Cultural Capital

Cultural capital is the essential knowledge that children need to prepare them for their future success. 

“You are the sum total of the people you meet and interact with in the world. Whether it’s your family or peers, the opportunities you have and the things that you learn all come through doors that other people open for you..” – Tanner Colby

Every child and family who joins our school 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 defined as 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.

At Millfields Primary School, children benefit from a 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 school.

At Millfields Primary School cultural capital is broken down into 6 key component parts:
Personal: e.g. careers, finance, work experience, metacognition, growth mindset, interview skills
Social: e.g. volunteering/charity work, political awareness, mental health
Physical: e.g food preparation & nutrition, lifestyles, competitive sports, healthy eating
Spiritual: e.g. collective worship, inter-faith lectures & activities, visits to spiritual buildings
Moral: British Values, charitable work, justice, law and order
Cultural: arts participation, alternative cultures & languages, racial equality, community cohesion.

The activities that have been planned, reflect on ‘Personal Development’ and how children learn skills and realise talents, develop character and resilience, and learn about British values, diversity and mental health & well-being.