Pupil safeguarding and the promotion of the fundamental British Values are absolutely central to our work at The Gateway Primary Academy. All members of our school community (staff, governors, parents, families, volunteers and pupils) have an essential role to play in making it safe and secure. We recognise the moral and statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children.

If at any time you have a safeguarding concern or need any support please discuss this with Mr Cassem, Miss Warner or Mrs Gillard immediately.

How are our staff trained in safeguarding?

Annual whole school staff training is undertaken to revisit the key principles of safeguarding, our school recording systems and to discuss updates to the statutory guidance contained in 'Keeping Children Safe in Education'. All staff including volunteers are required to read and sign both Keeping Children Safe in Education Part 1 and our school safeguarding policy. Staff are also required to read and sign acceptable user policy including expectations when working remotely. All staff undertake 'Prevent' and 'Online Safety' courses on a yearly basis. Safeguarding updates are shared with staff over the year. 

How is safeguarding taught within our curriculum?

A great importance is placed on identifying opportunities in our curriculum for our pupils to learn about safeguarding. Our broad curriculum gives our pupils opportunities to acquire knowledge, understanding and skills that significantly impact on their personal development, behaviour and welfare and is designed to equip every child with a secure understanding of personal safeguarding. Our PSHE curriculum covers all areas of safeguarding through each of the strands and is taught in a spiral approach which ensures that all safeguarding teaching is at an age appropriate and sensitive level. Alongside our planned safeguarding curriculum, we also use a flexible approach and use additional circle times and teaching when issues have arisen, for example an online safety issue. All safeguarding sessions are carefully planned alongside the senior leadership team and ensure that all issues are taught sensitively. 

We plan 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 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 and rail safety (including out of school visits, bikeability, work with police officers in the community) 
• Poolside and water safety through swimming lessons 
• First Aid training
• Visitors from charities such as NSPCC and Guide Dogs for the blind
• Work support groups around the safe transition to Secondary school
• Online safety training and workshops
• The use of digital leaders in school
• Safety in action

For further information about how we develop safeguarding across the curriculum please refer the table below. 

We have developed an open and safe learning environment in which pupils express their views, seek help and help others, they make use of Circle Time and Class Assemblies to share concerns with staff. 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 assembly times are 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 school. Our school reflects the diversity of pupils’ experiences and provides pupils with a comprehensive understanding of people and communities beyond their immediate experience 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 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, expectations and rules for living and learning at The Gateway Primary Academy. 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.

Support for parents

In Term 3, we will be holding online safety workshops, please see our parents online safety section for more information about keeping your child safe online. 

Below are some useful leaflets regarding Safeguarding which parents may like to read: