Spiritual, Moral, Social, Cultural

Spiritual, Moral, Social & Cultural Education is promoted and developed in various ways at Frith Manor. Through lessons, competitions, fund raising opportunities, assemblies, concerts, shows, trips, visits and visitors we aim to encourage children to nurture these essential qualities and grow in the development of their whole selves.

Spiritual Education:

At Frith Manor we practice a creative curriculum, adopting different themes in each year group and tying many learning opportunities and statutory requirements into these themes. This creative approach enables children to gain the skills of reflection and empathy as they look outside of the academic acquisition of knowledge and look to develop their identities.

Religious Education is a statutory requirement in the curriculum and children participate in weekly RE lessons. RE lessons teach children the foundations of the six main faiths: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. Children learn about the beliefs and practices of these faiths. Pupils also gain understanding of key festivals in these religions and look to the reasons behind the reasons they are marked.

Further to this, our Religious Education curriculum offers children opportunities to ask questions and explore their own expressions of faith and religion. Children are encouraged to reflect and think for themselves about what they believe, as well as listen to and show respect for the views and beliefs of others.

Guest Speakers are a regularity at Frith Manor. We invite guests, such as parents or local religious leaders, to speak to the children about their beliefs and faith. Inviting people of different faiths allows children to ask questions and develop their understanding to a deeper level. It also allows children to understand that spiritual development is something that people shape their lives around and can be central to the life choices that some people make.

Pupils at Frith Manor often visit local places of worship and occasionally receive visits from local religious leaders. These visits help children to gain understanding of different faiths and the practices they observe. It also helps pupils understand that faith is more than an understanding or acquisition of knowledge but developing a spiritual identity.

Our Personal, Social & Health Education contributes to children’s spiritual education as children learn to look after, respect and care for themselves and others.

Circle time is a regular feature in classrooms. These forums once again give pupils opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings in a non-threatening way and in a setting where every belief is valid and valued.

We aim to celebrate and mark all the festivals of significance to pupils at Frith Manor. Through assemblies, class lessons, visitors, artifacts or displays, pupils get the opportunities to learn about and appreciate the different festivals and celebrations that are marked by different religions.

Pupils are given opportunity and space to explore their religious and spiritual identities through class and whole school activities. Pupils are taught that their thoughts and beliefs are valid and valued and that they must show respect for the views of others, as relating to our promoting of British Values.

Assemblies and class lessons give time for quiet reflection – an essential contribution in allowing children to develop their spiritual identity.

Moral Education:

All staff at Frith Manor have a high expectation of the behavior of pupils at Frith Manor. Pupils are taught to respect and consider the needs and feelings of others and to act with consideration and kindness towards both peers and adults in their environment and lives. Pupils not adhering to these standards of kindness and consideration within the school environment are dealt with in accordance to our behaviour policy.

Our House Captains act as Role Models to pupils in the way they act and interact with others.

We regularly promote Internet safety at Frith Manor, including observing Safer Internet Day. In these lessons and assemblies pupils are taught the importance of good manners and respect online. It is regularly reinforced that there should be no alteration from the high standard of kindness and consideration that is expected in school or home to when they are online.

As part of our PSHE curriculum we also observe Anti-Bullying week and regularly focus on the topic of what makes a good friend. Pupils are taught how to deal with unkindness but also actively encouraged to develop healthy and positive relationships and friendships.

There is a continued strong emphasis on good attendance and punctuality, with pupils encouraged to maintain a good standard of these qualities. Each week the school attendance mascot is awarded to the classes in KS1 and KS2 who have the best attendance. Promoting good punctuality or attendance can contribute to the development of the moral education of pupils.

At Frith Manor we act to support different charities and raise money for a variety of good causes, both nationally and locally. Families are encouraged to bring in food and hygiene resources which are collected and donated to a local food bank.

