Developing the Cultural Capital of students at Our Lady & St Chad Catholic Academy

 

What is Cultural Capital?

Cultural capital is the accumulation of knowledge, behaviours, and skills that a student can draw upon and which demonstrates their cultural awareness, knowledge and competence; it is one of the key ingredients a student 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 empowers students and helps them achieve goals and become successful; cultural capital is having assets which give students the desire to aspire and achieve social mobility, whatever their starting point.

Developing the cultural capital of our students happens both in lessons and in enrichment activities. It encompasses everything that we do in school.

We have chosen to focus on developing our students’ cultural capital in our Wellbeing sessions which include:

  • Equality and Global Citizenship
  • LORIC
  • Catholic Life
  • RSHE
  • Careers and Lifeskills

These areas include:

    • Equality and Global Citizenship
      a. Inter-faith program of awareness in school
      b. Support from United We Stand group
      c. Black History Month awareness
      d. Access to other languages and cultures through MFL and international trip
      e. Raising awareness of issues in society and minority groups

 

    • LORIC
      a. Leadership
      b. Organisation
      c. Resilience
      d. Initiative
      e. Communication

 

    • Catholic Life
      e. Liturgical Calendar
      b. Feast Days
      c. Charity
      d. Gospel Values
      e. SMS development

 

    • RSHE
      a. Religious Understanding
      b. Me, My body, My Health
      c. Emotional Wellbeing
      d. Life Cycles
      e. Personal Relationships
      f. Keeping Safe
      g. Living in the Wider World
      h. Cinema in Education

 

  • Careers and Lifeskills
    a. promote students’ career learning, development and wellbeing
    b. to enhance students’ subject learning and attainment and their overall personal and social development personal effectiveness
    c. improving self-esteem, motivation, personal agency and self-efficacy beliefs
    d. career readiness e.g. improving career exploration skills, understanding of occupations, decision-making and decidedness and preparedness for transitions