If you don’t feel safe or you’re worried about the safety of another student, talk to a member of staff you feel comfortable with.

OR you can tell us out of school hours.

You can email us:

iamworried@deanery.wigan.sch.uk

You can phone us or text us:

07394 957058

If you are in immediate danger and need help straight away, always phone 999.

Other helpful support:

NSPCC – Whatever your worry
0808 800 5000
Childline – Whatever problems or dangers, phone 0800 1111
Or you can get support online from Kooth: www.kooth.com

*Calls from private/ withheld numbers will not be answered. If you are worried about your safety, we will need to involve other people who can help you, but we will support you through this.*

In June 2021, Ofsted published its ‘Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges’ which raised concerns related to the prevalence of peer on peer sexual violence and harassment nationally.

As part of the review, Ofsted spoke to 900 children and young people and also made visits to 32 schools and spoke to a range of stakeholders. Their key findings can be summarized as follows:

• Children and young people said that sexual harassment occurs so often that it has become commonplace.
• Girls stated that sexual harassment and online sexual abuse, including being sent unsolicited explicit sexual material or being pressured into sending ‘nudes’ was far more prevalent than adults realise
• Nearly 90% of girls and 50% of boys said that being sent explicit images or videos that they did not want to see happens ‘a lot’ or ‘sometimes’.
• 92% of girls and 74% of boys said that sexist name calling happens a lot to them or their peers. The frequency of these harmful sexual behaviours means that some children and young people consider them normal.
• Children and young people stated that sexual violence also occurred in unsupervised spaces outside of school such as parties or parks
• Children and young people, especially girls, told Ofsted that they didn’t want to talk about sexual abuse, even when the school encourages them to
• School teachers and leaders underestimate the scale of the problem.

We have been directed that “schools, nationally, should act on the assumption that it is happening”.  As such, we have put in place a robust action plan to address these national concerns and we intend to raise awareness amongst our pupils during PSHE lessons over the next few months.

PSHE sessions will cover

• Definitions of sexual violence and harassment
• The school policy related to sexual violence and harassment
• How to report incidents of sexual violence and harassment to someone in school
• How to request a nude image shared online to be removed via Childline (https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/online-mobile-safety/remove-nude-image-shared-online/)
• Where to find support outside of school

The School Policy

The school has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to sexual violence and harassment. We will never dismiss such behaviour as being ‘banter’ or ‘part of growing up’.  We will challenge unwanted behaviours when we see or hear them anywhere in school. Students who are heard or seen engaging in such behaviour will be subject to our behaviour policy and our safeguarding and child protection policy. We will report incidents to the police where a criminal offence has been committed and involve other external agencies where appropriate. We will offer restorative sessions between students in some, appropriate, cases and we will refer victims to a variety of support sources both in school and externally.

Reporting and Recording

Students can report experiencing or witnessing unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature in the following ways:

• By phoning our new safeguarding phone line, which will be advertised in school, on 07394-957058. This number will be answered by a member of the safeguarding team.  Withheld/ private numbers will not be answered.  This service is private but not anonymous. Pupils will be made aware that, as with any disclosure, the information must be shared with me as Designated Safeguarding Lead and the Police if a crime has been committed.
• By emailing iamworried@deanery.wigan.sch.uk
• By attending the drop-in sessions with our wellbeing team during breaks/ lunches/ 3pm
• By talking to the Head of Year or Form Tutor

The safeguarding team will manage these reports in line with the school policy and will analyse their prevalence each half-term.

If you have any concerns, or queries, please email your head of year.

Yours faithfully
Mrs L Turner

Deputy Headteacher

What is the Prevent strategy?

Prevent is a government strategy designed prevent people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorist or extremist causes. The Prevent strategy covers all types of terrorism and extremism, including the extreme right wing, violent Islamist groups and other causes.

How does the Prevent strategy apply to schools?

From July 2015 all schools (as well as other organisations) have a duty to safeguard children from radicalisation and extremism. This means we have a responsibility to protect children from extremist and violent views the same way we protect them from drugs or gang violence. Importantly, we can provide a safe place for pupils to discuss these issues so they better understand how to protect themselves.

What does this mean in practice?

Many of the things we already do in our school to help children become positive members of the school community and society also contribute to the Prevent strategy.

These include:

• Exploring other cultures and religions and promoting diversity and tolerance
• Challenging prejudices and racist comments
• Developing critical thinking skills and a strong, positive self-identity
• Promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, as well as British values such as democracy.

We will also protect children from the risk of radicalisation, for example by using filters on the internet to make sure they can’t access extremist and terrorist material, or by vetting visitors who come into school to work with pupils. We will carry out our Prevent duty in different ways, depending on the age of the children and the needs of our community.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Prevent relate to British values?

Schools have been required to promote British values since 2014, and this will continue to be part of our response to the Prevent strategy. British values include:

• Democracy
• The rule of law
• Individual liberty and mutual respect
• Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs

Isn’t my child too young to learn about extremism?

The Prevent strategy is not just about discussing extremism itself, which may not be appropriate for younger children. It is also about teaching children values such as tolerance and mutual respect. Our School will make sure any discussions are suitable for the age and maturity of the children involved.

Is extremism really a risk in our area?

Extremism can take many forms, including political, religious and misogynistic extremism. Some of these may be a bigger threat in our area than others. We will give children the skills to protect them from any extremist views they may encounter, now or later in their lives.

KEY TERMS

Extremism – vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values such as democracy, the rule of law and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs

Ideology – a set of beliefs

Terrorism – a violent action against people or property, designed to create fear and advance a political, religious or ideological cause

Radicalisation – the process by which a person comes to support extremism and terrorism

Prevent Guidance: Learn about gangs and how to prevent involvement

Prevent Parental Guidance: Understanding Extremism 

Deanery Guides to Social Media, Apps and Websites

CEOP – www.ceop.police.uk/Safety-Centre/ 

Parents Guide to Internet Safety – www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-centre/parents-and-carers/parental-controls-offered-your-home-internet-provider 

Think U Know – www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/ 

Cyber Aware from the National Crime Agency – www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberaware/home#!/street 

NSPCC Keeping Children Safe Online – www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/ 

NSPCC Net Aware, Guide to Apps, Games & Social Media – www.net-aware.org.uk/