Cultural Capital at Scholar Green

Cultural Capital

Scholar Green Primary School

What is Cultural Capital?

National Curriculum definition - ‘It is the essential knowledge that pupils need to be educated citizens, introducing them to the best that has been thought and said and helping to engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.’

Cultural capital is the accumulation of knowledge, behaviours, and skills that a student can draw upon and which demonstrates their cultural awareness, knowledge and competence; it is one of the key ingredients a student 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 student 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 students the desire to aspire and achieve social mobility whatever their starting point.

Cultural capital is the knowledge, ability and skills that will equip our pupils with the cultural knowledge to propel them further in their education, careers and social development. 

Policy Rationale:

At Scholar Green Primary School, we recognise that for students 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.

We want to empower our pupils with the urge, impulse, desire to find out more. Finding out more about ‘myself’, where I come from, where I belong, where I feel safe and confident and strong, how I manage my own well being and also ensure that I grow as a person. 

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

1. Personal Development
2. Social Development, including political and current affairs awareness
3. Physical Development
4. Spiritual Development
5. Moral Development
6. Cultural development

Summary of the key areas of coverage for each area of Cultural Capital Development:

Personal development: 

1. Citizenship, Personal, Social and Health Education provision;
2. The school’s wider pastoral framework;
3. Growth mindset and metacognition - Resilience development strategies;
4. Transition support;
5. Work to develop confidence e.g. public speaking and interview skills
6. Activities focused on building self-esteem;
7. Mental Health & well-being provision.
8. Music tuition, provided by specialist teachers.
9. Leadership roles – head boy/girl, school council, safeguarding council, eco council & sports leaders

Social Development:

1. 1. Citizenship, Personal, Social and Health Education provision;
   2. Student volunteering and charitable works;
   3. Student Voice – Leadership councils within school;
   4. Provisions linked to the school’s ACSEED Accreditation;
   5. Provisions linked to the school’s accreditation as a Mental Health Champion School.
   6. In school and wider community engagement programmes;
   7. Access to emotional well-being support.

Physical Development:

1. 1. The Physical Education curriculum;
   2. Anti-bullying and safeguarding policies and strategies, including the student-friendly behaviour policy
   3. The Health Education dimension of the PSHE programme, including strands on drugs, smoking and alcohol;
   4. The extra-curricular programme including sports clubs provided by outside agencies and well-being;
   5. The celebration of sporting achievement including personal fitness and competitive sport;
   6. Cycling proficiency training and Cycling to School Safely protocol;
   7. Activities available for unstructured time, including lunch and break times;
   8. Activity-based residentials;
   9. The curricular programme related to food preparation and nutrition
   10. The promotion of walking or cycling to school

Spiritual Development:

1. 1. The Religious Education Curriculum
   2. Our collective acts of worship and reflection;
   3. Support for the expression of individual faiths;
   4. School-linking activities – locally, nationally and internationally;
   5. The Assembly programme.

Moral Development:

1. 1. The Religious Education Curriculum
   2. The behaviour policy underpinning the school’s attitude towards promoting and rewarding positive behaviour.
   3. Golden Rules and Golden Time to reward positive behaviour.
   4. Contributions to local, national and international charitable projects.

Cultural Development:

1. Citizenship Education;
2. Access to the Arts;
3. Access to the languages and cultures of other countries through the curriculum and trips and visits;
4. Promotion of racial equality and community cohesion through the school’s ethos, informing all policy and practice.
5. Music tuition from specialist teachers.
6. School visits – London & Paris.

Each subject makes its own important contribution to students cultural capital development.