SCSM

SCSM is the department responsible for raising students’ awareness of Social, Cultural, Spiritual and Moral issues across the academy.  Students take part in a wide variety of activities that are designed to stimulate their consideration of issues relating to the school community, wider community as well as the national and international communities.

Some projects such as the Citizenship Squad encompass all four values into one project.

Social
Part of the ‘Social’ focus is to turn students’ attention to the needs of charitable causes.  Each Key Stage works to raise funds for a different charity throughout the year.  This year’s charitable causes are:

Key Stage 1 – Bristol Zoo Adopt an Animal
Key Stage 2 – Guide Dogs for the Blind
Key Stage 3 – Adopt an Acre of Rainforest
Key Stage 4 – Sponsor a Child’s Education in a Developing Country
Sixth Form – Amnesty International

In addition to fundraising, the ‘Social’ focus has also tackled environmentally friendly transport to school by running the ‘Bike It’ scheme as well as running bike maintenance workshops in conjunction with the educational charitable organisation Jole Ryder.

Students in each year group are also represented in the School Council where they meet regularly to discuss social issues that they are experiencing in their immediate environment.

Cultural
Swindon Academy runs a whole series of cultural events throughout the year to familiarise our students with cultures and practises that are different to their own.  Such activities are designed to break down the barriers that can occur due to perceived differences between people.  This is achieved through a series of National Days where staff and students dress up in national costume, sample the cuisine, learn to dance, experience their style of arts and take part in quizzes about the culture in general.  These days have been hugely successful with Spanish Day, Italian Day, Aztec Day and involvement in Multicultural Days for our primary students.

In addition Sixth Form Geographers have recently returned from a trip to Gambia.

Spiritual
Swindon Academy works to raise students awareness of spiritual principles.  This is not a ‘religious’ theme but rather recognises holidays, festivals and customs of a spiritual nature such as Harvest Festival, National Holocaust Week, National Aids Day, Armestice Day, Divali and many more.

Moral
Students across varying year groups have opportunities to consider moral issues.  This can be as part of a debating society, in tutor activities discussing the effect of the Holocaust, as part of groups feeding back to Swindon Borough Council issues facing young people and or around school as prefects or mentors.