Safeguarding Through Our Curriculum

At Stapleford Community Primary School, keeping children safe sits at the heart of everything we do. Safeguarding is woven through our curriculum, our relationships and our daily practice.

We ensure children develop the knowledge, confidence and understanding they need to keep themselves safe – both now and in the future.

Building Knowledge and Confidence

Through our broad curriculum, pupils learn about:

• Physical and mental wellbeing
• Positive relationships
• Recognising risk and seeking help

Our PSHE and Relationships Education curriculum covers a wide range of safeguarding themes in an age-appropriate and sensitive way. Where needed, learning is adapted so that every child feels safe, supported and understood.

We create space for children to ask questions, share worries and explore ideas. Pupil voice is central – children know they are listened to and taken seriously.

Learning to Stay Safe

Safeguarding is brought to life through planned, real experiences, including:

• Road, rail and travel safety (including Bikeability)
• Water safety through swimming lessons
• Fire safety and visits from emergency services
• Workshops with charities such as NSPCC and Dogs Trust
• Transition support for moving to secondary school
• Online safety education and digital leadership opportunities
• Forest School, including outdoor safety and “what if?” scenarios
• Safe use of technology, including privacy and passwords
• Learning how to stay safe on school visits

Supporting Children to Speak Up

At the start of each year, children identify their trusted adults in school and at home – people they know they can go to if they need help or support.

Daily emotional wellbeing check-ins take place in every classroom, giving children regular opportunities to share how they are feeling and enabling staff to respond quickly to any concerns.

Every classroom has a worry box (or worry monster), giving children a simple and safe way to share concerns, including anonymously if they prefer.

Our assembly programme also plays an important role, regularly exploring safeguarding themes and wider issues in a way that is meaningful and age-appropriate. We are also responsive to any concerns or issues that arise, adapting our teaching and assemblies to address these in a timely and supportive way.

A Safe and Open Culture

We are proud of our open and relational culture, where children feel safe to speak up, seek help and support one another.

Children are taught to respect difference and understand the world beyond their immediate experience. We are clear that discrimination or prejudice is not acceptable.

Safeguarding themes are regularly explored through assemblies and class discussions, including:

• Anti-bullying (including online)
• Healthy relationships
• Respect, equality and British values

Starting Each Year Strong

At the start of every year, we revisit our shared values, expectations and routines. This helps ensure everyone understands how we keep ourselves and each other safe, setting the tone for a positive and secure year ahead.

Volunteers

We are delighted to have a great number of volunteers who help support the school in a variety of ways.

We really benefit a great deal from this support, you have the most amazing skills and talents! However, as safeguarding the children is of paramount importance to us, we request that volunteers complete some straightforward steps, including providing references that will always be checked prior to starting.

For school trips and in school support, a DBS clearance is required, as are 2 references.