Ferney Lee Primary School

Safeguarding in our Curriculum

Safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do at Ferney Lee Primary 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 personal development, behaviour, and welfare, and equips every child with the knowledge and skills required for personal safeguarding.

Knowing our children and their families well is a strength of our school.  Our whole school RHE curriculum covers all areas of Safeguarding through each of the strands to varying degrees and at age-appropriate levels. However, we recognise that some subjects may be particularly sensitive and are mindful that these areas may be best taught in small groups or 1:1 where a more urgent need arises. We aim to 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.

We give pupils’ opportunities across the curriculum to explore values, personal rights, responsibilities, and equal opportunities that develop moral concepts that impact positively on safeguarding and promote our school Rainbow Values.

There are many opportunities throughout our learning in school to explore safeguarding issues. Practical safeguarding opportunities are planned into the curriculum.

For example:

• Road and rail safety (including out of school visits, bike-ability, work with police officers in the community)
• Poolside and water safety through swimming lessons
• Fire awareness (including visits to the local fire service)
• Visitors from charities such as the NSPCC
• Work with local partners around safe transition to Secondary school
• Plays and shows
• Online safety lessons, quizzes and training
• Our visits and experiences incorporate “Stranger Danger”, being safe in the outdoors and ‘what to do if?’
• What to do if you are separated from your group (in relation to school visits)
• Safe use of technology including password security and privacy settings

We have developed an open and safe learning environment in which pupils express their views, seek help, and help others. 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. Our behaviour policy promotes making good choices and exhibiting good learning behaviours. Class times are a time for sharing ideas, addressing concerns, and promoting important values.

Assembly time and circle times are used to promote personal safeguarding matters and explore themes. For example, we talk about anti-bullying including cyber-bullying and British Values and explore how these values are promoted in our multi-faith school and community. Staff and children are quick to challenge stereotypes and the use of derogatory language in lessons and around the school. Our school and its curriculum reflects the diversity of pupils’ experiences and provides pupils with a comprehensive understanding of people in our community and the world around us, including gender stereotypes in society and different family groups including same-sex couples.

Throughout the curriculum, there are planned opportunities to promote all forms of equality and foster 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. Opportunities are created in a variety of subjects to address areas of safeguarding, for example, themes are highlighted through novels in English lessons, RHE units and history lessons.

Time is taken at the beginning of every new school year to reaffirm our school Rainbow Values, expectations, and rules for being part of the ‘Ferney Lee family’.   This good start to the year, with everyone clear about their roles and responsibilities, sets the tone for the rest of the year and is reflected in the good behaviour and personal development of our pupils.