Endorsements of our work on SMSC
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (Schools Linking)
“Most people will agree that Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development (SMSC) is complex! That’s why we greatly value the training approach taken by the Schools Linking project, helping school leaders and teachers to understand what SMSC is, how to look for it, how to evaluate its impact and how to talk about it with Ofsted. For many reasons, Ofsted is taking a closer look at SMSC and British values in its regular Section 5 inspections. We see the materials and training opportunities, the audits and analysis being developed by Schools Linking as crucial in helping schools to do it well. Their work with schools and local authorities is ongoing, and they hold regular CPD events for teachers and managers focused on leading outstanding SMSC.” Culham St Gabriel’s Trust
“SMSC training was a big success – the session in school was clear, concise, interactive and engaging and I, along with the rest of the staff really appreciated and enjoyed the session. Meg and Linda made SMSC something we could understand and account for in school and supported us to conduct a whole school evaluation. They are good people to work with, being flexible, honest, fair minded people. I can unreservedly recommend them to anyone thinking of using their services.”
– Adrian Kneeshaw, Headteacher
“As a local authority officer, I have the privilege of visiting a range of schools and I think that all practitioners would agree that children and young people should have a well-rounded education which explores identity, diversity and community. The problem is that many teachers don’t know how to teach these areas with confidence, and this is where Schools Linking comes in. Schools Linking takes this vague concept of SMSC and embeds it in the curriculum using practical teaching and learning activities. The training is of the highest quality and the impact on our teachers in Stockport has been liberating. They now see so many opportunities to get SMSC into their teaching and the impact on children has been powerful, joyful and life changing.”
– Stephanie Longson, Head of Ethnic Diversity Service, Stockport Council
“The staff training that you delivered to begin the audit process was an incredibly impressive session. You are very happy to celebrate our achievements but also don’t shy away from those challenging conversations in order to help us to ensure that SMSC is truly outstanding. I have appreciated working collaboratively with you both. This piece of work has been a very powerful part of our school improvement.”
– Sue Pierce, Headteacher, Hazelbeck School
“Culham St Gabriel’s has supported Schools Linking in its work on spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (SMSC) in schools and colleges. We continue to have profound confidence in the knowledge, professional judgement, expansive energy and professional credibility of its staff and consultants who have worked on SMSC. We have an interest in continuing to work with Schools Linking, particularly in the area of SMSC and its relevance to British Values.”
– Mark Chater, Director, Culham St Gabriels