Spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is integral to our offer to all children who attend Nova Primary School. We believe that it prepares children for the wider world as caring, wise and active citizens. Here are some of the ways that we build SMSC into every child’s education:
Nova’s LEARN Curriculum
The LEARN curriculum is packed with opportunities for children to learn about the world and their part in making it a better place. Diversity, inclusion and the building of cultural capital are integral to the learning journey we offer children, and we believe that a strong focus on SMSC will not only improve children’s self-esteem, but their academic outcomes, as well. Provision is rich in trips, visitors and experiential learning so children are able to make connections between their in-class learning and the wider world. You can find out more about this on our curriculum page, here:
Wellbeing and Mental Health
All children benefit from an education that recognises their need for a healthy mind and a healthy body. This is especially true following the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. Every school day starts with ‘Mindful Mornings’, a calm start to the day with activities to create the right frame of mind and atmosphere for purposeful teaching and learning. SMILE is an initiative that focuses on the whole experience of being, providing hints, strategies and inspiration for developing sound mental health. You can find out more about SMILE, here:
At Nova, we also teach children about the ‘Zones of Regulation’ which assign colours to sets of feelings that we all experience. Zones give the children simple and clear language to express their emotions so that they can select appropriate strategies to enable regulation.
PSHEE/RSE
For PSHEE and RSE we use the SCARF curriculum. We are committed to ensuring that these subject areas are always given a high priority as they are essential for children to learn knowledge and skills about topics relating to their physical and mental health, and how to form appropriate and rewarding relationships. This link will take you to the SCARF curriculum:
https://novaprimaryschool.co.uk/relationships-sex-education/
https://novaprimaryschool.co.uk/learning/curriculum/personal-social-health-education/
Collective Worship
Assemblies are important to children at Nova because we try hard to make them interactive and relevant. We provide a mixture of whole school, key stage and class assemblies which often incorporate topical issues, festivals and celebrations and stories of courage and resilience to inspire the children. They are planned on a termly basis to suit the needs of the children and what is happening in the wider world. We also have regular music assemblies; children learn a range of songs and some of the musical theory behind them. On Fridays, we always have ‘Celebration’ assembly, which starts with general appreciation from the children and staff. Following this, each teacher presents their ‘Nova Star Award’ of the week and gives a detailed explanation of their achievements.
Extra Curricular Clubs
At Nova, we love to see children attend a variety of after school clubs to develop their talents and interests. We offer a wide range of sporting opportunities both with our external providers, Progressive Sports’ and with members of staff. The school offers a variety of peripatetic lessons too: violin, drums, flute and guitar.
Opportunities for Pupil Voice
At Nova, children are invited to have a say in many issues. Our School Improvement Ambassadors, who were voted in to represent their peers and they do an amazing job. They select key priorities such as pupil engagement, fundraising and playtimes and meet fortnightly with the Headteacher to carry out their action plan. They are also called upon to help with events and visitors to the school.
We also have our ECO Warriors who work our Inclusion Leader Ms Kelly Clarke to make our school sustainable and environmentally friendly