SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development)
Introduction
Mayfield Core Values
Hearing Support Unit
How is SMSC Taught at Mayfield?
Religious Education
Personal, Social and Health Education
Assemblies
Other Areas of School Life
Extra Curricular Activities/Clubs
School Council
Peer Mediation
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
British Values
Parental Involvement and Community Links
Introduction
Mayfield Primary School is committed to supporting all pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (SMSC). Our School Ethos is: Everyone is welcome; Our diversity enriches us all; We all do our best for ourselves and for each other.
Pupils are welcomed from all over the world – in June 2022 we estimated that our pupils spoke 40 different languages at home. This creates a rich and vibrant atmosphere throughout the school and offers the opportunity to introduce all pupils and parents to a range of languages and cultures.
Mayfield Core Values are well-known and understood by all the children. Each half-term focuses on a new core value. These are woven into the curriculum and children are rewarded for demonstrating how they bring these values into their school and social life. You can read more about our core values here: Mayfield Core Values
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Our diversity is also reflected in the close relationship with the Deaf Support Centre within the school. This means that all the children learn basic sign language. In reception they learn how to sign the alphabet, sign the phonemes, sign the phonetic rhymes and links are also made with our maths curriculum. This continues to be added to as they progress throughout the school. We all benefit and this enriches our very special Mayfield community. There is more information about the Deaf Support Centre here: Deaf Support Centre
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How is SMSC Taught at Mayfield?
SMSC is not taught as a separate subject as it involves every part of Mayfield life but there are certain areas where it is more apparent. For example in RE, PSHE and in assembles.
In Religious Education (RE) lessons are usually structured around what we call ‘Big Questions’ or sometimes ‘Ultimate Questions’ that often have moral, spiritual or cultural topics. 
For example Why is God important to Jewish people? What is most important to you and why? What does it mean to be a ‘good’ person? Time is devoted to allowing children to reflect on these and enter into discussion with their peers about them. We always emphasise the fact that there are no wrong answers and everyone’s contributions are valid. Some of our topics in RE, called ‘Enquiries’ are based around a particular religion or belief system (eg Humanism) or aspect of that religion and involve learning about a culture that is unfamiliar to most of the children, for example celebrating festivals such as Shabbat and Pesach, or learning about worship in a mosque. Where possible we arrange for children to visit places of worship such as local churches, the Gurdwara or Buddhist centre. Often visitors are invited in to school, for example to answer children’s questions, share artefacts and cook special foods. Children are encouraged to share things from their own culture in lessons where relevant. For example bringing in artefacts and photos and explaining ideas and teachings from their own religion. Children are also encouraged to compare religions and find any similarities that exist.
Our RE page gives more details of RE at Mayfield: RE
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The Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) curriculum aims to equip children with the necessary knowledge and life skills that underlie all aspects of everyday life. It will therefore include all areas of SMSC but especially the social and moral issues. Several of the displays around the school focus on PSHE themes. Every year the children also contribute to class contracts or charters that reflect the Core Values. This link will take you to our PSHE page: PSHE
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Assemblies
On Mondays we have a recorded, online assembly for the whole school. We celebrate the children’s achievements with Headteacher awards and core value certificates. These are awarded to children who have demonstrated great examples of the core values or who have produced an excellent example of a piece of work or activity. Achievements outside school are also celebrated such as by sports teams, the school choir or individuals’ music grades or judo belts etc. Also in Monday assemblies we ask ‘Big Questions’ linked to the ‘Thinking Scientifically’ part of our curriculum.
Wednesdays’ assemblies are a blend of online and in-person. Everyone takes part in Mindfulness activities and considers Philosophical questions called ‘Thunks’. In these assemblies children also learn about Religious Festivals, World Issues and other well-bring strategies for their Personal Development.
Fridays’ Key Stage assemblies also focus on our Core Values. We sign and sing together, often inviting members of the choir, orchestra or signing choir to join us.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays assemblies are held in classes or Year groups and focus on the Core Values and Personal Development.
Other Areas of School Life
There are even more areas of school life where it is not so obvious and yet it underpins everything we do. For example: the international food evening, the Bake Off, World Book Day, Type Onsie Day to raise money for a diabetes charity and support Type 1 children at Mayfield, summer picnic , sports day, the end of year art exhibition, visiting actors, authors and scientists. All of these contribute to our children’s education and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural experience.
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Extra-Curricular Activities/Clubs
These are an important part of Mayfield and add to the sense of community. Some clubs are run by members of staff, some by outside agencies and some by the children themselves. They run before, during and after school and are available to all pupils. For more information read THIS section on the website.
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The School Council
This is made up of children elected from each class by the pupils themselves. Its purpose is to discuss and gather the opinions of all pupils. They meet at least half-termly. Examples of the school council’s work include the aiding the PTA with selecting equipment pupils would like to play with at break times, fund-raising for particular charities the pupils are inspired by, sharing pupil voice to SLT and delivering follow-up assemblies to the whole school. The councillors have collected and fed back information to the school caterers with regard to school lunches and taken part in staff recruitment. You can find out more about our School Council on their page: School Council
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Peer Mediation
When children have social and friendship issues they can choose to go and find a Peer Mediator to help talk through the problem. Sometimes teachers may refer children to go to Peer Mediation.
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
The work of our two dedicated EAL teaching assistants support children and their families on a daily basis. They have a major contribution to SMSC at Mayfield. They work with both newly arrived pupils and bilingual/multilingual children who have been at Mayfield from reception. EAL children are individually assessed and then supported according to their specific EAL needs. The type of help offered includes: welcoming and settling new children, creating, sourcing and tailoring resources for individual children and supporting in small intervention groups and 1:1. Here is a list of just some of the activities which have been organised by our EAL teaching assistants:
Reception Induction Days – Available to talk to parents.
