At Holy Family, we believe that small acts of generosity, performed by thousands of people, have the power to make a big change to our communities and, ultimately, to our world. As such, during Lent, pupils at Holy Family will be invited to take part in 40 simple acts of generosity which will challenge them to be kind, thoughtful and inclusive.
Each class has been provided with a set of 40 Challenge Cards and at the beginning of each school day every class will pick a Challenge to perform. Children will also be given a challenge sheet, which they can tick off, once they have achieved the challenge set for that day.
We have a holistic approach to learning that aims to expand and nurture each child’s academic and personal development. By embedding the aspects of SMSC throughout our curriculum, we aim to promote healthy, independent and responsible members of society. Opportunities to promote pupils’ development in these areas are provided in religious education, whole school assemblies, themed days, circle time and through cross-curricular PSHE sessions. We also encourage all of our pupils to play a positive role in contributing to school life and the wider community through class & school councils, fundraising events, supporting nominated charities and involvement in community activities.
Spiritual development:
This is the development of a sense of identity, belonging, self-worth, meaning and purpose. As a Church school, spiritual development is a key priority. Children are able to develop their own personality and have respect for different people’s feelings and values. They are continuously encouraged to use their imagination and creativity in their learning, and to reflect on their experiences.
At Holy Family we develop our children’s spiritually through:
Moral development
This refers to a pupil’s understanding, attitude and behaviour to what is right and what is wrong.
At Holy Family we develop our children morally through:
Social development:
This is the development of pupils’ ability to work collaboratively with each other and participate successfully in the community as a whole. Pupils develop skills that are necessary to be able to problem solve, resolve conflicts and to create successful relationships.
At Holy Family this learning is evidenced through:
• Electing playground leaders to help children resolve conflicts swiftly and fairly.
• A buddy system to provide children with peer to peer support.
• Using talk partners to promote collaborative learning.
• Circle time sessions
• Providing a variety of lunchtime and after school clubs.
• The flexible use of additional adults to provide guidance and support where necessary.
Cultural development:
This is the development of pupils’ understanding and appreciation of their own and others’ cultures and beliefs. Pupils develop an understanding and respect for cultural diversity and reflect this in their attitudes and behaviours around school and within the wider community.
At Holy Family this learning is evidenced through:
• The celebration of diversity within our school assemblies.
• Themed days/weeks such as our ‘International Day’
• The use of Literacy texts from different cultures, countries and religion
• By exploring countries from around the world in topic.
• Delivering assemblies which reflect various religious celebrations.
• Adopting strong links with local places of worship as part of the RE curriculum.