Safeguarding in the Curriculum

Safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do at Ruswarp. 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. This is built on our strong Christian vision: 'Think for Yourself and Act for Others'. 

Our curriculum also incorporates a half termly safety theme, in which a particular aspect of safety is reinforced. This is the same throughout school, eg: EYFS: 

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 pupils’ 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 and rail safety (including out of school visits, bike-ability, work with police officers in the community)
• Poolside and water safety through swimming lessons and beach visits
• Fire awareness (including visits from the local fire service)
• Visits to school from medical staff
• Visitors/Fundraising for charities such as NSPCC, Children in Need, Comic Relief and the dogs trust
• Work from local voluntary sector services particularly around safe transition to Secondary school
• Exploitation
• Online safety quizzes and training
• Our visits and experiences incorporate “Stranger Danger”, being safe in the outdoors, what to do if??
• What to do if you are separated from your group (in relation to school visits)
• Being safe indoors - knowing the different lanyards and what these mean in relation to visitors in school: Blue - Safe, Red - should be with a blue - Purple - Student teacher - Orange - Governor. 
• 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, acting upon our strong Christian values and exhibiting good learning behaviours. Class times are a time for sharing ideas, addressing concerns, and promoting important values.

Collective worship time in class 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 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 the school. This teaching provides pupils with a comprehensive understanding of people and communities beyond their immediate experiences within Whitby, including the role of women 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.

Time is taken at the beginning of every new school year to reaffirm school values, expectations, and rules for being part of Team Ruswarp. 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.