Promoting Spiritual, Moral, Social & Cultural Development
We are committed to the highest standards in Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education for all our students. Our delivery of whole-school SMSC provision is something that we are proud to call “The Tretherras Way”. It is the total combination of a rich and rewarding academic curriculum (including specialist PSHE and REP lessons in years 7 to 9), our dedicated daily pastoral care and support, including our Period 1 Pastoral and Personal Development Curriculum (including the NT Character development course) and a comprehensive programme of extra-curricular clubs and activities such as Year 7 Camp and Activities Week. The Period 1 programme includes assemblies and tutorial activities that cover our fundamental British Values, Safeguarding (including internet safety) and Equalities & Diversity (such as learning about the nine Protected Characteristics from the 2010 Equalities Act). Books that are selected to be part of the NT Read programme are often selected because they help to extend student awareness of other cultures, or they present students with challenging moral and social issues.
In years 7 to 9, students undertake fortnightly PSHE lessons that include such important issues as personal safety (including work we do in support of National Anti-Bullying Week), relationships and sex education (RSE), a comprehensive drugs and alcohol education programme (DAE), health education (including mental health and emergency first aid). This is supported by weekly Religion, Ethics and Philosophy lessons that explore aspects of spirituality, belief and organised religion. From year 10 on, the fortnightly PSHE lessons focus primarily on increasingly detailed Relationships and Sex Education / Drugs and Alcohol Education content. Whether in dedicated PSHE lessons or through our Period 1 programme, the NT approach to SMSC is essentially designed to prepare students for the complex reality of living in our fast changing twenty-first century UK.
Additionally, we have developed a set of seven core character traits that are relevant in all academic studies, pastoral activities and extra-curricular opportunities. Our NT Character programme is designed to help develop the essential character aspects of our students, and also to help them to succeed and flourish in the fast changing world of the 21st century – Self-Awareness, Ambition, Collaboration, Curiosity, Resilience, Responsibility and Empathy. These character traits are explored through a series of activities and challenges, and are celebrated at specific award ceremonies. For example, every year 8 tutor group competes to win The Tretherras Way Trophy though various competitions such as the notorious Paper Tower Challenge. These challenges feed into the whole school House System, with points awarded counting towards the annual House Cup competition.
“I am proud to teach at Tretherras because we firmly believe in developing the whole individual not just their academic potential, and to prepare them for the real world in which they will be living.” Mr G Jones.
