pupils are not a body of believers meeting through choice and it is important to uphold their integrity by giving them choices. Collective Worship is all about providing a forum where spiritual considerations are the focus and the opportunity for reflection and response given. It is best not to assume that children always believe the same things as their parents but rather to help them become informed, to allow them the opportunity to experience, and to give them the chance to choose their own response, e.g. ending with "I am going to say a prayer about ...(topic)...You might like to repeat the words silently to yourselves or you might prefer to think about some of the things I have talked about instead", may be better than saying "Let us pray..." without giving pupils a choice. Or, "I am going to read a poem. If you want to imagine it is a prayer then you can think about God listening to it. Otherwise, just listen carefully". Or, "This is a prayer which Christians use ... think about the words as you look at this picture/animal/flower/candle". Or, "Jesus taught that we should look after those who are outcasts in society. Can you think of anyone like that? Think of a way in which you could help someone while you listen to this music...You may like to turn your thoughts into a prayer". The person leading worship could blow soap bubbles as a prayer is read - the children who wish to join in could catch a bubble and burst it, sending their prayer to God.

It should also be recognised that while many themes are 'broadly Christian', they are also 'broadly Muslim', 'broadly Hindu', etc.

It is also important that when prayers, stories and songs are chosen, the words are considered carefully to make sure they are accessible for children who are not Christians. Does your school use stories, songs and prayers from a variety of cultures? Is worship at school too different from the worship children experience at home to be recognised? Can the school draw on some of the ways in which other faiths worship God? Choose content which gives all children the chance to feel included: the content of Collective Worship in a multi-faith setting needs to be thought through with sensitivity and with a realistic assessment of potential problem areas - for instance, Muslim children will see Jesus as a revered prophet, so singing about him is fine; however, Easter will cause problems because Muslims do not believe he was crucified or rose from the dead. In a Church school Easter cannot be ignored or its significance for Christians diluted. Easter is a time for Christian children to celebrate and for Muslim children to gain deeper insight into the Christian understanding of Jesus, although it will not be appropriate for a Muslim child to actually celebrate Easter as a Christian would.

It is helpful to have a focal, visual point for the children to look at. Ideally in a Church school this would be a cross, but in schools which are religiously and ethnically diverse, a different symbol of Christian spirituality might be more appropriate, e.g. a candle (light), a large photograph of a beautiful scene (creation), flowers (simplicity), etc. A Christian symbol which can inspire curiosity, interest and reflection in a diverse community could be helpful, e.g. a fish, which reminds people that Christians have been a minority group facing difficulties. Make sure the children are aware of the different types of significance the focal point has and have time to reflect on them.

Schools which are religiously and ethnically diverse need to consider how they are going to give each child the opportunity to reflect on and develop their spirituality in Collective Worship without (i) ignoring the complex and diverse faith experiences of a large proportion of children by making Collective Worship exclusive, and (ii) compromising the integrity of both Christianity and the other faiths represented by 'watering down' Collective Worship to a more general theme and therefore not doing justice to the commitment and experience of religious believers. Many general themes have their roots in religious traditions: this should be recognised.

It might be that some schools feel they can best fulfil these obligations by building positive and productive relationships with parents and leaders from different faith communities and inviting representatives into school to talk about their experiences of God and what their faith means to them. For example, a school could invite members of faith communities into school to lead voluntary lunch time talks or discussions in Religious Education lessons for staff and children of any faith. Head teachers are reminded of their responsibilities regarding visitors in school and should ensure that anyone visiting the school to talk to the children about any religion does not seek to convert, can build good relationships with groups of children and can make a positive contribution to school life. The Diocesan Education Adviser and the Interfaith Education Centre can put schools in touch with speakers.

