Spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) education is an important part of the curriculum at Carrington.  Building tolerance and mutual respect are high priorities in our diverse school community. We also provide opportunities for debate and discussion, developing respect for the ideas of others and helping children to understand democratic processes. Our children behave well and understand the need for rules and boundaries.

We have our own wheel of values which we revisit during assembly, our rewards and day to day interactions.

Spiritual

Children learn about other faiths through classroom based work and visits to places of worship in the area such as the local synagogue, gurdwara and churches. We have a growing relationship with our local church, we recently helped interview prospective new vicars and the children visit the church for key Christian festivals. We celebrate important festivals from other religions such as Eid, Diwali and Chinese New Year. We teach children the value of appreciating the world around us by taking them out for visits.

Moral

Every year each class creates a code of conduct and discusses the importance of rules and boundaries. Assemblies have moral themes and pupils have the opportunity to debate moral issues in class, including bullying and green issues. Wherever we go, people comment about the excellent conduct of our children. The children learn about important charitable causes and help raise money through events such as cake sales and dressing up days.

Social

There is a strong personal and social education thread running through our curriculum. We help children learn about their emotions and how to manage those emotions when they are having difficulties. This contributes to a reflective approach to discipline which promotes good behaviour in school. Children learn about democracy through an elected school council, involvement with NCC’s Primary parliament and other opportunities to vote for outcomes .  Our school residential develop social skills and a sense of being part of a community. Children in all classes take on responsibilities which help the class run smoothly and older children support school events. Children learn about the value of respectful relationships and how to avoid anti-social behaviour and illegal drugs. They are taught about appropriate behaviour online.

Cultural

Music, art and literature are integrated into our curriculum through projects which introduce influential artists and movements. Whole classes in Years Four and Five learn clarinet as part of the Wider Opportunities program. Key Stage Two pupils also have opportunities to learn a wide range of other instruments and join area band. We offer opportunities to perform at winter and spring music festivals within school and attend City performances those who take part in area band. All children have the opportunity to perform in plays for parents at either Christmas or in the summer. There are links with local art galleries, museums and theatres which provide motivating opportunities to learn about both ancient and modern culture. We have been a Royal Shakespeare associate school and continue to run a week exploring a play in depth. The school is currently part of a project researching creativity funded by the Arts Council.