SMSC, BMV and Citizenship

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC)

At Barnsley Academy, we are passionate about providing our students with a well-rounded curriculum that incorporates the ‘hidden skills/knowledge’ that will help our students nurture their own personal development. Today’s children and young people are growing up in an increasingly complex world and living their lives seamlessly on and offline. This presents many positive and exciting opportunities, but also challenges and risks. In this environment, children and young people need to learn how to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way.  

Some aspects of our PSHE/RSHE/SMSC/BMV programme of study incorporate challenging topics, and we make no apologies in ensuring these are delivered to all our students in a safe learning environment. This is so students can ask questions, learn about common misconceptions and prejudices, and be able to make their own informed decisions and choices, after being presented with the full facts.

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development is the over-arching umbrella that encompasses personal development across the whole curriculum.

SMSC development is provided in a range of different ways – within the curriculum, within PSHE being delivered within the tutor time programme and extra-curricular activities and opportunities such as assemblies, trips and visits.

Promotion of British Modern Values

At Barnsley Academy we recognise not only the importance of allowing students to flourish academically but we also embrace our wider role in preparing them for their adult life beyond the formal examined curriculum.

Part of our role in that preparation is ensuring that we promote and reinforce British values to our students.

The government set out its definition of British Mondern Values in the 2015 Prevent Strategy and considered them to be democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs. At Barnsley Academy these values are reinforced in a pervasive manner and permeate the school community.

The examples that follow are an indication of some of the many ways we seek to embed British values at Barnsley Academy and should be seen as an indication of our approach rather than an exhaustive list.

Democracy

At Barnsley Academy the principle of democracy is consistently reinforced, with the democratic process being employed for important decisions within the school community. The principle of democracy is explored in History, Citizenship and Religious Studies as well as in tutor time and assemblies. Students are also encouraged to participate in the Youth Councillors programme run by the local authority.

The rule of law

The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through school assemblies and our Citizenship programme of study. Students are taught the values and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken.

Individual liberty

Within Barnsley Academy students are actively encouraged to make independent choices knowing that they are in a safe, secure and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for students to make choices safety, through the provision of a safe environment and an empowering education. Students are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights, responsibilities and personal freedoms and receive advice about how to exercise these safely, for example through our exploration of E-Safety in IT lessons and their tutor time activities.

Mutual respect

Respect is at the core of our school ethos and is modelled by students and staff alike. The school promotes respect for others and this is reiterated through our classroom and learning environments. In line with our commitment to democracy students at Barnsley Academy are always able to voice their opinions though the student council and we foster an environment where students are safe to disagree with each other. Mutual respect is embraced throughout the curriculum from the concept of ‘fair play’ in PE to the student mentoring and buddying programme which promotes mutual respect and support between students across different year groups within the school.

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

This is achieved through equipping students with the ability to understand their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity within the school community. We also run a number of trips abroad throughout the academic year from which our students gain valuable experience of other cultures and languages. Additionally, students are actively encouraged to share their faith and beliefs within the school. Our Religious Studies curriculum provides a broad and balanced education on a range of faiths, religions and cultures.

Parental right to withdraw child from specific sex education lessons within PSHE

“Parents have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from some or all of sex education delivered as part of statutory PSHE programme” (DfE guidance). This does not include relationship education.
 
Certain lessons are mandatory under the National Curriculum in Science and are excluded from the right of parents to withdraw their children. Such mandatory lessons will not include material on AIDS, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, or any aspect, other than biological aspects of human sexual behaviour.
 
DfE guidance page 17, para.45 states:
‘Parents have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from some or all of sex education delivered as part of statutory RSE.’. This does not include relationship education or certain lessons which are mandatory under the National Curriculum in Science and are excluded from the right of parents to withdraw their children. Such mandatory lessons will not include material on AIDS, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, or any aspect, other than biological aspects of human sexual behaviour.

If a parent’s request to withdraw their child is granted, Barnsley Academy then know which lessons these students will NOT be allowed to attend.

At Barnsley Academy we have worked through this process, a difficult process as we would prefer not to separate Relationships Education and Sex Education as we aim to deliver holistic learning, and we would prefer all students to receive all of the RSHE programme.

PSHE lessons teaches Sex Education if the following definition is used:
Sex Education: ‘Human reproduction and sexual behaviour’
Including:
•            How human reproduction can happen (e.g. sexual intercourse, IVF, surrogacy)
•            Reproductive health, choices, rights and responsibilities
•            Sexual behaviour and sexual health, risks, reasons, rights and responsibilities

If this is accepted as the definition, Barnsley Academy identifies the DfE statutory expectations as core to this definition, and thereby is able to identify the lessons in each year group that include this content, i.e. the lessons ‘withdrawn’ students may need to miss.

The name of the lesson and the topic have been identified.

Using this definition of Sex Education and Barnsley Academy’s interpretation of the guidance, there would be x8 DfE expectations
 
Year 7  x 2 – Developing sexual awareness (body awareness) and developing sexuality (body awareness)
Year 8  x 1 – Physical intimacy (relationships)
Year 9 x 2- Sexual health and STI’s (body awareness), developing sexuality and readiness for sex (relationships)
Year 10 x 2 -  Becoming a parent (relationships), making decisions about sex (relationships),
Year 11 x 2 - Sexual health and STI’s (body awareness), developing sexuality and readiness for sex (relationships)
 
If a parent of a child in years 7-11 wishes to withdraw their child from specific sex education then they need to inform Ms Kilbane – kirsty.kilbane@barnsley-academy.org so that alternative provision can be provided.
 
This can be completed by a parent for any student up to the 3 months before their 16th Birthday.

Right to Withdraw

If a parent of a child in years 7-11 wishes to withdraw their child from specific sex education then they need to inform Ms Kilbane – kirsty.kilbane@barnsley-academy.org so that alternative provision can be provided.