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What is Cultural Capital?

Cultural capital is the accumulation of knowledge, behaviours, and skills that a pupil 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 promotes social mobility and success in our society.

Cultural capital gives a pupil power. It helps them achieve goals, become successful, and rise up the social ladder without necessarily having wealth or financial capital.

Cultural capital is having assets that give pupils the desire to aspire and achieve social mobility whatever their starting point.

At Merridale, we are committed to providing our children with a broad and balanced curriculum, which is enriched with meaningful and exciting learning opportunities.

Our aim is to ensure that all children, regardless of cultural or socio-economic background or starting points, become the best they can be. We do this by providing a learning environment, which ensures all children achieve and encourages ambition.

Cultural capital is about preparing children for what comes next. By providing children with new skills, we nurture resilience, curiosity and creativity. Through this journey, the children develop new forms of cultural capital that make a difference to individual mind-sets, which consequently shapes their future.

Children at Merridale experience enrichment opportunities which allow them to appreciate and understand the awe and wonder of the world in which we live whilst ensuring they understand their role in protecting and celebrating our natural world.

Diversity
Celebrations and festivals – Diwali, Eid, Christmas, Easter, Harvest 
Places of worship visits – Church, Mosque, Mandir, Gurdwara, Vihara, Synagogue 
Annual Wolverhampton Diversity Performance  
Black History Month 
Open the Book assemblies/Messy Church 
Visits from faith leaders 
Christingle Service 
Christmas Play – Reception, Year 1 and 2 
Easter Egg Hunt 
Communication, Language and Literacy
Letter exchange with local care home
Reading Challenge
World Book Day
KS2 Poetry Competition
KS2 Book Quiz
Class assemblies – performing – speaking, drama, dance, singing
Whole school texts
Book Swaps & Book Fairs
Caring for our Environment and Community
Improve our local area (bulb planting) 
Protecting our planet – recycling, energy-saving 
Big Bird Watch (RSPB) 
Food Bank Friday collections – The Well foodbank 
Charity fundraising – Children in Need, Comic Relief, NSPCC Number Day, Poppy Appeal, Sport Relief 
Severn Trent Water – water conservation 
Junior PCSO training  
Remembrance Assembly 
Democracy – School Council elections 
Outdoor Day 
Knowledge and Skills/Careers and Aspirations
Cook a meal 
Learning outside of school: Learning Logs & curriculum newsletters, My Maths, TTRockstars, Spelling Shed 
Parental workshops – phonics, times tables, reading, maths 
Adult Education Service – workshops and activities for parents and children 
Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Adopt a School cooking sessions  
Peer mentors and Learning buddies (phonics, times tables) 
Music –wider opportunities – learn to play an instrument  
Fire Service – fire safety (SPARKS) 
Weekly drama/musical theatre sessions  
Enterprise Week and sale 
Parent/carers showcases for Discover topics 
Composer of the month 
Learn to ride a bike safely -Bikeability (Year 4) 
Learn to swim (Year 4) 
Merridale’s Got Talent – showcase a talent  
Dental nurse visit – Year 1/2/3 
Music workshops – singing, strings, drums 
Playleader training for Peer Mentors 
WGHS Maths Challenge and Spelling Challenge (year 4 and 5) 
Local History and Geography Week 
DIGIs e-learning showcase 
Outdoor opportunities, visits and experiences
Hot chocolate in forest school 
Gruffalo Hunt 
Camp Fire in forest school 
Teddy bear’s picnic 
Bird watching and pond-dipping – observe nature 
Visit the zoo (Dudley Zoo) 
Stay away from home (sleepover) 
Find your way with a map and compass 
Climb huge hill 
Dam a stream 
Watch a caterpillar turn into a butterfly 
Visit the seaside (residential) – build a sandcastle, jump over the waves + travel by train 
Visit the theatre 
Links with local schools – WGHS and WGS (reading volunteers, book quiz and author visits) 
Extra-curricular clubs – sports, dance, drama, music, art, games 
Bantock House 
Wolverhampton Art Gallery 
Wolverhampton Archives 
Bilston Art Gallery 
Off site visits – Rays Farm, Sycamore Green, Carding Mill Valley, Grand Theatre, , Dudley Zoo and Castle, Cosford Air Museum, Cannock Chase,  
Carol Singing at Sainsbury’s  
Watch a panto  
Visit the cinema (year 1-6) 
Outdoor Science Week 
Year 5 Singing in the Rain event (music) 
Well-being
Raise money for charity 
Play safely 
First aid and medical issues 
Keeping ourselves safe (NSPCC Speak out, stay safe + PANTs initiative awareness) 
Stranger Danger 
Road Safety 
People who help us – who to talk to and how to get help 
E-safety and Anti-bullying week 
E-safety week and Safer Internet Day 
Healthy Living Weeks – Merridale Marathon, Fun & Fitness, Daily Mile, Sports Day, healthy cooking 
Sensory Circuits & Cool Kids 
World Mental Health Day 
World Kindness Day 
Termly discos 
Class swap – transitions  
Playing in the snow 
Project Give  
Weekly and termly achievement/awards assembly