Social, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) Monitoring
SIAMS Reports
Subject Leader: Mrs Michelle Downes
Link Governor: TBC
SMSC is a key area of Ofsted inspections. SMSC development is about developing children and young people to live full active lives as part of their community and into adulthood. Ofsted will look at the impact that the curriculum as well as activities outside the classroom has on pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
Through school visits governors can use monitoring to evidence that the governing body is fulfilling its three core functions;
- ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
- holding the head teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils;
- overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
SMSC Audits
Definitions
Spiritual development: beliefs which inform perspective on life including respect for different people's feelings and values. Spiritual does not mean just religious. It is concerned with developing the non material aspects of life, focusing on personal insight, values, meaning and purpose. It is about children having creativity and imagination and a sense of fascination, awe and wonder.
Moral development: the ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and applying it to our own lives. It is about the choices people make and how they live their life.
Social development: being willing to participate in different social settings, co-operating with others and resolving conflicts effectively, being a part of the local community, relating to adults and learning the skills for successful personal relationships.
Cultural development: understand and appreciate the range of cultural influences that shape our heritage, feeling comfortable in a variety of cultures, valuing cultural diversity and challenging racism is important.
SMSC can also be promoted across the curriculum - see below.
See also: British Values
