SAFEGUARDING AND THE CURRICULUM

HOW OUR CURRICULUM SUPPORTS SAFEGUARDING

We offer a secure and encouraging environment where children feel safe and their spiritual, moral and cultural development is enhanced through the delivery of our whole school curriculum,  including our Religious Education and PSHE curriculum, core values, work with external agencies, charities and the local community.  Our school ethos ensures that pupils feel comfortable approaching staff if they have any concerns.  Staff always follow up any concerns expressed by a child.

How does our Curriculum Support Safeguarding of Pupils?

To support pupils with confidence and knowledge of safeguarding issues we ensure our personal, social, health education (PSHE) programme allows lots of opportunities to develop their understanding.

For example:

  • We cover whole school national and global themes across the whole year such as Anti-Bullying week, Safer Internet Day

  • We learn about our values and keeping safe in lessons and assemblies to help children develop their sense of worth and confidence

We have chosen to implement the Kapow scheme of work as part of our PSHE curriculum. It fulfills the statutory requirements for Relationships and Health Education set out by the Department for Education. It also fulfils the National Curriculum requirement to teach PSHE (‘All schools should make provision for personal, social, health and economic education ) and goes beyond the statutory requirements by referring to the PSHE Association Programme of Study (recommended by the Department for Education.) Our RSE & PSHE scheme of work is taught in conjunction with our Computing scheme, it also covers the government’s Education for a Connected World -2020 edition framework and Project evolve. Our PSHE curriculum focuses on 6 themes which run through each year group across each half term. These include:Family and relationships, Safety and the changing body, Health and wellbeing, Citizenship and  Economic well being.  Through these themes,  classes experiences sessions on  sex and Relationship Education, drug, alcohol and tobacco education, keeping safe and managing risk both online and in person, mental health and emotional wellbeing, physical health and wellbeing, identity, society and equality  as well as careers, financial capability and economic wellbeing.

Links with External Agencies

In order to provide the best possible safeguarding for all pupils in our school we work with outside agencies to ensure we get expert advice and support. We follow procedures set out by the Northumberland Safeguarding Board as well as ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ in accordance with child protection procedures.

Below are some of the links we have with external agencies:

  • School Nurse Service

  • Early Help Panel

  • Education Social Work Team

  • Educational Psychology Team

  • CAMHS (Child and Adult Mental Health Service)

  • Primary Mental Health Team

  • Behaviour Support Service

  • Social Services

  • Family support workers

  • Health practitioners

  • Special Educational Needs and Disability Team

  • HINT High Incident Needs Team

  • Police

  • Probation Service


Safeguarding Curriculum

Pupil safeguarding and the promotion of fundamental British values as well as our school values known as the HExham Way underpin all aspects of school life and our curriculum at Hexham First SChool. Great importance is placed on identifying opportunities in the taught curriculum for children to learn about safeguarding. Our broad curriculum gives pupils opportunities to experience life in all its diversity, to acquire knowledge, understanding and skills that significantly impact on personal development, behaviour and welfare and equips every child with the knowledge and skills required for personal safeguarding. Our PSHE curriculum covers all areas of Safeguarding through each of the strands to a different degree, however some go into more detail. We are sensitive in our teaching and recognise that some more sensitive subjects need to be taught at an age appropriate level, or at a small group or 1:1 level where a more urgent need arises.

We plan to constantly challenge children to think deeply about safeguarding matters and their own personal physical and mental wellbeing. We value pupils’ questions and give them space for their own thoughts, ideas and concerns. We give them opportunities across the curriculum to explore values, personal rights, responsibilities and equal opportunities that develop moral concepts that impact positively on safeguarding, promote British values and prevent radicalisation and extremism.

There are many opportunities throughout our Learning in school to explore safeguarding issues.

Practical safeguarding opportunities are planned into the curriculum. For example: 

  • Road  safety (including out of school visits, bikeability, work with police officers in the community, work with Northumberland Highways department)

  • Poolside and water safety through swimming lessons 

  • Mini First Aid training for all children in Yr 1,2, 3 and 4

  • Through Science curriculum - healthy balanced diet, teeth, 

  • Fire awareness (including visits from the local fire service) Bonfire night – safety – fire work safety

  •  Halloween (being safe).

  • Staying safe in school – stranger danger ( visitor lanyard colours), not opening doors, telling an adult if you see something strange

  • Visits to school from medical staff

  • Visitors from charities such as, NSPCC

  • Partnership work around safe transition to Secondary school

  • Through stories about safety and wellbeingSun Safe – using sun screen/ sun hats

  • Water safe – visit to the seaside keeping safe on the beach ( year 1)

  • Tolerance and understanding – taught through RE curriculum

  • Mental health awareness day = Place 2Be

  • The e safety computing curriculum, Safe use of technology including password security and privacy settings 

  • What to do if you are separated from your group (in relation to school visits) 

  • The promotion of equality of opportunity and diversity, for pupils and staff, helps prevent any form of direct or indirect discriminatory behaviour. Our children learn to not tolerate any prejudiced behaviour and know they will be listened to. Our behaviour policy promotes making good choices and exhibiting good learning behaviours.

  • Assembly times are used to promote personal safeguarding matters and explore themes. For example, we talk about anti- bullying including cyber bullying and British values including how these values are promoted in our multi – faith society.

  • Staff and children are quick to challenge stereotypes and the use of derogatory language in lessons and around school. 

  • Throughout the curriculum there are planned opportunities to promote all forms of equality and foster greater understanding of and respect for people off all faiths (and those with no faith), races, genders, ages, disability and sexual orientations, through their words, actions and in their influence. Opportunities are created in a variety of subjects to address areas of safeguarding, for example, themes are highlighted through novels in English lessons.

  • Time is taken at the beginning of every new school year to reaffirm school values - The Hexham Way ‘ expectations and rules for living and learning at Hexham First Primary. This good start to the year, with everyone clear about their roles and responsibilities, sets the tone for the rest of the year and leads to excellent safeguarding outcomes.