SMSC and British Values

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development

5 Key Messages

1. Ambition

Our mission is to provide all students with a high quality education that encourages them to be articulate, resilient, courageous, curious and have the confidence to stand up for what they believe in. We want our students to be A* individuals who have a Growth Mindset. We are proud of our Personal Development curriculum, Mandarin Excellence programme,  sporting and musical excellence, careers and higher education guidance, meaningful work experience through STEM, Macclesfield Pledge and Nuffield Trust, AZ, progression to Oxbridge and Russell Group universities.

2. Leadership

Students engage in a journey that is enabling them to be leaders in their own learning, empowered to engage with the global digital and diverse world of the Twenty First Century. Opportunities at Tytherington include: Student Parliament, Transition ambassadors, Sixth Form Leadership Team, Competitive Debating, Sports Leadership, Duke of Edinburgh Award programme, LGBTQ+ and Women’s groups.

3. Inclusion

Students at Tytherington are instilled with a comprehensive ethos.  Our student body reflects the diversity of the community we serve and our curriculum and wider opportunities cater for all. It is also the responsibility of the school to highlight the great variety of life experiences beyond its walls. At Tytherington this inclusive approach can be found in: Charity work for local and national projects, the house system, foreign exchange programme.

4. Community

Whilst Tytherington places appropriate importance on the academic achievement and attainment of its pupils, it remains a community that encourages students to participate in civic and social projects to enhance to lives of others.  Recent examples of this are; Remembrance events, Sports leadership, Drama productions, Christmas & spring concerts, Christmas and summer fairs, House competitions, visits to parliament, food bank collection, a range of transition projects with partner Primary schools.

5. Reflection

At key moments in the year it is essential to connect the school with the broader historical or contemporary events that shape the lives of themselves, their families and modern British society. These events, whether they are timely commemorations or the responses to breaking news need to be structured by the school sensitively and anchored to the core values of tolerance, compassion and respect which are the foundation of the best of Britain’s values and history as a home for many. This is visible in: Remembrance services, pastoral/PD assemblies in the light of international, national and local events, History curriculum with a key element being Britain as a migration nation.

How does our PD curriculum contribute to SMSC?

Supporting the social, moral, spiritual, and cultural (SMSC) development of our students is at the core of our school culture, vision, and ethos, and is embedded across our curricular and extra-curricular provision.

Our PD curriculum also plays a key role in supporting SMSC. For example:

All pupils in Key Stage 3 have lessons in ‘Religious Studies’ where they reflect on their own beliefs and develop understanding and respect for different faiths/religions. This is reinforced in PD lessons where they are taught directly about religious tolerance and explore the multi-cultural nature of the UK. They are provided with ample opportunity to reflect upon what makes them who they are (e.g., in lessons on ‘personal identity’ and ‘mindfulness’) and explore how others are different.

Our young people learn about ‘the rule of law’ and the legal position in relation to topics surrounding sex, relationships, and broader safeguarding issues (e.g., substance misuse, criminal exploitation, radicalisation/extremism etc). Pupils engage in regular, thoughtful discussions to explore the far-reaching consequences associated with their behaviour and choices (e.g., when teaching topics such as drugs education and bullying) and they learn about the role of the legal system in the UK.

Pupils frequently engage in paired and group work to actively encourage interaction with others from different backgrounds. They are expected to construct their own informed opinions and listen respectfully to the views of others. As a school we encourage active citizenship (e.g., through supporting charities, the NCS programme, Youth Parliament, enrichment activities) to support the school, local and wider community, and pupils are provided with many extracurricular opportunities/electives (e.g., sporting, drama, music, cultural), allowing them to develop skills in cooperation, conflict resolution, teamwork, and an appreciation of difference.

At the heart of our PD curriculum is promoting acceptance and respect for diversity; actively living the shared values that promote community cohesion, and preparing our students for life in modern Britain.

British Values

Please click on the following image to view how British Values are embedded within our school ethos, vision and culture, an our curricular and extra-curricular provision.