Safeguarding

Safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do here at Dorset Trade skills. Great importance is placed on identifying opportunities in the taught curriculum for children to learn about safeguarding. 

Our broad curriculum gives pupils diverse opportunities to experience land learn, to acquire knowledge, understanding, and skills that significantly impact personal development, behaviour and welfare, and aims to equip every child with the skills required for personal safeguarding. This is done in practical contexts and via the development of knowledge and awareness. 

We plan to constantly challenge children to think deeply about safeguarding matters and their own personal physical and mental wellbeing. We value pupils’ questions and give them space for their own thoughts, ideas, and concerns. We give pupils’ 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 also imparted throughout the curriculum, with courses and qualifications including Financial Literacy, Independent Living, Food Production, Mental Health Awareness, etc. Skills covered include: 

We have developed an open and safe learning environment in which pupils express their views, seek help, and help others. The promotion of equality of opportunity and diversity, for pupils and staff, helps prevent any form of direct or indirect discrimination. Our children learn to challenge any prejudiced behaviour and our Behaviour Policy promotes making good choices in this regard. 

PSHE lessons are used to directly 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 the 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. These same values are embedded throughout the rest of our curriculum.  

Throughout the curriculum, there are planned opportunities to promote all forms of equality and foster greater understanding of and respect for people of all faiths (and those with no faith), races, genders, ages, disabilities, and sexual orientations, through their words, actions and in their influence. This helps learners develop robust values that help prevent radicalisation.