“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think” – Margaret Mead
Pirbright Village Primary School is an inclusive, nurturing school which is committed to developing each child’s full potential to become successful, confident, enthusiastic and aspirational learners and citizens. We place a strong emphasis on pupils’ personal development, supporting them to build resilience, independence and a strong sense of self, alongside their academic achievements. We strive to achieve this by working in partnership with our children, their families and the wider community, creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding, truly reflecting our School Values.
The golden thread that runs through every aspect of our curriculum and school life is SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education). Our Pirbright Pyramid clearly sets out our vision for ensuring that every child experiences a rich and well-rounded education, where academic potential is both met and exceeded through the wide range of opportunities provided, all underpinned by SMSC. We value SMSC not only as a means of enriching children’s experiences and outcomes, but as an integral part of our learning environment and a foundation for everything we do.
Aspects of the school's SMSC journey are planned for each year, led by Mrs Dow who is in charge of the overall strategy, and fed into the School's Improvement Plan led by Mr Wright. Other key members of staff with specific SMSC responsibility include Miss Casey (Values & Anti-Bullying), Miss Cass & Miss Collins (PSHE & Diversity Champion), Miss Grant (RE), Mrs Davies (SUPER6), Mrs Bean (Playground) & Mr Wright (Behaviour). The whole teaching team work on weaving the SMSC vision through the curriculum and everyone who works at Pirbright understands the importance of using every opportunity to help children to develop their skills.
Focus: Spiritual
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What is it?
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- ability to be reflective about their own beliefs (religious or otherwise) and perspective on life
- knowledge of, and respect for, different people’s faiths, feelings and values
- sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them
- use of imagination and creativity in their learning willingness to reflect on their experiences
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How do we achieve it at Pirbright?
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- Pirbright Values
- PSHE curriculum
- RE curriculum as designated by the Agreed Surrey Syllabus
- Cross-Curricular planning in all subjects to maximise links across the curriculum and the SMSC journey
- Choices over creative presentation of Home Learning Tasks – open-ended and child-directed - to promote a sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning
- 5 Wells of Wellness assemblies: Spiritual Well
- British Values assemblies sequence (6 weeks)
- Diversity assemblies sequence (6 weeks)
- School visits to places of worship i.e. Shah Jahan Mosque and St Michaels & All Angels, Pirbright
- Collective worship daily practice
- Pirbright Lunchtime Clubs
- Range of RE-based assemblies across the school year (Islam, Hindu, Christian, Sikh & Humanism in 2026)
- Close links to St Michael & All Angel's Church at Pirbright with Rev'd George
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Focus: Moral
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What is it?
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- ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and to readily apply this understanding in their own lives, recognise legal boundaries and, in so doing, respect the civil and criminal law of England
- understanding of the consequences of their behaviour and actions
- interest in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues and ability to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues.
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How do we achieve it at Pirbright?
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- Pirbright Values
- PSHE curriculum
- RE curriculum as designated by the Agreed Surrey Syllabus
- Cross-Curricular planning in all subjects to maximise links across the curriculum and the SMSC journey
- Restorative Approaches model for behaviour management and conflict resolution
- Zones of Regulation training for all children and staff across the school
- Behaviour Policy & The 3Rs (Regulate, Relate, Reason)
- Study of British Values and understanding of the rules of law
- Classroom Agreements at the start of each academic year linked to School Values
- School Council to debate school issues and decide on pathways of action
- British Values assemblies sequence (6 weeks)
- Diversity assemblies sequence (6 weeks)
- Range of RE-based assemblies across the school year (Islam, Hindu, Christian, Sikh & Humanism in 2026)
- Close links to St Michael & All Angel's Church at Pirbright with Rev'd George
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Focus: Social
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What is it?
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- use of a range of social skills in different contexts, for example working and socialising with other pupils, including those from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds
- willingness to participate in a variety of communities and social settings, including by volunteering, cooperating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively
- acceptance and engagement with the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs; they develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.
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How do we achieve it at Pirbright?
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- Pirbright Values
- PSHE curriculum
- RE curriculum as designated by the Agreed Surrey Syllabus
- Cross-Curricular planning in all subjects to maximise links across the curriculum and the SMSC journey
- World War II Tea Party for elderly members of the school community
- Remembrance Service and learning during Remembrance Week
- Pirbright Lunchtime Clubs
- Responsibilities around school: Team Captains/School Council/Writing Shed/Fizzy Fun/Peer Mentors/Kindness Ambassadors/Learning Champions/Librarians/Eco-Team/Lunchtime Crew/Daily Mile Crew/School Monitors/Class Monitors
- Harvest Festival celebrations and donations
- Year 6 residential fund-raising
- Class Assemblies and Year 6 Performance
- Pirbright Has Talent, Shows Week, The Summer Concert
- School visits to places of worship i.e. Shah Jahan Mosque and St Michaels & All Angels, Pirbright
- Community Engagement i.e. Christmas cards for The Rawlins Club, Pirbright Art Exhibition entries, Pirbright Village Fair contributions.
- Enterprise projects in each year group (biennial)
- British Values assemblies sequence (6 weeks)
- Diversity assemblies sequence (6 weeks)
- Restorative Approaches model for behaviour management and conflict resolution
- Zones of Regulation training for all children and staff across the school
- Behaviour Policy & The 3Rs (Regulate, Relate, Reason)
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Focus: Cultural
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What is it?
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- understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and that of others
- understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures in the school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain
- ability to recognise, and value, the things we share in common across cultural, religious, ethnic and socio-economic communities
- knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to develop Britain
- willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities
- interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity and the extent to which they understand, accept and respect diversity. This is shown by their respect and attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities
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How do we achieve it at Pirbright?
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- Pirbright Values
- PSHE curriculum
- RE curriculum as designated by the Agreed Surrey Syllabus
- Cross-Curricular planning in all subjects to maximise links across the curriculum and the SMSC journey
- British Values assemblies sequence (6 weeks)
- Diversity assemblies sequence (6 weeks)
- Range of RE-based assemblies across the school year (Islam, Hindu, Christian, Sikh & Humanism in 2026)
- Close links to St Michael & All Angel's Church at Pirbright with Rev'd George
- Music assemblies
- Musician of the Month
- School Council to debate school issues and decide on pathways of action
- Pirbright Has Talent, Shows Week, The Summer Concert
- Sporting calendar including Potted Sports and Sports Days alongside team events
- Voting for Team Captains in September
- Diversity Champion
- Equalities policy and action plan
- Links to the military and the context this gives the school
- Remembrance Service and learning during Remembrance Week
- Pirbright Lunchtime Clubs
- School visits to places of worship i.e. Shah Jahan Mosque and St Michaels & All Angels, Pirbright
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