Cultural capital is defined as the accumulation of knowledge, behaviours, and skills that a student can draw upon and which demonstrates their cultural awareness, knowledge and competence.
We work tirelessly to build our student aspirations and expose them to a range of experiences to help them achieve their goals. Students need to be given rich and sustained opportunities to develop their cultural capital through our curriculum, extra-curricular activities, trips and visits.
We recognise six interrelated key areas of development that contribute to building a student’s cultural capital: personal, social, physical, spiritual, moral, and cultural.
Our aim is to support children to be the best they can be in our diverse and ever-changing society, ensuring equal opportunities to live, learn, and achieve.
Ofsted Guidance
Ofsted considers how schools equip pupils with the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. This includes introducing students to the best that has been thought and said, and helping to engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.
Inspectors are not inspecting ‘cultural capital’ directly, but evaluating whether the school provides a rich and broad curriculum that builds cultural capital.
Personal Development
- Careers and guidance (Youth Connexions visits, Learning for Life Curriculum)
- Personal finance education (points, money, rewards system)
- Employability skills and vocational options including work experience
- Learning for Life and RSE curriculum
- Pastoral framework (growth mindset, resilience training)
- Transition support and induction
- Confidence building (public speaking, interview skills)
- Mental health and well-being provision
- Form Time and Learning for Life curriculum
Social Development
- Learning for Life and RSE curriculum
- Form time
- Student volunteering and charitable works
- Student Council
- Nurture Group Access
- Access to counselling
- Community engagement programmes (Sports Leader)
Physical Development
- Physical Education curriculum
- Stevenage FC links and activities
- Anti-bullying and safeguarding strategies
- Health, drugs, alcohol, smoking and relationships education
- Extra-curricular activities during lunch and break times
- Sports and well-being programmes
- Activity-based residential trips
- Cycling proficiency and safety
- Food preparation and nutrition curriculum
- Lifestyle advice and guidance to parents
Spiritual Development
- Religious Education/Ethics and Philosophy Curriculum
- Collective worship and reflection
- Support for individual faiths
- Inter-faith activities
- Visits to religious buildings
- Assembly programme on festivals and beliefs
Moral Development
- Religious Education/Ethics and Philosophy Curriculum
- Behaviour Management policies (STEPS)
- Charitable projects (shoebox collections, fundraising)
- Form time and Learning for Life curriculum
Cultural Development
- Access to the Arts (Arts Award)
- Languages and cultures through curriculum and trips
- Promotion of racial equality and community cohesion
- Co-operative values
- Signing choir (Makaton/BSL)
- Assembly programme
- Form time and Learning for Life curriculum