Frith Manor have their own Eco Warriors who act on behalf of the school to promote looking after our environment. The elected pupils encourage other pupils and their families to act in a way that respects and saves our planet. They run a eco-refill shop which encourages families to cut down on single-use plastics.

In lessons and assemblies, pupils are encouraged to explore and develop moral concepts and values. Issues such as truth, justice and equal opportunities are common themes that are explored and discussed with pupils.

Different groups of children regularly visit a local care home in Mill Hill to engage with residents. Pupil Librarians have visited to share stories with the residents. Our School Choir and members of the orchestra visit to sing and perform Christmas Carols. Pupils understand the importance of respect, care and helping others.

Social Education

Our annual fund raising events promote and develop the social and moral education of pupils.

Frith Manor maintains a House System whereby pupils are divided into ‘houses’. Our houses are named after Greek gods (suggested and voted on by pupils). The house system acts to facilitate social development as pupils not only work together with their fellow ‘Housemates’ to do well for their house, but pupils also learn about respect, healthy competition and sportsmanship in the tournaments and competition that occur between houses. Each house has a Captain and a Vice Captain, and is voted in by the Year 6 by their fellow house members.

Many pupils particulate in a wide range of extra curricular clubs. These clubs include computing, sports, music and dance. For 6-weeks of every term, children in Y2-Y6 take part in Widening Horizons - an enrichment opportunity that runs of an hour on Friday afternoons. In this environment, pupils learn to work alongside other children they may not usually spend time with, co-operate, work as a team or share ideas and resources. Interacting with pupils of different ages and abilities is essential in developing social ability.

Children who participate in our extra curricular sports clubs or music clubs regularly visit other schools to take part in festivals, competitions or games. Sportsmanship and respect for others permeate these activities as teacher and other staff teach children the importance of these values.

Throughout trips, visits, residential trips and curriculum themed days, pupils are learning to socially interact and appropriately navigate the different social settings they find themselves in.

Pupils in Year 6 are given the opportunity to attend a residential trip. Many of these trips contain an element of high-risk activity. Here pupils are given the opportunity to interact with their peers in a different setting as well as face the challenges and demands of pushing themselves beyond their comfort zone.

As pupils progress through the school, they are given increased responsibility and roles across the school. Monitors take the lead in supporting other children in the school as well as helping to take responsibility for the smooth running of regular school events.

Throughout class lessons and assemblies pupils are encouraged to care for people, living things, property and their environment.

Many aspects of class life teach pupils to take turns, share and build positive relationships. In attending a multicultural and diverse school, pupils develop the social ability to interact and spend time with people of many different religions, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.

Cultural Education

British Values are embedded throughout the school. See our British Values Page which outlines how we promote British Values at Frith Manor.

We hold a Cultural Day every year in order to celebrate the varied culture and diversity of the school. Children come dressed in their National Dress and parents are invited to visit the classes to explain some of their traditions and heritage. Stories, music, food and artefacts are shared as a way of celebrating our rich diversity.

Each term is packed full of concerts, assemblies and performances that allow pupils to develop their cultural education and express their different cultural influences

Our displays are rich and varied and reflect the heritage, experience and learning in class about different cultures.

Modern Foreign Languages are embedded throughout the school with all pupils in KS2 receiving a weekly lesson in French.

Take One Picture is our whole school initiative in partnership with the National Gallery. Pupils throughout the school have been taking part in a wide range of creative activities based on a chosen piece of art and the corridors and hall are filled with galleries and examples of art pieces created in the different year groups.

Music is a strong feature of extra curricular activities at Frith Manor. Many pupils take up individual music lessons and we have an outstanding school orchestra who rehearse together once a week. Through our weekly 'solo spot' feature in KS1 and KS2 assemblies, children have the opportunity to perform in front of their peers as well as listen to a wide range of instruments and musical styles, KS1 and KS2 have weekly singing assemblies led by a singing teacher where they learn songs from different cultures. For more information on Music at Frith Manor, see the Music page.