Values-Based Education and Spiritual, Social, Moral and Cultural Education (SMSC)
The framework of VbE offers an assured foundation for the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development of pupils. School assemblies and lessons focus on the values progressively so that pupils deepen and challenge their understanding. Through exploring a selection of positive values in depth, pupils learn what these mean to them and their lives, and what application they have for other people and the wider world. The enactment of these values in shared behaviours, shared language and spiritual reflection across the school enables pupils to develop both their cognitive understanding and their personal ‘Inner Curriculum.’ Moreover, the practice of VbE infuses the ethos and culture of the school, meaning that a child’s entire school experience furthers their spiritual, social and cultural development
Values-Based Education and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)
VbE provides a welcome structure for teaching the non-statutory PSHE curriculum at Key Stages 1 and 2. The exploration of a school’s chosen values easily facilitates the teaching and learning requirements in this curriculum area. Through considering a range of values, pupils learn about healthy lifestyles, developing relationships and respecting differences between people, playing an active role as citizens and developing confidence and responsibility to make the most of their talents and skills. Pupils at a values-based school find PSHE accessible and enjoyable because of their well-developed ethical vocabulary and reasoning skills.
Values-Based Education and British Values
Schools are required to teach pupils about the British Values of:
Tolerance
Respect
Individual Liberty
The Rule of Law and
Democracy
Children are taught how their school values underpin everything their school does and this givesa meaningful context for British Values, supporting their understanding of how they underpin our society. Values-based schools ensure that British Values are introduced, discussed and lived out through the wider values-based philosophy that infuses the ethos and work of the school. All curriculum areas provide a vehicle for furthering understanding of these concepts so that pupils can embrace these concepts with enthusiasm and demonstrate a good understanding of their application to their own lives.
The skills and attributes developed through the teaching of values are known to enhance the curriculum and pupils’ learning behaviours, and raise attainment, attendance and pupil wellbeing.
More at VbE Resources
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Peace by Olivia - Age 11 - Broughton Fields School
Artwork from Ledbury Primary School