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Cultural Capital at St Mary’s

Cultural Capital is defined as ‘the essential knowledge that pupils need to be educated citizens, introducing them to the best that has been thought and said, and helping to engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement’. National Curriculum

At St Mary’s, through our curriculum and enrichment offer, we pride ourselves on preparing our pupils effectively for their next steps in education, employment and training. We want them to achieve their potential and be successful life-long learners in wider society.

We place great importance on the quality of experiences our pupils have whilst with us and how this helps to develop their cultural capital. These experiences will take a mixture of forms, including lessons through our curriculum, extra-curricular activities, trips and visits, and Careers related activities.

We recognise that the following areas are key aspects that contribute to building our pupils’ cultural capital:

  1. Personal Development
  2. Social Development
  3. Physical Development
  4. Spiritual Development
  5. Moral Development
  6. Cultural Development

 

Personal Development Social Development Physical Development

Careers & information, advice and guidance provision

– all year groups

Personal Finance Education – Citizenship

Employability skills – work experience placement (Y11)

, World of Work Days, Three College Taster Days

Personal, Social and Health Education Curriculum

  • Including RSE

Pastoral Support via Heads of Year, Pastoral Managers

and Assemblies

Transition support and induction – ‘Getting to Know You’

and Team Building days. Primary liaison visits

Mock interviews and Careers interviews

Wellbeing Wednesdays – all year groups

Tutor Time Activities

PSHRE Curriculum

Tutor Time Activities

Charity work including:

Charity Committee inc. fundraising activities

Such as Food Banks/Cafod/Ukraine etc

Student Voice – School Council

Student Leadership – Prefect System, Head Boy & Girl, House & Sports Captains

Student Ambassadors

House System & Competitions

(Eisteddfod, Inter House Games & Sports Day)

Student Parliament Event

Physical Education Curriculum

‘This Girl Can’ initiative

PE Enrichment inc. full list of clubs/fixtures

Links with ‘Worcester Warriors’ Rugby

Links with ‘Laura Gale’ Dance

Anti-Bullying and Safeguarding policies and strategies

Annual Sports Day and Inter House Games Day

Trips inc Ski Trip to Austria and Broadhaven PE Residential (Annual)

The Health, Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking and Sex/Relationships elements of the PSHRE curriculum

Guest speakers delivering assemblies re: Healthy Lifestyles etc

Spiritual Moral Cultural

RE Curriculum – compulsory, all year groups to GCSE

Daily Acts of Collective Worship – Morning prayers in the chapel,

Form time prayer

Acts of Collective Worship – House masses and Whole School Mass

Opportunities for Sacrament of Reconciliation

Access for all pupils and staff to purpose built Chapel (on site)

Full-time Lay Chaplain

Pupil led Chaplaincy Team

Annual Spirituality INSET for all staff at Belmont Abbey

Assemblies – HOY & SLT

Spiritual Retreats

Pilgrimages to Lourdes & Rome

RE Curriculum

Behaviour Management Policy

Involvement with charitable projects – Cafod/Ukraine Appeal/Food Banks

Key themes and messages shared via Heads of Year and SLT Assemblies

Gospel Values

Virtue Pairs – visible throughout school

School’s ethos promotes inclusivity, racial equality and community cohesion

Access to the languages and cultures of other countries through MFL Curriculum:

French/Spanish/German and through trips, visits e.g. Morocco (Geog), Battlefields (History)

Austria (PE) France (MFL) German Christmas Markets (MFL)

Cross-curricular cultural links e.g. African Drumming (Music)

Promotion of the Arts via:

Eisteddfod (Annual)

Herefordshire Performing Arts Festival

Various Musical Evenings

School Productions

Hay Festival Visit (Literary)

Assembly Programme

Tutor Time Activities