More depth and detail: The new safeguarding guidance Local Safeguarding Children Boards may be on their way out but schools will still be on the frontline when it comes to child protection. Suzanne O’Connell outlines the major changes and implications for schools of the new Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance
A safeguarding review Having just led her primary school through a safeguarding audit and review, Helen Frostick discusses her lessons learned and best practice safeguarding approaches
Children missing education: It’s time to track the vulnerable Schools are expected to follow up every absence, and yet there are thousands of children who have nobody checking up on them at all. The issue of children missing education is difficult to tackle, so what can be done to protect the vulnerable? Suzanne O’Connell reports
Pornography and other online safety issues The impact that exposure to pornography has on the lives of young people is becoming alarmingly clear – and it is increasingly becoming an issue for primary-age pupils. Stephanie Enson explores the problems and discusses preventative strategies
Will the latest safeguarding changes make a difference? Schools are on the front-line when it comes to safeguarding our children. With government guidance currently being overhauled after the Children and Social Work Act, what should schools be aware of?
Prevent: A curriculum issue? Earlier this year, a report into multi-agency Prevent work suggested that a shift in focus is needed for this agenda in schools. Author Dr David Lundie sets out his findings
Bullying vs banter: Where do we draw the line? We often hear people say that ‘it was only banter’. But where does playful ‘joshing’ turn into something hurtful and when does that become bullying? As planning begins for Anti-Bullying Week 2018, Martha Evans considers how teachers can tell the difference
Supporting your challenging students Daniel Sobel reflects on the challenges often presented by our more difficult students, and how as a whole-school team we might be able to overcome these problems before it is too late 1 comment
Early Help – getting it right Early intervention is crucial if we are to give pupils the best chances of success. Ann Marie Christian offers her practical strategies and advice on creating and managing an effective early help programme
Child abuse: The ‘art’ of listening It takes on average seven years for children to disclose sexual abuse and teachers are on the frontline. Safeguarding expert Sam Preston asks if your staff really know how to ‘listen’ to their pupils
Safeguarding: Are you covering all bases? Creating and maintaining a culture of safety is a priority for all primary schools. National Leader of Education and headteacher Helen Frostick advises on preparing and embedding effective practices and satisfying Ofsted requirements
Relationships education: What should we expect? The campaign has been long and difficult, but at last those determined to see the introduction of statutory relationships and sex education have been rewarded. What can primary headteachers expect now as the discussions and consultations set in? Suzanne O’Connell reports
Safeguarding: What are the early signs of abuse or neglect? Most schools are clear about those signs of abuse and neglect that should lead to a referral. But what about the first warning signs that something needs further investigation? NICE has released draft guidance to help schools and other services know what these are. Suzanne O’Connell takes a look
Safeguarding and the law From radicalisation to female genital mutilation, are your staff up-to-date on their safeguarding duties and will they know what to do if they suspect abuse? Safeguarding specialist Sam Preston offers her advice
Safeguarding: Maintaining professional boundaries Maintaining personal, professional and protective boundaries is a crucial consideration for those working in our schools. Sarah Morgan offers her guide for teachers and education professionals 1 comment
Prevent for primaries – a misplaced strategy? An increasing number of primary-age children are being referred to the government’s Channel anti-terrorism scheme. With a bid to remove the duty for primary schools currently in Parliament, how beneficial is the Prevent strategy for this age group?
Safeguarding: Keeping Children Safe in Education The latest updates to the statutory Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance were published in September. Ann Marie Christian looks at the main implications for our safeguarding work
Maintaining a watertight safeguarding system Safeguarding is one of the most important responsibilities facing schools. Anne Marie Christian runs through her checklist for ensuring that your approach is watertight
Treading the fine line of child protection... Every day in schools, staff need to make safeguarding-related judgements about pupils and their families. But it can often be a fine line to tread and a difficult call to make. Safeguarding expert Ann Marie Christian discusses how to handle these situations and offers some general advice
Safeguarding: Domestic violence Domestic violence is a child protection issue that schools must be prepared for. Expert Dr Julie Leoni explains what abuse can look like, the impact on children, spotting the signs and taking action
Safeguarding advice: Keeping our children safe Safeguarding forms a key focus for inspectors during the new Ofsted Section 8 monitoring visits of schools rated as good. Headteacher Helen Frostick offers a useful overview for schools
Building resistance to extremism in primary-aged pupils With more and more scrutiny on the prevention of radicalisation among young people, Lucie Parker and Olivia Iannelli offer schools seven recommendations for how to build your pupils’ resistance to extremism
Child protection: ‘Don’t wait for disclosures’ The Children’s Commissioner said in November that schools must be more proactive in identifying sexual abuse. Meanwhile, proposed updates to government guidance highlight the responsibilities of individual members of staff. Are schools really not doing enough?
The CAMHS crisis Tackling the silent majority of unaddressed CAMHS cases has become a challenge for many schools. Daniel Sobel discusses two particular problems
Supporting refugees in your school community In some parts of the world, going to school means putting your life at risk and as a result many child refugees in the UK will carry with them traumatic experiences from the past. Suzanne O'Connell looks at the process of becoming a refugee and how schools can help
