Cultural Capital within the Curriculum

What does Cultural Capital Mean for our Students at Mayfield School ?

Ofsted define cultural capital as…

“ 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.’ 

Every child young person and family who joins usAt Mayfield we go beyond this description to ensure all our pupils have access to a full range of opportunities and experiences that foster curiosity and engagement in the world around them. Students are encouraged by the adults around them to be brave and have a go - this is supported by ensuring each student has a voice and can be heard and understood. will have their own knowledge and life experiences that will link to their culture and wider family. This might include: use of other languages, beliefs, traditions, cultural and family heritage, interests, travel and work.

We aim to promote learners social, personal, emotional, physical, spiritual and moral development within our rich curriculum. We define ‘cultural capital’ in a way to “celebrate and embrace the different backgrounds, heritage, language and traditions of all the children living in this country”(Cutural Learning Alliance)

This is addressed across all aspects of the school day. In addition all students have focused aspects of these areas via their EHCP, individual learning plans or outcomes within curriculum themes addressed.

Research shows that when children and families’ cultures are valued and acknowledged both the child’s experience of learning and progress can benefit (Husain et al., 2018, p. 4 and Gazzard, E. 2018 in Chalmers, H. and Crisfield, E. 2019)

To us Cultural capital gives our students power. It helps them achieve their goals,and become successful . It is about supporting the development of knowledge and  skills that give our students  the desire to aspire and achieve, whatever their starting points.

 We follow a flexible, responsive 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 otherwise have experiences of, is vital to their ongoing successes. Experiences are inbuilt and ongoing across all aspects of learning  and at each stage. Gradually widening children’s experiences as they progress through school is an important step in providing rich and engaging learning across the curriculum. We plan carefully for children to have progressively richer experiences across their time with us. These include trips to the local park, shops and visits to places of worship, art galleries sports venues just to name a few: