Ethos: Moral development

On this page: Issues for Church schools | The law | Guidance | Challenging areas | FAQs | Resources |

Issues for Church schools

• Moral development, including sex education, needs to take place within the context of Christian values.
• Sex education should take place in a context that promotes the values underlined in Christian marriage and the integrity of each person as created by, and in the image of, God.
• One might bear in mind when reflecting on how to approach moral development in schools the following quotations:

"The heart is commonly reached, not through reason, but through the imagination, by means of direct impressions, by the testimony of facts and events, by history, by description. Persons influence us, voices melt us, looks subdue us, deeds inflame us."
Cardinal Newman

"The great and good of our society still have a fair deal of confidence in our collective reasonableness. If we have that confidence, John's Gospel should make us uncomfortable."
Rowan Williams in Open to Judgement (DLT, 1996, p. 46)

"The gates of prayer are sometimes open and sometimes closed; but gates of repentance are always open."
The Midrash

The law

• section 1(2) of the Education Reform Act, 1988 (subsumed under section 351(1) of the Education Act, 1996) requires the curriculum in a maintained school to be broad and balanced and to promote: 'the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school'.
• This requirement has been given substance with the presence of an inspection service, OFSTED - ESTYN (formerly OHMCI/SPAEM) in Wales.

Guidance

• OFSTED/ESTYN inspection handbooks provide guidance for all schools. In their latest guidance for inspectors, OFSTED offer the following support:

• Church schools should:
  • Contextualize guidance on moral development in terms of the Christian understanding of creation and humankind.
  • Identify what is already being done in the school and how each subject area is contributing to the moral development of pupils.
  • Help pupils to acquire skills and attitudes necessary for their moral development. These could include skills needed to cope with life at home, school and in the community such as:
    • the ability to listen to and to respond to others' points of view and to express their own appropriately;
    • the ability to make choices;
    • the ability to make and to sustain relationships and to cope confidently with new people and in new situations;
    • the confidence to cope with setbacks and to learn from mistakes;
    • the ability to act according to accepted codes of behaviour;
    • the ability to take initiative and to act responsibly and with consideration for others;
    • the ability to reflect on, consider and celebrate the wonders and mysteries of life.
• Moral development should not be regarded as separate from spiritual, social and cultural development, and reference should be made to the guidance offered on the relevant pages of this web site.
• Pupils who are developing morally will be acquiring:
  • a knowledge and understanding of traditional and Christian moral rules;
  • a general willingness to accept and adhere to those rules;
  • an awareness of the limitations of such rules.
• Schools can promote pupils' moral development by providing opportunities for them to:
• • reflect on moral rules, shared values and their importance for good relationships and social stability;
  • analyse the consequences of their actions, both good and bad, in terms of their own consciences;
  • acquire and develop the qualities and attitudes that will enable them to become better human beings, to develop their feeling for others and to exercise the self-discipline that will enable them to fulfil their potential;
  • exercise moral reasoning in making real choices about how they should act;
  • exercise judgement in right and wrong, examining the consequences of their own actions and those of others;
  • discuss and debate ideas of right and wrong in relation to current issues.

• Pupils' moral development is actively promoted when pupils develop an understanding of the difference between right and wrong and the importance of doing what is considered to be right. Such understanding will:
  • inform their thinking and actions and help them exercise their will in resisting temptation;
  • prompt the constant attempt to become a better person;
  • increase the willingness to make an effort to understand others;
  • build their respect for themselves and others;
  • enable them to engage in effective moral reasoning in the constant attempt to decide what is right;
  • help pupils reflect on weakness, failure and sinfulness as a part of the human condition;
  • give a willingness to understand and take into account, with compassion, the beliefs, feelings, emotions and experiences of others;
  • develop an awareness of the dangers of acting against their conscience;
  • develop a preparedness to engage in self-examination, aware of the attractions of self-deception;
  • grow the skills to be able to deal effectively with moral conflict and temptation;
  • develop a willingness to make an effort to understand, and where necessary forgive, themselves and others.
• The inclusion of citizenship education at each Key Stage will have a distinctive application for Church schools. Citizenship relates to the whole school in a number of ways including by:
  • helping pupils to become content with the values and ethos of the school;
  • being inclusive;
  • improving the school environment;
  • reflecting the school organization and management;
  • influencing school relationships, pastoral care and guidance;
  • being reflected in collective worship;
  • reinforcing links between the school and its communities.

  Citizenship, however it is defined, is linked with belonging and brings with it rights and responsibilities. If it is defined and applied universally across the board, confirming the same rights and responsibilities upon all, then there will be a moral obligation to work out what is meant by 'citizenship' in dialogue with the poorest and the least powerful.

  Good citizenship as good moral and social development may charge Christians to challenge society. The moral values supported in a Church school may encourage pupils to challenge the perceived values of society.

  The prophetic nature of the gospel could encourage schools to engage pupils in challenging exclusion, social injustice, unfairness and in respecting moral values.

Challenging areas

• As is the case with spiritual development, the issues are concerned with opportunities for pupils to consider how best they can reflect on moral issues and apply them to their own circumstances.
• Some measurement and assessment of attitudes can take place in the behaviour patterns of pupils; their ability to listen and to respond; to apply their thinking to their actions.

FAQs

What things will the section 23 inspector and the OFSTED/ESTYN inspector look for?

Opportunities for pupils and staff to:

• explore the different influences on moral decision making;
• explore issues of justice and fairness, prejudice and discrimination;
• explore beliefs about the value of human beings and other living things;
• explore the consequences of decision making;
• develop a set of principles on which personal attitudes and values can be built. explore moral codes and sets of values within differing communities;
• explore rights, responsibilities and commitments.

Will citizenship education add to what we do in the moral development of our pupils?

It will because it has a content of its own, but it will normally be closely related to the SMSC policies of most schools. Church schools should endeavour to place citizenship education and SMSC in the context of the Christian faith and their Christian values.

What questions should we be asking about when looking at our pupils' moral development?

• Are they showing evidence of developing: self-awareness, self-control, self-esteem, self-confidence, self-discipline and responsibility?
• Are personal values developed such as: respect for others, truthfulness, compassion, cooperation, sensitivity and love?
• Are pupils behaving in accordance with such values including the skills of making moral decisions and forming moral judgements?

What is distinctive about moral development in Church schools?

• Church schools will want to place recognition of the unique value of each individual as a child of God securely at the centre of the life of the school.
• They will also want to set a commitment to living out the challenge of Jesus' teaching as well as exploring the commonly agreed norms in society.
• The Church school will help pupils recognize they are all pilgrims on a journey but they have tradition, the Church and the gospel to support them.

Resources

• See the General resources for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development page.
• There are a variety of resources for those in Church schools who wish to improve the moral awareness and development of pupils.

DDE information

• Dioceses provide, in the main, written guidelines to support schools in their provision for moral development.
• Dioceses are always ready to help schools evaluate the effectiveness of current practice.
• Follow this link for a list of Diocesan education contacts.

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