Cultural Capital

Cultural Capital at Clifford Primary School

What does Cultural Capital Mean at Clifford Primary School?

Every child and family who joins our setting 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 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 Clifford Primary School, children benefit from a flexible 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. We plan carefully for children to have progressively richer experiences. These include trips to the theatre / cinema, Hereford courtyard, castle visits (including Clifford Castle), residential, farm / beach / town visits, Caerleon, fire station, Hay festival, museums including Techniquest and Big pit attending sporting events and participating in music concerts, are just to name a few examples. 

How do we promote Cultural Capital at Clifford Primary School?

The curriculum is designed with all of our pupils and the Clifford community in mind, combining the vital knowledge and skills necessary in order to flourish whilst incorporating our values and school aims. It enables children to access and enhance their understanding of their home, their town and the wider community, developing their cultural capital and giving them opportunities and choices about their future and their impact as they progress through their school career and beyond.

This will help them become successful members of modern British society, preparing them for the challenges and opportunities. 

What does this look like in our school?

• Appreciation and love of music
• Celebrating different faiths and cultures
• Learning beyond the classroom
• Caring for others
• Thinking about people around the world
• Understanding how History has shaped our future
• Learning about people in our community
• Exploring our local area
• Residential
• Educational visits linked to our topics
• Learning what it is like to be charitable
• Meeting real life authors and illustrators to educate and inspire us
• Welcoming parents to our school community
• Understanding the variety of careers in the real world
• Formal letter writing with a purpose