Spiritual, Moral, Social & Cultural Development

SMSC is delivered through our broad and balanced curriculum including PSHE (which is taught discretely from KS3-5), assemblies, tutor times and whole school events. Torquay Girls’ Grammar school also offers a vast array of enrichment opportunities, including extra-curricular activities, super-curricular learning, challenge days and school trips.

Below are examples of the SMSC provision at Torquay Girls’ Grammar School.

The spiritual development of all students is promoted in the following ways:

• Religious Studies and Ethics and Values: Students develop knowledge and respect for different people’s faiths, feelings and values.
• We have empowered students to be involved in the curriculum design of Religious Studies.
• The tutorial programme and assemblies celebrate key religious celebrations throughout the year.
• Staff and students have access to a multi-faith prayer room which allows time for stillness and personal reflection, and we also have a Christian Union group which meets regularly.
• Subject teachers encourage students to embrace challenge and develop intellectual curiosity and creativity by exploring learning beyond the confines of the classroom.
• The curriculum design provides opportunities for students to actively reflect upon their learning experiences.
• Diversity board regularly includes displays which supports the spiritual development of all students.
• Students are supported to apply for the Lessons with Auschwitz Schools Project. Part of the project involves the participants then delivering a presentation to share their experiences with younger students.
• The Religion, Culture and Diversity Sixth Form team have helped to design a series of tutorials and raise awareness of less common religions. They also coordinated the school cultures day lunchtime 'walk around the world' event, raising awareness of different cultures. 

The moral development of all pupils is promoted in the following ways:

• Philosophy and Ethics engages students with moral questions in modern society.
• Debating clubs for key stage 4 and key stage 5 facilitates discourse regarding moral and ethical issues.
• Aspects of PSHE focus upon legal boundaries respecting the civil and criminal laws of England.
• A great strength of TGGS is its student-led societies, run by elected committees of Year 12 students.  MedSoc invites in a wide range of speakers to help students explore all healthcare and vet interests, as well as research and presentations on medical topics, and debates on ethical issues. 
• Lawsoc and Business Soc are newer societies with regular speakers and workshops; LawSoc also went on a visit to the Exeter Courts and has staged a mock trial.  
• Model UN was founded by a group of enthusiastic Year 12s in 2024 and has become one of our most popular Sixth Form societies.  Each meeting is a mock UN General Assembly where a proposition is debated with all countries' able to speak, with a vote taken at the end. 
• The speakers programme includes lunchtime talks, with a huge variety of great speakers across the year, representing many areas of the curriculum and careers areas.  Nearly all of these are invited in by Year 12 student leaders, for societies such as MedSoc and LawSoc, and for subjects by student ambassadors.  
• Sixth Form Politics Ambassadors run mock general elections and support the Make your Mark campaign, which encourages students to be politically active. 

The social development of all pupils is promoted in the following ways:

• We offer an incredibly vast array of enrichment opportunities in all key stages including over 30 extra-curricular clubs.
• House Culture is a key cornerstone of our school and there are regular house competitions throughout the academic year.
• Trips are offered to all year groups and there is a vast range of day trips and residential trips.
• Students can participate in a diverse range of extra-curricular activities, including Ten Tors and Duke of Edinburgh.
• Students actively volunteer to support the local community, for example, leading the Junior League of Friends which supports Torbay Hospital, as well as fundraising for local and national charities throughout the year.
• The school holds an annual sponsored walk (supported by sixth form students) to raise funds for Imprezza our partner school in Kenya.
• We offer a range of peer mentoring schemes through the Hub Scheme and the leadership teams in the 3 key stages.
• Students are encouraged to apply for leadership opportunities, and we run hustings for head girl positions and heads of houses.
• We celebrate UK Parliament Week, and it runs in tandem with our Head Girl election.
• We have an eco-club in school and students led an e-petition which was commended by climate change activists. Students also went to Parliament to present their petition to the former Business Secretary.
• We welcome a variety of external visitors to school including peers, local MPs, STEM leaders etc....
• The Careers newsletter promotes a huge number of opportunities for students to engage with.
• There is a focus upon employability skills through assemblies and challenge days.
• Drama and musical productions are held at various points throughout the year.
• We have provision for SEND students to access quiet areas and clubs.
• Peer mentoring-  in year 10 we have over thirty maths ambassadors who provide direct 1-1 support for year 7 students with their studies.  Other examples of leadership include Sixth Form Wellbeing Ambassadors who run the hangout club for younger students. 
• Drama production which is an annual event, as well as the Music, Gym and Dance Show. 
• Employability skills. 
• Annual careers fair.

The core values of inclusion, diversity and equality are championed throughout the school, supporting the cultural development of pupils in the following ways:

• There is a Pride group for students which is supported by staff. Students from this group are provided with a safe space for discussion and opportunities to raise awareness of diversity, inclusion and equality with the rest of the school community.
• Tutorial periods include a fortnightly celebration of diversity board and assemblies often focus upon moral development.
• The PSHE curriculum includes citizenship and students' acceptance and engagement with the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs; they develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.
• All subjects embrace cultural diversity.
• The curriculum develops student understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and that of others, for example in History lessons
• The TGGS House culture supports cultural development through a variety of competitions and the annual charity week.
• The school’s relationship with Imprezza school in Kenya allows students to have an understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures.
• The school has a fully equipped gym and the walking circuit accessible for students and staff
• Students are encouraged to join sporting clubs and we have some students who compete nationally and internationally.
• There is a real cosmopolitan environment in the school as students from other countries join our sixth form every year.
• During national general elections, the school runs a mock general election which is student led.
• We have an annual cultures day which is led by the Student Council and the Sixth Form Cultural Leadership team. This event celebrates the diversity of our school and students and staff are engaged in a number of different activities and events.  
• The TGGS map, which was proposed by student council, is a visual artefact which highlights the cultural diversity of the TGGS school community, and this is updated annually.