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British Values, SMSC & Culture

What are British Values and why are they important?

The 5 British Values are:

Democracy
The Rule of Law
Individual Liberty
Mutual Respect
Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

They are important because they enable us to live within the United Kingdom as responsible, respectful citizens.

The Department for Education states that there is a need:

To create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

Fundamental British Values are directly taught through our curriculum, including PSHE curriculum 'Jigsaw', SMSC provision and through additional events, assemblies and activities during the school year. Please see more here.

What is SMSC?

Children must be taught how to think not what to think – Margaret Mead

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development is the over-arching umbrella that encompasses personal development across the whole curriculum. We recognise that it is essential to the academic progress of pupils at Old Mill. It doesn’t happen in isolation – it saturates through the school and is linked to everything the school does, its ethos and attitude. See how we cover SMSC here.