Cultural Capital in The Curriculum
 

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 key to a pupil’s success in society, their career and the world of work. Cultural capital promotes social mobility and success in our society and 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.

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

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• Personal Development

• ​Social Development, including political and current affairs awareness

• Physical Development

• Spiritual Development

• Moral Development

• Cultural development

 

We believe that this development is intrinsic to the daily life of pupils. Pupils are exposed to wider opportunities within these 6 areas:

 

Personal development

 

• Careers and Information, advice and guidance provision;

• Personal Finance Education;

• Employability skills, including work experience;

• Citizenship, Personal, Social and Health Education provision;

• The school’s wider pastoral framework;

• Growth mindset and metacognition - Resilience development strategies;

• Reintegration support;

• Transition support;

• Work to develop confidence e.g. public speaking and interview skills;

• Activities focused on building self-esteem;

• Mental Health & well-being provision.

 

Social Development

 

• Citizenship, Personal, Social and Health Education provision;

• Student volunteering and charitable works;

• Student Voice – Year Group and School Council;

• Promotion of racial equality and community cohesion through the school’s ethos, informing all policy and practice

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Physical Development

 

• The Physical Education curriculum;

• Anti-bullying and safeguarding policies and strategies, including the student-friendly policy and Student Anti-Bullying Charter;

• The Health Education dimension of the Citizenship and PSHE programme, including strands on drugs, smoking and alcohol;

• The extra-curricular programme related to sports and well-being;

• The celebration of sporting achievement including personal fitness and competitive sport;

• Activities available for unstructured time, including lunch and break times;

• Advice & Guidance to parents on all aspects of pupil lifestyle;

• The promotion of walking or cycling to school.

 

Spiritual Development

 

• The Religious Education and Philosophy Curriculum;

• Support for the expression of individual faiths;

• Inter-faith and faith-specific activities

• Visits to religious buildings and centres;

• Classes and seminars with speakers focusing on spiritual issues;

• The Tutor Time programme.

 

Moral Development

 

• The Religious Education and Philosophy Curriculum

• The Behaviour monitoring and Reward system and Behaviour Management policy;

• Contributions to local, national and international charitable projects.

 

Cultural Development

 

• Citizenship Education;

• Access to the Arts;

• Access to cultures of other countries through the curriculum and trips and visits;