Safeguarding in the curriculum

Pupil safeguarding is of primary importance at Stoke Park Primary. The school is committed to supporting and educating children across a range of safeguarding matters, as well as supporting issues specifically related to the local context. We seek opportunities in the taught curriculum for children to learn about safeguarding. Our PHSE curriculum covers safeguarding themes through each of the strands within the Jigsaw scheme of work. We are sensitive in our teaching and recognise that some more sensitive subjects need to be taught at an age appropriate level, or within a small group or 1:1 level where a more urgent need arises. We teach Relationships and Sex education across the school and support parents in understanding the importance of children learning about healthy relationships. We teach online safety in each year group but also respond to any issues that arise through further lessons, assemblies or by using external agencies, i.e - the police to run workshops. Our English curriculum uses carefully selected texts that promote equality, acceptance and tackle specific moral, social and ethical issues. The texts are mapped out across the year so that teachers are aware of the sensitive content that may arise, whilst also having the opportunity to respond to events that are relevant to their contexts and cohorts.  Our assemblies across the year are carefully mapped out to ensure that we are proactively teaching the children about key safeguarding topics but we also use assemblies to respond to any issues that may arise either in school or in the local community. We seek further enrichment opportunities that support our safeguarding curriculum, for example - trip to the lifeskills centre for year 6 or forest school sessions in KS1. In the penultimate week of term 6, we hold a safeguarding themed week across the school where we invite in lots of external speakers to provide advice and guidance to our pupils on a range of topics relating to safeguarding so they are well equipped with safeguarding knowledge before the long summer break. We also run parent workshops during this week.

We have an experienced and highly trained pastoral support team who support individual children and groups of children where safeguarding needs or concerns are individual or specific to that child/group. We use ELSA sessions, play therapy, external services such as NSPCC or the police and various other wellbeing interventions. These are carefully monitored and external support is accessed where appropriate.

We plan to constantly challenge children to think deeply about safeguarding matters and their own personal physical and mental wellbeing. We have developed an open and safe learning environment in which pupils express their views and seek help. The school displays posters around the corridor highlighting who the children can talk to if they are worried and provide opportunities for pupils to express their views via pupil surveys and school council. All staff have an open door policy where children are encouraged to talk. Staff communicate with children using a calm and measured tone at all times and use respectful and positive language. Staff are encouraged at all times to take a non-judgemental, curious and empathetic attitude towards pupils’ behaviour.

Please find below our Safeguarding in the curriculum documents for each year group.