Cultural Capital

What is Cultural Capital?

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

Cultural capital promotes social mobility and success in our society.

Cultural capital gives a child 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 children the desire to aspire and achieve social mobility whatever their starting point.

At Catherine Wayte Primary School, we recognise that for children 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 child’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: 1. Personal development:

a. Careers and Information, advice and guidance provision;

b. Personal Finance Education – Y6 budget and enterprise project;

c. Employability skills – Aim High programme;

d. Citizenship, Personal, Social and Health Education provision;

e. The school’s wider pastoral framework;

f. Growth mindset and metacognition project from FS2 – Y6 – resilience development strategies;

g. Transition support – FS1 – FS2, FS2-KS1, KS1 – KS2 and KS2 – KS3;

h. Work to develop confidence e.g. speaking to larger groups

i. Activities focused on building self-esteem;

j. Mental Health & well-being provision – pastoral support TA, Blue Kite Lighthouse team, Mental Health Trailblazers, family and pupil support on school website.

2. Social Development:

a. Citizenship, Personal, Social and Health Education provision;

b. Children volunteering and charitable works;

c. Pupil Voice – Year Group, subject or theme specific, Eco-warriors, travel ambassadors, young leaders and School Council;

d. Nurture Group Access;

e. Provisions linked to the school’s Healthy Schools’ Accreditation;

f. Provisions linked to the school’s journey to be accredited as a Mental Health School and as part of the NHS Mental Health Trailblazers’ programme;

g. In school and wider community engagement programmes;

h. Access to counselling and support through the Lighthouse team;

i. Access to play therapy;

j. Buddy system.

3. Physical Development:

a. The Physical Education curriculum;

b. The balanceability programme for FS2 children;

c. Sparks / Movers and Groovers programme;

d. Healthy Eating policies and catering provision;

e. Anti-bullying and safeguarding policies and strategies;

f. The Health Education dimension of the PSHE programme, including strands on drugs, smoking and alcohol, the impact of social media and developing healthy and safe relationships;

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

h. The celebration of sporting achievement including personal fitness and competitive sport, including sports days, trust and town-wide sporting events and competitions;

i. Cycling proficiency training and celebration or Walk to School, The Big Pedal etc. events;

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

k. Activity-based residential visits or experience days;

l. The Design and Technology curricular programme related to food preparation and nutrition;

m. Advice & guidance to parents on all aspects of children’s lifestyles including resources for families on our school website.

4. Spiritual Development:

a. The Religious Education curriculum;

b. Our collective acts of worship and reflection;

c. Support for the expression of individual faiths;

d. Inter-faith and faith-specific activities and speakers;

e. Visits to religious buildings and centres;

f. Classes and seminars with speakers focusing on spiritual issues;

g. The Assembly programme.

5. Moral Development:

a. The Religious Education and curriculum;

b. The school’s Behaviour Management policy;

c. ‘Gems’ and positive personal qualities development;

d. Contributions to local, national and international charitable projects.

5. Cultural Development:

a. Citizenship Education;

b. Access to the arts;

c. Whole-class music tuition (Y5), our music curriculum, live music roadshows, infant and junior music festivals and our annual music evening;

d. Access to the languages and cultures of other countries through the languages and multi-cultural element of our curriculum offer;

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

Each subject makes its own contribution to children’s cultural capital development.