Cultural Capital at Holmer C of E Academy

What does Cultural Capital Mean at Holmer Academy?
 

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 Holmer C of E Academy, 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 in nursery and beyond. These include trips to Queenswood Country Park or Herefordshire library and visits to places of worship including Holmer Church and Gloucestershire Cathedral as well as exploring museums, attending sporting events and participating in music concert venues such as the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, are just to name a few examples. 

How do we promote Cultural Capital at Holmer?

The curriculum is designed with all of our pupils and the Holmer community in mind, combining the vital knowledge and skills necessary in order to flourish whilst incorporating our Christian 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.