We’ve always taken your child’s social, moral, spiritual and cultural development seriously – and we’ve been successful, too. Ofsted (November, 2011) judges us to be outstanding in this area, noting:
Their outstanding behaviour, together with their maturity as members of the school community, is reflected in their respect for different cultures. This leads to outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. A typical comment from pupils is that, ‘in this school we are all equal. We treat each other from different religions equally’.
But what do the terms ‘social development’, ‘moral development’, ‘spiritual development’ and ‘cultural development’ mean? When I seek your views on this area of our work in the annual survey of parents and carers, we typically get fewer responses for this question – I wonder if it’s because of the slightly mysterious nature of of terms!
Here’s how the Department for Education define the four aspects, and some comments (in italics) about how we’re promoting them at Moortown Primary School, especially through the homework tasks we set.
Social development
Pupils’ social development involves pupils acquiring an understanding of the responsibilities and rights of being members of families and communities (local, national and global), and an ability to relate to others and to work with others for the common good. They display a sense of belonging and an increasing willingness to participate. They develop the knowledge, skills, understanding, qualities and attitudes they need to make an active contribution to the democratic process in each of their communities.
It’s wrong to think that the best learning happens in a silent classroom! At Moortown Primary, our classes are often buzzing with talk – talk for learning, that is. We believe that lots of speaking and listening between pupils is vital – it’s a life skill and a great learning tool, too: it can help children develop their thoughts, check their answers for reassurance, embed their own learning… Linked closely with SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning), especially the current theme of Getting On, social development is happening all the time at Moortown Primary. Teachers often set homework based around the SEAL theme; at the time of writing, for example, Mr Wilks and Mr Redfearn have asked the Year 3 and 4 children to do some Talk Time on different ways to get on with friends. Next week, children in all classes are asked to consider bullying: what it is, what types of bullying there are, and how we can stop and prevent it. Again, this stems from our SEAL themes and promotes social development.
Moral development
Pupils’ moral development involves pupils acquiring an understanding of the difference between right and wrong and of moral conflict, a concern for others and the will to do what is right. They are able and willing to reflect on the consequences of their actions and learn how to forgive themselves and others. They develop the knowledge, skills and understanding, qualities and attitudes they need in order to make responsible moral decisions and act on them.
Talk Time homework is the perfect way to have a healthy debate about a moral issue, and recently all the teachers in school set a moral question to consider at home: older children considered whether everyone should be paid the same wage (fitting in perfectly to their Big Topic, Rich and Poor); Y3 and Y4 children considered if households should have more than one car (linked to the All Aboard! Big Topic); and children in Key Stage One pondered whether animals should perform in circuses (which stems from the Roll Up! Roll Up! Big Topic). As always with Talk Time homework, opinions which children have heard and considered at home (and hopefully some rich language, such as words like ‘Nevertheless,…’ and phrases like ‘I agree with most of what you say, but…’) are then a central part of class discussions. Theses sorts of discussions, at both home and school, promotes social development, too!
Spiritual development
Pupils’ spiritual development involves the growth of their sense of self, their unique potential, their understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, and their will to achieve. As their curiosity about themselves and their place in the world increases, they try to answer for themselves some of life’s fundamental questions. They develop the knowledge, skills, understanding, qualities and attitudes they need to foster their own inner lives and non-material wellbeing.
As well as the obvious ways to promote this through Religious Education and assemblies, we recently asked children to respond to what a religious festival means to them. This was a creative homework: I can show what Eid or Diwali means to me and my community. Teachers were very impressed by the quality of the homework. Later in the year, we’ll repeat this homework task for festivals from the Jewish and Christian faith.
Cultural development
Pupils’ cultural development involves pupils acquiring an understanding of cultural traditions and an ability to appreciate and respond to a variety of aesthetic experiences. They acquire a respect for their own culture and that of others, an interest in others’ ways of doing things and curiosity about differences. They develop the knowledge, skills, understanding, qualities and attitudes they need to understand, appreciate and contribute to culture.
We value and respect children from all faiths. Importantly, we value and respect children with no particular faith, too. As an alternative to the homework described above, children might have chosen to respond from a cultural prompt: I can respond to a book I’ve recently read. Again, the quality of the homework was great. Later in the year, there will be an opportunity to respond to a film or television programme (your child’s chance to become a film or TV critic!) and to a work of art.
As always, if you’d like to know more about this or any other aspect of the teaching and learning at Moortown Primary, please do contact me.