Safeguarding Curriculum

Safeguarding and the promotion of British values are central to our work at The Mill Primary Academy. We are committed to creating a safe, caring and inclusive environment where every child can thrive. Our safeguarding curriculum helps pupils develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to keep themselves and others safe – in school, at home and in the wider community.

Our Approach

Safeguarding at The Mill is embedded across our whole school experience – not just in specific lessons, but through assemblies, curriculum opportunities, pupil leadership and real-life experiences. We ensure every child acquires the resilience, knowledge, understanding and skills required for their personal safeguarding.

Our safeguarding curriculum is built around:

  • Delivery through the whole-school Jigsaw PSHE curriculum

  • Dedicated events such as Anti-Bullying Week and Safety Week

  • Pupil leadership via our Safeguarding Ambassadors

  • Curriculum planning that actively identifies opportunities for children to learn about safeguarding and safety in our locality

Jigsaw PSHE

We use the Jigsaw PSHE programme – a whole-school, progressive scheme designed to support personal, social, health and emotional education. Jigsaw combines personal development, emotional literacy, social skills, mindfulness and mental health education into one cohesive curriculum.

Each year group follows six key units (known as “Puzzles”):

  1. Being Me in My World – understanding self, belonging and community.

  2. Celebrating Difference – promoting diversity, kindness and tackling bullying.

  3. Dreams and Goals – setting ambitions, resilience and managing setbacks.

  4. Healthy Me – covering physical health, mental wellbeing, first aid, safety and lifestyle choices.

  5. Relationships – building respectful relationships, empathy, consent and online safety.

  6. Changing Me – supporting children through change, growth and self-respect.

Through Jigsaw, pupils learn to recognise emotions, manage risks (including online), ask for help, and make responsible choices. It ensures safeguarding is woven throughout their education rather than taught as a one-off topic.

Anti-Bullying Week

Each year we take part in Anti-Bullying Week to highlight the importance of kindness, respect and community. During this week:

  • Pupils take part in assemblies, discussions and age-appropriate activities focussed on identifying and tackling bullying, including cyber-bullying.

  • The learning links directly to the “Celebrating Difference” unit in our PSHE curriculum, reinforcing empathy and inclusion.

  • Our Safeguarding Ambassadors support the week’s events and help share pupil-led messages of kindness and respect.

Safety Week

Our annual Safety Week helps children understand how to stay safe in different areas of life. Each year, we focus on:

  • Road Safety – safe travel as pedestrians, cyclists and passengers.

  • First Aid – basic first-aid awareness and knowing how to get help in an emergency.

  • Physical Health – promoting healthy habits, exercise and nutrition.

  • Emotional Health – recognising feelings, building resilience and knowing how to ask for support.

  • Online Safety – using technology safely and responsibly, recognising risks such as cyber-bullying or inappropriate content.

These themes connect with our PSHE “Healthy Me” and “Relationships” units and build on our ongoing safeguarding work. We also use outdoor learning and visits from emergency services to help pupils apply safety learning to real-life situations such as road, water and fire safety.

Safeguarding Ambassadors

We are proud of our Safeguarding Ambassadors – pupils who help promote safety, wellbeing and positive behaviour across the school. Their role includes:

  • Acting as friendly, trusted peers for other children to talk to.

  • Helping lead assemblies and activities during Anti-Bullying and Safety Weeks.

  • Gathering pupil voice and sharing feedback on how to make our school even safer.

  • Promoting messages of kindness, inclusion and respect throughout the school community.

Online Safety and Digital Safeguarding

Online safety is an essential part of our safeguarding curriculum. We ensure that:

  • All pupils receive age-appropriate teaching about safe and responsible digital behaviour.

  • We use the Safer Schools App to provide up-to-date guidance for pupils, staff and families.

  • Our online filtering and monitoring systems alert safeguarding leads immediately if concerns arise.

  • Parents and carers are encouraged to discuss online behaviour at home and reinforce our digital safety messages.

Working Together

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. We work closely with parents, carers and the wider community to promote safety and wellbeing. You can support our safeguarding curriculum by:

  • Talking regularly with your child about their feelings, friendships and online experiences.

  • Reinforcing the messages learned in Jigsaw PSHE, Safety Week and Anti-Bullying Week.

  • Encouraging your child to speak up if they are worried about something.

  • Contacting us if you ever have a concern about your child’s safety or wellbeing.

Monitoring, Review and Impact

We continuously review and improve our safeguarding curriculum through:

  • Regular staff training and professional development.

  • Pupil feedback via our Safeguarding Ambassadors and pupil voice activities.

  • Monitoring incidents and trends to adapt our curriculum accordingly.

  • Reviewing our PSHE provision to ensure progression, consistency and relevance.

  • Reporting outcomes to TKAT leadership and our local governing body.

Summary

At The Mill Primary Academy, safeguarding is an integral part of everything we do. Through our Jigsaw PSHE curriculum, Safety Week, Anti-Bullying Week and Safeguarding Ambassadors, we aim to equip every child with the confidence and understanding to stay safe, support others and flourish – now and in the future.

Designated Safeguarding Lead: Matt Eagle
Deputy Safeguarding Leads: Sophie Gosden, Chris Noble, Jess Burnett, Jane Crockford, Nadiya Khan and Elise Brooke
Email: dsl@themill-tkat.org
Phone: 01293 571893

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