Curriculum Objectives:  Developing Pupils’ Cultural Capital

What is Cultural Capital?

Cultural capital is the accumulation of knowledge, behaviours, and skills that a pupil can draw upon and which demonstrates their cultural awareness, knowledge and competence; it is one of the key ingredients a pupil will draw upon to be successful in society, their career and the world of work.

Cultural capital promotes social mobility and success in our stratified society.

Cultural capital gives a pupil power. It helps them achieve goals, become successful, and rise up the social ladder without necessarily having wealth or financial capital.

Cultural capital is having assets that give pupils the desire to aspire and achieve social mobility whatever their starting point.

Why do we have a Cultural Capital Policy?

We recognise that for pupils to aspire and be successful academically and in the wider areas of their lives, they need to be given rich and sustained opportunities to develop their cultural capital.

The school recognises that there are six key areas of development that are interrelated and cumulatively contribute to the sum of a pupil’s cultural capital:

1. Personal Development

Personal Finance Education;
Employability skills;
Citizenship, Personal, Social and Health Education provision;
The school’s wider pastoral framework;
Growth mindset and metacognition - Resilience development strategies;
Transition support;
Work to develop confidence e.g. public speaking and interview skills;
Activities focused on building self-esteem;
Mental Health & well-being provision.

2. Social Development, including political and current affairs awareness

Citizenship, Personal, Social and Health Education provision;
Charitable works;
Pupil Voice – School/Eco Council;
Nurture Group Access;
Access to counselling.

3. Physical Development

Healthy Eating policies and catering provision;
Anti-bullying and safeguarding policies and strategies;
The Health Education dimension Jigsaw PSHE RHE schemes;
The extra-curricular programme related to sports and well-being;
The celebration of sporting achievement including personal fitness and competitive sport;
Sustrans, scooter and bike training;
Activities available for unstructured time, including lunch and break times;
Activity-based residentials;
The curricular programme related to food preparation and nutrition;
Advice & Guidance to parents on all aspects of pupil lifestyle;
The promotion of walking or cycling to school.

4. Spiritual Development

The Religious Education and Philosophy Curriculum (Discover RE);
Our collective acts of worship and reflection;
Support for the expression of individual faiths;
Inter-faith and faith-specific activities and speakers;
Visits to religious buildings and centres;
School-linking activities – locally, nationally and internationally;
The Assembly programme of values.

5. Moral Development

The Religious Education and Philosophy Curriculum (Discover RE);
The behaviour and restorative framework underpinning the school’s Behaviour Management policies;
Contributions to local and national charitable projects.

6. Cultural Development

Citizenship Education;
Access to the Arts;
Access to the languages and cultures of other countries through the curriculum and trips and visits;
Promotion of racial equality and community cohesion through the school’s ethos, informing all policy and practice.

Each subject taught within the school day makes its own contribution to pupils’ cultural capital development.