Safeguarding in Education

The NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) is running it’s national campaign Parents in Sport Week for its third year from 1-7 October 2018.

The campaign aims to highlight the important role parents play in youth sport and encourage parents in get involved in their child’s sporting journey.

We’re asking schools to spread the word about the campaign to parents and carers and encourage them to take a look at the resources for parents we have to offer.  

A report published by a coalition of teaching organisations and children's charities, including the NSPCC, calls for the entire subject of personal, social, health and economic education to be made statutory. At present there are only plans for make relationships and sex education (RSE) compulsory from 2019.

The statutory PSHE education: meaningful change supported by busy teachers & school leaders report highlights that a decision by the government to make PSHE statutory would be overwhelmingly supported by teachers a school leader, with over 90 per cent of those surveyed by the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) calling for compulsory PHSE and 91 per cent of National Education Union member wanting regular space on the curriculum for the subject.

Source: PSHE Association   Date: 06 June 2018

The NSPCC’s Impact and evidence insights series features a blog by NSPCC senior consultant Kay Joel and Jenny Fox, subject specialist at the PSHE Association, introducing a new resource to help schools teach relationships and sex education (RSE). The resource includes lesson plans for teachers spanning Key Stages 2, 3 and 4 (age 10-16). Age-appropriate lessons cover topics including: transition to secondary school; online safety and online friendships; consent; sexualised behaviour; unhealthy relationships; and sharing sexual images. The resource includes a guide for teachers on creating a safe learning environment for the lessons, what to do if they receive a disclosure and where young people can go for further help.

Source: NSPCC insights and evidence impact blog  Date: 4 June 2018

Designated safeguarding lead for schools and colleges in England refresher course            

This face to face training course, organised by the NSPCC takes place on 27 June 2018 in Leeds. The course will update your knowledge and further develop competence and confidence in carrying out your lead safeguarding role.

There are just over two weeks to go until the NSPCC’s 2018 flagship conference, How safe are our children? Growing up online. Limited tickets are left for this year’s event, which takes place on 20-21 June at the QEII Centre in Westminster, and addresses the issue of young people’s online safety.

Speakers include Digital Secretary Matt Hancock MP, who will deliver the day one keynote, clinical psychologist, Professor Tanya Byron and experts from O2, Facebook, Snapchat, the Internet Watch Foundation and CEOP. The event will equip delegates with the latest insight, innovation and practical tools to keep children safe in a digital world.

Delegates will also receive a copy of the How safe are our children? 2018 report and have the opportunity to attend the free drinks reception at the end of day one of the conference.

The Scottish Government has published supplementary guidance setting out a consistent and uniform approach to assist schools and local authorities in recording and monitoring bullying. The guidance covers: why it is important for schools to cover bullying incidents; when bullying incidents should be recorded; and what information should be recorded.

Source: Scottish Government  Date: 28 May 2018

The NSPCC and the PHSE Association have published lesson plans and guidance to help schools teach relationships and sex education (RSE). The resources include lesson plans for teachers spanning Key Stages 2, 3 and 4 (age 10-16) covering subjects such as: transition from primary to secondary school; online safety and online friendships; consent; sexualised behaviour; unhealthy relationships; and sharing sexual images. A guide for teachers to support the delivery of the Making sense of relationships lesson plans has also been published.

Welsh education secretary Kirsty Williams has announced changes to Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) in Wales. It will be renamed Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE). Children aged from five to 16 will be taught RSE as a statutory part of Wales’ new curriculum which will be in place from 2022, and will place an emphasis on forming and maintaining healthy, happy and fulfilling relationships. New guidance, due to be published, will include advice on how to teach a range of topics including: education for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex pupils LGBTQI; and issues of sexual consent and prevention of violence against women.

Source: Welsh Government Date: 22 May 2018

The revised DfE guidance keeping children safe in education guidance now includes a section highlighting the issue of county lines exploitation, where children are used to transport or sell drugs from the city to suburban areas.

To identify county lines exploitation, the guidance says schools should look out for missing episodes, when the victim may have been trafficked for the purpose of transporting drugs.

Source: TES  Date: 17 May 2018

Further information: Keeping children safe in education: statutory guidance for schools and colleges (PDF)

The Department for Education (DfE) has published 2 new guidance documents for schools and colleges in England on keeping children safe in education, which will come into effect on 3 September 2018. Schools and colleges must continue to have regard to Keeping children safe in education 2016 until this point. Sections of the guidance, including those relating to multi-agency working and information sharing, will be updated again when the new Working together to safeguard children statutory guidance is published.

Source: DfE  Date: 17 May 2018

Further information: Keeping children safe in education: statutory guidance for schools and colleges (PDF)

Keeping children safe in education: statutory guidance for schools and colleges. Part 1: information for all school and college staff (PDF)

The NSPCC has published a briefing on the key updates to the statutory guidance.

Source: NSPCC : Key updates to statutory guidance for schools in England Date: 21 May 2018

The NSPCC has released figures from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to NHS Trusts in England looking at the number of referrals by schools seeking mental health treatment for pupils between 2014/15 and 2017/18. Figures show that: 123,713 referrals were made by schools during the period; 56% of referrals came from primary schools; and on average 183 referrals were made per school day in 2017/18.

Source: NSPCC: School referrals for mental health treatment rise by over a third  Date: 14 May 2018

The PSHE Association has published teaching resources designed to support the government’s Disrespect NoBody campaign to help prevent abusive behaviours within young people’s relationships.

Source: PSHE Association Date: 17 May 2018

The Department for Education (DfE) has published areas where DfE is interested in more research and new evidence. Areas identified include looking at: how schools can identify children’s mild to moderate mental health needs, and the role early intervention can play in preventing escalation; what factors are associated with teacher and pupil wellbeing, and what interventions and approaches are effective in supporting and promoting wellbeing in schools and colleges; and what are children’s routes through the care system, and how this impacts on later life outcomes, such as educational achievement, wellbeing and labour market outcomes.  

Source: DfE  Date: 17 May 2018

Stonewall has published guidance for secondary schools providing insight into the experiences of bisexual young people in schools and highlighting issues that bisexual people of all ages face. The guidance includes: definitions of terms including biphobia and bi-erasure; ways in which schools can tackle these issues as part of their wider work on LGBT inclusion; and practical tips on training school staff, to talking about bi issues with students, and building an inclusive school environment.

Source: Stonewall  Date: 08 May 2018

The Department for Education (DfE) has published a report looking at how schools and colleges incorporate teaching about mental health into the academic curriculum. Findings from case study research in 36 schools, colleges and other educational institutions across England provide examples of the range of activities used to deliver support for mental health provided in schools and colleges.

Source: DfE  Date: 08 May 2018

The NSPCC and O2’s Net Aware site and app have been updated with all-new reviews from parents and young people. Yubo, Sarahah, Discord and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas are amongst the 14 new sites, apps and games that now feature on the site and app. Net Aware provides online safety information and advice on privacy settings and other features, as well as recommended age guidance and risk ratings for inappropriate content. Net Aware is a vital tool for parents or anyone working with children, who want to better understand what young people are doing online.

The NSPCC's flagship safeguarding conference will this year address the growing concern of online safety. Featuring speakers from O2, the Internet Watch Foundation, Snapchat and many others from across the online and children's sectors, delegates will be equipped with the latest insight, innovation and practical tools to keep children safe in the digital era. Delegates will also receive a copy of the How safe are our children? report and have the opportunity to attend the free drinks reception on day one. The event takes place at the QEII Centre in London on 20-21 June and limited places are available.

Source: NSPCC conference: How safe are our children? Growing up online