International Parents Drop-in Sessions – Wednesday mornings at 9-930am – An opportunity for International parents and carers to ask any questions about life in Cambridge and at Mayfield. Also an opportunity to discuss how their children settling in.
International Clubs – at lunchtime the different clubs are run to encourage all pupils to gain confidence and international pupils to integrate into the school community.
Mayfield Food Festival – once a year the school hold a bring-and-share evening. Families are encouraged to bring a favourite/national dish.
International Cookery Master Class – open to all parents and staff. Occasional classes so far have included Thai, Bengali and middle-eastern dishes.
Summer Fayre – Bengali food stall
Resources – there are dedicated resources available for all EAL children which parents can access. There are also a lot of language books around school.
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British Values
This is a recent addition to the ‘Social’ definition of SMSC. It includes democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance. At Mayfield we already have our Core Values so the British Values help to reinforce and extend the importance of these.
Examples of democracy in action at Mayfield include:
• School Council
• The Children’s Charter, initiated by School council
• House captains and Sports Leaders
• Class Rules
• Importance of rules in P.E.
• Pupil voice eg. Naming the reading tree house through democratic process
• Turn taking and freedom of choice
• Personal Responsibility
• Parent Representatives and Parent Council
• Human Rights and Rights of the Child (eg.in RE)
• Current Affairs discussions and debates
• Visits from local councillors and MP
Examples of the rule of law:
• School Ethos
• Core Values
• School Rules
• Class Rules
• Children’s charter
• Behaviour expectations e.g. class / playground / swimming
• PSHE – debates
• Core Values
• School Council
• Road safety / Cycling proficiency
• Visits from local police
• Promote individual responsibility through reflection, discussion and core values
• Anti-bullying policy – version written by the children
Individual liberty – freedom to choose and hold own faiths and beliefs:
• Embrace diversity
• Teach about a number of faiths
• Celebrate various faith days throughout the year
• Strong teaching of tolerance
• Core values teach acceptance and respect
• Allowed to wear some religious clothing / days off for religious days
• Children, parents and families are encouraged to participate and contribute to religious festivals (e.g.nativity)
• Children are encouraged to participate in SRE
• Assemblies / celebrations
• Core values
• Celebrate + call upon children to share aspects of their faith
• Encouraging debate
• Autonomy – making choices and personal responsibility
• Golden time
• Show and tell
Examples of and opportunities for mutual respect – acceptance, tolerance, combatting discrimination:
• Core Values – modelling respect from all adults → children → parents → adults
• Ethos – “Everyone is welcome”
• Certificates for achievements and core values
• RE Lessons – acceptance / understanding / empathy
• Anti- bullying policy – version written by the children 
• Anti – discrimination and gender equality taught to and discussed with children eg. In RE, History and PSHE
• Role models and Inspirational people e.g. Y1 – We are scientists, focussed on different and widely ranged role models. Year 5:- inspirational people studied in RE
• PSHE curriculum and class assembly discussions
• School rules
• PE / Sport clubs at lunchtime and after schools
• Show and Tell
• EAL work by dedicated teaching assistants
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Parental Involvement and Community Links
We welcome parental involvement in school life and encourage it in lots of different ways. (See list below). There are meetings that you will be specifically invited to about your child’s progress and education but there are many different informal ways of supporting the school and the children through things that interest you. The children benefit greatly from seeing your interest and support not only in their education but the school’s activities, community events and extra –curricular programmes. Many parents run clubs or volunteer in school. Everyone has something to offer. Everyone is welcome!
Mayfield is at the centre of a community which benefits both the pupils and the local people. We welcome contributions from our local community and contribute to it as well. Here is just a selection of examples of how we involve parents, children and locals:
- Parents with specific skills/crafts (in science, knitting, gardening, music, art, maths, religion,sewing etc etc) come in on Science/Maths/Writing/Reading weeks, just as a one off or on a weekly basis – To teach and inspire.
- Art Exhibition: open to the whole community. All the classes exhibit recent art work, usually on a theme. Local artists may also contribute. Are you an artist?
- Hearing readers. We can provide tips and training if you would like it. Speak to your class teacher. You would need a CRB check but the school office can help answer any queries about this.
- Environmental, conservation and gardening groups.
- And the ‘Mystery Reader is……’ Parents are encouraged to read a favourite book to the class at the end of the day.
- Summer Fair – open to the whole community. Stalls and performances by local groups, shops, parents and clubs as well as our own pupils.
- Community tea with the Senior Citizens group served by Year 6 and music and singing by pupils throughout the school.
- Specially invited speakers (or parents) to small groups, classes or assemblies eg. local authors, politicians, religious communities, sports leaders, librarians, conservationists, artists, police, fire service, musicians etc
- Hearing Support Unit- an important part of Mayfield so we all learn basic sign language so everyone is involved and included both here and in the wider community.
- Christmas service – Beautiful carol singing with readings and performances by pupils. Held at different churches in Cambridge.
- International Groups: parents drop in sessions, International Food Festival, International Cookery Masterclasses organised by our EAL staff.
- The school is available for hire and is used at weekends and after school by local groups eg. music groups, sports clubs, senior citizens, dance groups, under 5’s groups etc. So children, families and locals all use the school and this adds to the sense of being part of a larger community. Please lick HERE for more information.
PLEASE EMAIL THE SCHOOL OFFICE OR SPEAK TO THE CLASS TEACHER IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE ABOVE OR HAVE A SKILL, JOB OR INTEREST THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE.
There are many more examples of SMSC in school as seen on our Twitter feed (Mayfield Twitter Feed) and the rest of our website. This is because we believe that SMSC is at the heart and core of everything we do at Mayfield.