Safeguarding in the curriculum
We place great importance on identifying wider opportunities for children to learn about safeguarding through our broad and balanced curriculum.
Our broad and balanced curriculum provides the opportunity for all pupils to experience life in all its diversity, to acquire knowledge, understanding, and skills that significantly impact personal development, behaviour, and welfare, and to equip every child with the knowledge and skills required for personal safeguarding.
This is also underpinned by our PHSE curriculum, which ensures all areas of safeguarding cover all areas of safeguarding. We are sensitive in our teaching and recognise that some more sensitive subjects may need to be adapted to meet the needs of all individual pupils and taught at an age-appropriate level, through small groups or even on a 1:1 basis where appropriate.
We constantly challenge children to think deeply about safeguarding matters and their own personal physical and mental well-being. We value pupils’ questions and give them space for their own thoughts, ideas, and concerns at all times throughout their education with us.
We give pupils opportunities across an aspirational and challenging curriculum to explore values, personal rights, responsibilities, and equal opportunities that develop moral concepts that positively impact safeguarding, promote British values, and prevent radicalisation and extremism. There are simply many opportunities throughout our schooling to explore safeguarding issues.
Practical safeguarding opportunities are planned into the curriculum for all year groups. For example:
- Road safety (including cycle training through bike-ability) is provided by external providers and through the 'Road Safety' unit, which is delivered through our PHSE curriculum.
- Water safety which is reinforced through swimming lessons and through the 'Water Safety" unit delivered through our PHSE curriculum.
- Fire awareness training, including visits from the local fire service, and through the 'Fire Watch' unit delivered through our PHSE curriculum.
- Visits to school from external professionals such as medical staff, police, etc
- Visitors from charitable organisations such as NSPCC visit our children and deliver assemblies and in-class sessions.
- Work with local secondary schools to ensure and plan for a safe transition to Secondary school
- Safe use of technology including password security and privacy settings which is further reinforced through the school's dedicated and specific e-safety curriculum
We continue to develop an open and safe learning environment in which pupils express their views, seek help, and help others. This environment is underpinned by our individual school values. Promoting equality of opportunity and diversity for pupils and staff helps prevent any form of direct or indirect discriminatory behaviour.
Through our zero-tolerance approach to behaviour, our children learn not to tolerate any prejudiced behaviour. Our behaviour policy encourages children to make good choices and exhibit good learning behaviours both inside and outside of the classroom. Class times are a time for sharing ideas, addressing concerns, and promoting important values.
Our assembly timetable and PHSE sessions promote personal safeguarding matters and explore themes. For example, we discuss British values, including how these values are promoted in our diverse and multi-faith society. Staff and children are quick to challenge stereotypes and the use of derogatory language in lessons and around the school.
Throughout the curriculum, there are planned opportunities to promote all forms of equality and foster a greater understanding of and respect for people of all faiths (and those with no faith), races, genders, ages, disabilities, and sexual orientations through their words, actions and in their influence.