At Whipton Barton Federation, the children and their learning are at the very heart of every decision made. We aim to develop learners who are passionate, take ownership of their learning and are proud of their achievements.

The ethos of our school is such that all people who come into our school, whether staff, pupil, parent or visitor, are valued as individuals in their own right. They should set, and be entitled to expect from others, good standards of behaviour, marked by respect and responsibility. The school helps the children to develop an inner discipline and encourages pupils to not just ‘follow the crowd’ - they will make up their own minds and be ready to accept responsibility for what they do. They will grow through making choices and holding to the choices that they have made. They will want to be honest with themselves and with others. Our Positive Behaviour Management Policy is founded upon children taking control of their behaviour and making positive choices.

Through children’s weekly PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) and SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development) lessons, we support our children to:

• Adopt fundamental British Values Understanding life in Modern Britain
• Develop awe and wonder
• Be responsible citizens with strong moral standards
• Be able to contribute to society
• Be brave: to try new things without fear of failure
• Collaborate: to learn with and from others
• Be resilient and resourceful
• Develop meaningful relationships and reflect upon their learning.

PSHE

The lessons are all centred around a values-based and ‘Growth Mindset’ approach, which promotes positive behaviour, mental health, wellbeing, resilience and achievement and meets the new Relationships Education and Health Education statutory requirements. We believe that there is a link between pupils’ health and wellbeing and their academic progress and that promoting their health and wellbeing is an important part of their overall education.

Throughout PSHE lessons, the children focus on many topics including physical and emotional health, all kinds of relationships and living in the wider world. The children learn to make healthy choices and keep themselves safe during their school years and beyond. Children also learn about how their body and emotions change as they approach and move through puberty, why girls and boys bodies are different, what parts of their body are private (including the PANTS Rule from NSPCC), what kind of physical contact is unacceptable and how they should respond and what to do if they need help, advice or are worried about someone else.

SMSC

Throughout children’s SMSC Development at Whipton Barton Federation, they focus on the four strands below:

Spiritual: explore beliefs and experience; respect faiths, feelings and values; enjoy learning about oneself, others and the surrounding world; use imagination and creativity; reflect.

Examples of experiences commonly regarded as spiritual at Whipton Barton Federation include:

• Curiosity and mystery
• Awe and wonder
• Connection and belonging
• Heightened self-awareness
• Prayer and worship
• Deep feelings of what is felt to be ultimately important
• A sense of security, well-being, worth and purposefulness

We develop a climate or ethos within which all pupils can grow and flourish, respect others and be respected; accommodating difference and respecting the integrity if individuals. These can occur during any part of the school day, e.g. when listening to music, exercising empathy or creativity, how we live, contemplating the future, etc.

Moral: recognise right and wrong; respect the law; understand consequences; investigate moral and ethical issues; offer reasoned views.

We develop pupil moral development by:

• Providing a clear moral code as a basis for behaviour which is promoted consistently through all aspects of the school
• Promoting racial, religious and other forms of equality
• Giving pupils opportunities across the curriculum to explore and develop moral concepts and values – for example, personal rights and responsibilities, truth, justice, equality of opportunity, right and wrong
• Developing an open and safe learning environment in which pupils can express their views and practice moral decision making
• Rewarding expressions of moral insights and good behaviour
• Recognising and respecting the codes and morals of the different cultures represented in the school and wider community
• Encouraging pupils to take responsibility for their actions, for example, respect for property, care of the environment, and developing codes of behaviour, providing models of moral virtue through literature, humanities, sciences, arts and assemblies; reinforcing the school’s values through images, posters, classroom displays, etc. and monitoring in simple ways, the success of what is provided.

Teachers always discuss with their classes a code of conduct for the classroom based on the values held by the school. We teach the children to be aware of their own actions, take responsibility for their own bodies and encourage independence. We will help the children to identify their feelings and think these through so that they are expressed in behaviour that is socially acceptable.

Social: investigate and moral issues; appreciate diverse viewpoints; participate, volunteer and cooperate; resolve conflict; engage with the fundamental values of British democracy.

Our school develops pupil social development by:

• Identifying key values and principles on which school and community life is based
• Fostering a sense of community, with common, inclusive values
• Promoting racial, religious and other forms of equality
• Encouraging pupils to work co-operatively
• Encouraging pupils to recognise and respect social differences and similarities
• Providing positive experiences to reinforce our values as a school community – for example, through assemblies, team building activities, residential experiences, school productions
• Helping pupils develop personal qualities which are valued in a civilised society, for example, thoughtfulness, honesty, respect for difference, moral principles, independence, interdependence, self-respect and an awareness of others’ needs
• Providing opportunities for engaging in the democratic process and participating in community life
• Providing opportunities for pupils to exercise leadership and responsibility
• Providing positive and effective links with the world of work and the wider community
• Monitoring in simple, pragmatic ways, the success of what is provided.

Cultural: appreciate cultural influences; appreciate the role of Britain's parliamentary system; participate in culture opportunities; understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity.

Our school develops pupils’ cultural development by:

• Extending pupils’ knowledge and use of cultural imagery and language
• Encouraging them to think about special events in life and how they are celebrated
• Recognising and nurturing particular gifts and talents; providing opportunities for pupils to participate in literature, drama, music, art, crafts and other cultural events and encouraging pupils to reflect on their significance
• Reinforcing the school’s cultural links through displays, posters, exhibitions, etc. As well as developing partnerships with outside agencies and individuals to extend pupils’ cultural awareness, for example, theatre, museum and gallery visits
• Auditing the quality and nature of opportunities for pupils to extend their cultural development across the curriculum in collaboration with the subject leaders of PSHE/SMSC, RE, MFL and Inclusion.