Cultural Capital

What does Cultural Capital mean at Smallwood CE Primary School?

Every child and family who joins our school will have their own knowledge and experiences that will link to their culture and wider family. This might include: languages, beliefs, traditions, cultural and family heritage, interests, travel and work.

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 pupil 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 power. It helps children 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.

Ofsted define cultural capital as…

“As part of making the judgement about the quality of education, inspectors will consider the extent to which schools are equipping pupils with the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life.

Our understanding of ‘knowledge and cultural capital’ is derived from the following wording in the national curriculum: ‘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.’ “

At Smallwood, children benefit from a carefully planned, broad and balanced curriculum that builds on what they understand and know already. We believe that exposure, not only to culture but also to situations in which the children might not have previous experiences of, is of paramount importance to their ongoing successes.

Gradually widening children’s experiences as they progress through school is an important step in providing rich and engaging learning across the curriculum.

Cultural Capital Experiences at Smallwood CE Primary School include: 

• Welcome Service at St John’s Church
• Educational Visits and visitors to school
• Choir – singing at village fete, Christmas market’s local care home and senior citizens’ lunch
• Residential visits- Years 4 and 6
• Music Festival – summer 2022; S’Woodstock
• Harvest Service – procession around village and service in Church. Food boxes donated
• Reverse Advent Calendar for local food bank
• Plough Service with St John’s Church, Smallwood
• Christingle Service at St John’s Church, Smallwood
• Black History Month
• Top Table – one child from each class invited to dine with SLT each Friday
• Donations to Visyon, local young persons’ charity, in lieu of Christmas cards
• Car Wash – Year 6 fundraising
• Year 6 Restaurants enterprise project
• Music Lessons (guitar, brass, wind, piano, violin), 
• Singfest
• After-school clubs –football, Spanish, Gardening, running, karate, chess, music (choir), multi-skills, netball, STE, Cookery, Lego and Board Games
• MacMillian Coffee Morning
• Remembrance Day
• Welly Walks
• Ethical Farming Project – Dundee University and Chester DBE 
• Special Weeks – Walk in my Shoes (Dignity, Diversity and Respect) and Mind, Body and Soul
• Stay and play with parents
• Family lunches and picnics
• Sports Day
• KS1 and KS2 Christmas performances at St John’s Church
• Music Club end of year production
• Conductive Music workshops
• Sports tournaments
• Church leaders coming into school 
• Play leaders year 6 – lead lunchtime play for EYFS and KS1
• New Vic Theatre visit – whole school
• Swimming
• Eco council 
• School and Worship Council
• Parents/carers coffee/tea morning 
• Opportunities for children to compete and represent the school in a wide range of sporting activities gaining considerable success at football, cross country and town sports
• Book Fair
• Macclesfield Forest Children in Need Countryfile ramble
• Children in Need fundraising
• Christmas Fair
• Forest school fortnightly
• Bikeability – Year 4 and 6
• Parent/Grandparent lunches