The Anglican Church has a strong tradition of tolerance and of recognising the diversity of religious experience, response and expression. Many non-Christian parents may choose to send their children to a Church school because it is their nearest school and because that school is a part of their community. Anglicans have always regarded this service to the local community as an important part of their educational provision: one of the most powerful forms of witness a Church school can make to the wider community is the offer of the highest quality of education to all people in the area with "no strings attached" because of the Christian belief in following Jesus' example of service and self-sacrifice. A Church school needs to advertise its motives. Parents of all faiths may choose a Church school because they want their children to be educated in a faith environment and many prefer the Anglican nature of the school to be overt and vibrant for this reason. So, in addition, a school might like to invite the vicar to become involved in a variety of aspects of school life, Christian values could be consolidated through, for instance, behavioural policies, relationships between staff and staff and pupils, and so on. Jesus' teaching could be highlighted through involvement with community projects and charity events. The staff at a school can have a tremendous effect on young people's lives - is the school creative in utilising everyone's skills? Do staff and pupils feel valued and rewarded for their contribution to school life? The school should constantly look for new and imaginative ways in which to apply the Diocesan Mission Statement.

The parents of children from all faiths choose a Church school because it is an environment in which the presence of God is recognised, religious values given priority, spiritual development encouraged and a sense of community regarded as important. Each of these things needs to be consolidated by the school in its Collective Worship programme and beyond.

Inspection:

In Voluntary schools, Ofsted will report on whether or not the school is meeting statutory requirements in relation to acts of Collective Worship. Judgements about the quality of Collective Worship in Voluntary schools, both Aided and Controlled, will be made by a Section 48 Inspector. Inspectors will evaluate and report on the impact of Collective Worship on the school community and the extent to which it provides a quality learning experience reflecting the distinctive and inclusive Christian foundation of the school in ways which meet the needs of all members of the school community.

Inspectors will assess the extent to which the school:

The inspection will focus on the quality of the Collective Worship provided by the school. Some indicators of effective Collective Worship might include:

SIAS inspectors will use the following nationally agreed criteria

1. Outstanding

Worship occupies a place of vital importance in the life of the school and is a key element of its Christian foundation. Acts of worship are exceptionally well planned, imaginative and inspiring. They involve high levels of participation by individuals and groups of learners and evoke an extremely positive response from those attending, staff and parents as well as learners. Worship is consistently and recognisably Christian and honours the Anglican tradition, making excellent use of the resources of the Church, especially the contribution of its staff. At the same time the school is highly sensitive to the beliefs and traditions of those of other faiths and of none and takes care to ensure that acts of worship provide for their spiritual and moral development as well as that of Christian believers.

2. Good

Worship occupies an important place in the life of the school and is a key element in its Christian witness. Acts of worship are consistently well planned, imaginative and inspiring. They involve regular participation by individuals and groups of learners and evoke a very positive response from those attending, staff and parents as well as learners. Worship is consistently and recognisably Christian and honours the Anglican tradition, making good use of its links with the local Church, especially through the contribution of its staff. At the same time the school is sensitive to the beliefs and traditions of those of other faiths and of none and takes care to ensure that acts of worship provide for their spiritual and moral development as well as that of Christian believers.

3. Satisfactory

Worship occupies an important place in the life of the school and acts of worship are consistently at least sound in quality. They involve regular participation by individuals and groups of learners and evoke a positive response from those attending, staff and parents as well as learners. Worship is consistently and recognisably Christian and draws on the school's links with the local Church, especially through the contribution of its staff. At the same time the school is sensitive to the beliefs and traditions of those of other faiths and of none and makes some provision for these in planning its acts of worship.

4. Inadequate

The school devotes insufficient attention to worship, which as a result is not seen as an important part of the life of the community. Acts of worship are sometimes perfunctory and uninspiring. There are few opportunities for learners to participate meaningfully and their attitudes to worship are at best neutral and frequently apathetic. Links with the local Church are unproductive; acts of worship do not convey a consistent, clear Christian message. Little account is taken of the needs of those of other faiths and acts of worship make no significant contribution to the learners' spiritual development.

Spirituality Policy:

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Last Reviewed: December 2009