Safeguarding Curriculum

Our academy trust, The GLA Trust understands that safeguarding in schools goes beyond simply following child protection procedures; it involves taking active steps to ensure children are kept safe at all times.

An important part of this approach is teaching children the importance of staying safe. Within GLA schools, this means delivering a broad and balanced curriculum, underpinned by our Curriculum Principles, that helps pupils appreciate diversity while developing the knowledge, understanding, and skills that support their personal development, behaviour, and wellbeing. In doing so, giving every pupil the tools they need to understand and manage their own safety.

Safeguarding within our GLA Curriculum Principles

We encourage pupils to think carefully about safeguarding issues, including their physical and mental wellbeing. Their questions are welcomed, and they are given time and space to express their thoughts, ideas, and concerns. Across the curriculum, pupils have opportunities to explore values, rights, responsibilities, and equality, helping them develop strong moral understanding. This not only supports safeguarding but also promotes British values and helps guard against radicalisation and extremism. Throughout school life, there are regular opportunities for pupils to engage with and reflect on safeguarding within their learning.

Safeguarding within School Curriculum

Assemblies, PSHE lessons, and class discussions are used to ensure children have knowledge of safeguarding. Explicit lessons on online safety, financial literacy and changes throughout history all give children the knowledge they need to keep safe.

Our curriculum reflects the diverse experiences of our pupils and helps them gain a broader understanding of people and communities beyond their own. The curriculum delivery ensures children are given opportunities to meet people beyond their immediate school community. In doing so, children are taught how to respectfully ask questions and listen to other viewpoints, whilst respecting the importance of keeping safe around strangers. Enrichment carefully considers risk both in and out of school, whether that’s self-management in forest school, understanding road risk, or safe swimming for example.

Pupils are encouraged to challenge and reject any form of prejudice. Our behaviour policy focuses on making positive choices and developing strong learning habits. Class sessions provide valuable opportunities for pupils to share ideas, raise concerns, reflect on their strengths, and explore important values.

For instance, pupils learn about anti-bullying, including online safety, as well as British values and how these are reflected in a diverse, multi-faith society. Both staff and pupils actively challenge stereotypes and inappropriate language, whether in lessons or around the school.

Across the curriculum, there are planned opportunities to promote equality and develop respect for people of all backgrounds, including different faiths (and none), races, genders, ages, disabilities, and sexual orientations. Safeguarding themes are explored in a variety of subjects; for example, literature studied in English lessons is often used to highlight relevant issues.

At the start of each academic year, time is dedicated to reinforcing the school’s values, expectations, and rules. Beginning the year with clarity around roles and responsibilities helps establish a positive culture and supports strong safeguarding practices throughout the year.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility

Examples within our school Curriculums:

• Book led assemblies
• Daisy Dragons
• Study of aspirational people who have made big impacts
• Financial literacy lessons
• Swimming lessons
• Bike-ability
• Visits from people who keep us safe
• Changing role of women
• And so much more…