Safeguarding Curriculum

Safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do at East Wickham Primary Academy. Importance is placed upon identifying opportunities in the taught curriculum for children to learn about safeguarding.

Our broad curriculum gives our children, the opportunities to experience diversity,  acquire knowledge, understanding, and skills that significantly impact personal development, behaviour, and welfare, and equips every child with the knowledge and skills required to know how to keep themselves and others safe.

Our PSHE curriculum covers all areas of Safeguarding through each of the units. We are sensitive in our planning 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 children's thoughts and questions and encourage them to take time to reflect.

We give our children 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, bike-ability, work with police officers in the community)
• Poolside and water safety through swimming lessons
• Fire awareness (including visits from the local fire service)
• Visits to school from medical staff
• Visitors from charities such as NSPCC, to do focused projects
• Work from local voluntary sector services particularly around safe transition to Secondary school
• Plays and shows
• 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)
• Safe use of technology including password security and privacy settings

We have an open and safe learning environment in which children express their views, seek help, and help others. The promotion of equality of opportunity and diversity, for children and staff, helps prevent any form of direct or indirect discriminatory behaviour.

Our children learn that any prejudiced behaviour is not tolerated. 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 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. Our school reflects the diversity of pupils’ experiences and provides pupils with a comprehensive understanding of people and communities beyond their immediate experience.

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 across the curriculum 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 to ensure that the year begins with everybody understanding their role and responsibilities. 

PSHE / RSE Statement