Fairfield High School for Girls

An SMSC education is an integral part of our curriculum vision where we aim to ensure every pupil is a responsible citizen ready for life after Fairfield. These opportunities are provided through our curriculum, our lessons, our Experience Days, our educational visits, our Fairfield Leaders system, our extra-curricular programme, and our voluntary work. SMSC stands for (i) spiritual (ii) moral (iii) social and (iv) cultural and is embedded in school life.

The spiritual development of pupils is shown by their:

• ability to be reflective about their own beliefs, religious or otherwise, that inform their perspective on life and their interest in and respect for different people’s faiths, feelings and values.
• sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them.
• use of imagination and creativity in their learning.
• willingness to reflect on their experiences.

The moral development of pupils is shown by their:

• ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and to readily apply this understanding in their own lives, recognise legal boundaries and, in so doing, respect the civil and criminal law of England.
• understanding of the consequences of their behaviour and actions.
• interest in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues and ability to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues.

The social development of pupils is shown by their:

• use of a range of social skills in different contexts, for example working and socialising with other pupils, including those from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds willingness to participate in a variety of communities and social settings, including by volunteering, cooperating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively.
• acceptance and engagement with the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs; they develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.

The cultural development of pupils is shown by their:

• understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and those of others.
• understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures within school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain.
• knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to develop Britain.
• willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities.
• interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity and the extent to which they understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity, as shown by their tolerance and attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities.

In 2011, the Government defined British Values as: (i) Democracy   (ii) The Rule of Law   (iii) Individual Liberty  (iv) Mutual Respect and Tolerance of Different Faiths and Beliefs.  We promote these values through our own school values, our curriculum and our enrichment activities. Examples of how British Values are evident in our curriculum and school life include, but are not limited to:

• Form time responsibilities/roles, some of which are elected – e.g. Form Captains, Fairfield Forum representatives, Fairfield Leaders and Subject Ambassadors;
• Enrolment of Fairfield Leaders Mentors and Fairfield Leaders Ambassadors to develop the SSAT Leadership;
• Participation in the Archbishop of York Leadership Programme in Life Skills Year 10 and Year 11;
• Whole-school activities during General, European and Local elections;
• Work with Fairfield Forum representatives to create a clear pathway of development, growth and leadership for pupils during their time at Fairfield;
• High levels of participation during Year 10 and Year 11 with our Head Girl Team, Sports Captains and Prefects; 
• Within our Life Skills curriculum e.g.citizenship units of work from Year 7 to Year 11 focusing on government, politics and the rule of law;
• Within our Religious Studies curriculum e.g. the Rights and Responsibilities unit of work teaches the importance of engaging in the democratic process;
• Within our Geography Curriculum – a theme that runs throughout the Geography Curriculum is that pupils need to express their own opinion on a variety of issues – e.g. deforestation, climate change, improving urban environments, Fair Trade and globalisation. Lessons at KS3 and KS4 focus on the European Union;
• Within our History Curriculum - lessons and topics that relate to the rule of law, democracy and parliament;
• Rewards and Sanctions – i.e. SIMS Praise Points, GCSE Certificate Evening and Lower School Presentation Evening.
• School Assemblies – including presentations by pupils and form time discussions.
• School Talk Visits – with local Police Officers and theatre groups.