Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural (SMSC)

At The Dorcan Academy we have designed our SMSC (Social, Moral, Spiritual, Cultural) programme to fit in with our ethos and values. Our aim is to:

  • Help young people understand their role in a globally interdependent world and explore strategies by which they can make it more just and sustainable
  • Familiarise students with the concepts of interdependence, development, globalisation and sustainability
  • Enable teachers to move students from a charity mentality to a social justice mentality
  • Stimulate critical thinking about global issues, both at a whole school and student level
  • Help the school promote greater awareness of poverty and sustainability
  • Enable the school to explore alternative models of development and sustainability in the classroom
  • Bring people from all facets of the school together to achieve a strong community

Four times a year we hold a Growth Mindset day, with the purpose of supporting students’ wellbeing, both mentally and physically, preparing students for the future and enabling opportunities to learn new things through fun, creative enrichment activities outside of the normal school timetable.

Our tutor programme is bespoke to each year group focusing on the needs of the students; preparing them fully for life in the world, work and their wellbeing and developing them as model citizens. The tutor programme provides opportunities for students to develop character and self-reflect through a range of activities, for example, how our character virtues can be applied in their day-to-day lives and in the future. The tutor programme also links into our weekly assembly themes which cover a range of topics both locally and nationally.

During Friday’s tutor session students participate in House activities which enables them to model and demonstrate the academy core values of Belonging, Purpose, Aspiration, Perseverance and Achievement and our character virtues. Students work together to compete against the other houses in a range of competitions, with the aim being to win as many points as possible for their House. At the end of the year everyone joins together for a celebration assembly where the winning house is awarded the House cup.

As well as the weekly SMSC tutor programme, students experience SMSC throughout the curriculum, with schemes of work being linked to SMSC themes; this supports the Skills for Life lessons. Our Skills for Life lessons teach students PSHE, SMSC, British Values and SRE. Through these lessons students become well rounded, model students ready to deal with the challenges of life as a teenager and beyond.

Furthermore, we encourage students to take on leadership roles within the school, whether this be as student ambassadors, House captains, prefects in year 10 and 11, peer tutors or as a member of one of our leadership working parties linked to the academy development plan.  We also encourage students to participate in extra-curricular activities, which enables them to demonstrate true Dorcan and SMSC values.

ASPIRE TOGREATNESS
The Dorcan Academy
St. Paul’s Drive
Covingham, Swindon
Wiltshire SN3 5DA
Switchboard: 01793 525231
Fax: 01793 431461
Email: enquiries@dorcan.co.uk
The Dorcan Academy is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales under company number 07831414. The registered office is St. Paul’s Drive, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN3 5DA.
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