Important guidance information to help you progress your school linking programmes including statements from the New Ofsted Framework about SMSC development and how it links with SLN, as well as some useful advice about the skills employers are looking for in young people
New Ofsted Framework
In the new Ofsted framework for schools the spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development of children and young people will be a significant focus in all lesson observations as well as overall school effectiveness.
Statements in the New Ofsted Inspection Framework describe the kind of impact SLN programmes and classroom activities offer:
For example “the schools thoughtful and wide ranging promotion of the pupils Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development enable them to thrive in a supportive, highly cohesive learning community” forms part of the descriptor for ‘Outstanding Overall Effectiveness’.
“The school’s curriculum provides highly positive, memorable experiences and rich opportunities for high quality learning, has a positive impact on all pupils’ behaviour and safety and contributes very well to pupils’ achievement and to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.” forms part of the descriptor for ‘Outstanding Leadership and Management”.
For further information please visit the Ofsted website and click on the links below:
We are interested in the linkage between identity, equality, diversity, community with SMSC and the four questions that form the basis of all SLN’s work – ‘Who am I?’ ‘How do we all live together?’ ‘Who are we?’ and ‘Where do we live?’.
Our website resources supporting work on the four questions will be an excellent starting point for teachers and schools for exploring SMSC. Our website resources supporting work on the four questions will be an excellent starting point for teachers and schools for exploring SMSC.
Skills Young People Need for Employment in the 21st Century
At a Round Table event at the House of Lords in October 2011, Angie took part in the discussion about the skills young people need for employment in the 21st century, and how best to highlight to government what is needed.
The event was hosted by Baroness Jolly and attended by Vince Cable, Secretary of State Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and President of the Board of Trade. It brought together employers, exam boards, head teachers, teachers and students, universities, as well as representatives from the British Council, DFID, SLN and Think Global. Agreement was reached about the need for teacher training and for stronger relationships to be forged between employers and schools. It was also clear that neither schools nor business have capacity to take on this role which is why SLN is developing new work to support partnership working between schools and businesses and we will be writing more about this over the coming months.
Critical thinking, flexibility, collaboration, self-awareness, understanding and embracing of diversity, risk taking, understanding the connection between local, national and global, and communication … are some of the key attributes that the Schools Linking Network’s development work with children and young people focuses on. For more information visit Think Global for their quarterly review.
These attributes are precisely the skills employers are saying that young people need in the workplace, but which they are not presenting on entry to jobs. In an increasingly global marketplace these skills are seen as essential and large companies will not employ people without them.
SLN supports schools to ensure that there are opportunities for young people to develop the necessary skills to find employment, through rich experiential learning and reflective practice in the classroom. We also forge partnerships between schools and employers to provide opportunities for these skills to be practised in the workplace.
