Curriculum and safety

Lead SMT: Deputy head with Health and safety officer

Overview: 
The whole curriculum is subject to our risk management system and this is our policy on delivery of our learning and development activities.  Most formal learning activities are classroom based and low risk. However the guidelines provided below are still applicable.   Harm may be done with the most ‘harmless’ objects such as a sharp pencil or a chair.   Staff are expected to demonstrate vigilance and  foresight in caring for children in the classroom.

This policy summary  also refers to making students safer through what they learn (the safety curriculum).  Two aspects of this are already covered by policies – Sex education and PSHE.

This policy applies to all staff, students, parents/carers, trustees, visitors and users to the school and includes journeys to and from school and trips.

Sex and relationships Education
At Inaura we are committed to preparing our students for adult life. We believe that effective Sex and Relationships Education is essential if our students, as they grow, are to make responsible and well informed decisions about their lives. Sex and Relationships Education should not be delivered in isolation, but be firmly rooted in our Personal, Social and Health Education and Citizenship programme, supplemented by Science and other subjects of our taught curriculum.

PSHE Policy
•    This is currently integrated into our teaching and learning policy.  It covers
•    Personal Wellbeing
–    Personal identities, Healthy lifestyles, Risks, Relationships, Diversity, Decision making and managing risk, Developing relationships and working with others
•    Economic Wellbeing
–        Career,     Capability, Risk, Economic understanding, Self development, Exploration, Enterprise, Financial capability

The whole curriculum
Certain activities do involve additional risk. These are:
–    PE and all sports activities
–    Teaching of Science
–    Food and Nutrition
The delivery of any of these subject requires the completion of the relevant risk management assessment which is described in our Risk management system (Health and safety theme) .
Essentially, this means that
–    Risk assessments have been completed
o    for the student
o    for the activity
o    for the location of the activity
–    The teacher/ support worker has read these risk assessments and recorded this in the risk management system together with their assessment of any additional concerns or measures required
–    The activity will also have teacher and student competence criteria attached to them which must be met before the activity will be authorised.
o    The competency criteria will appropriately reflect the activity risk assessment

Teachers and Learning Support Workers must ensure that they are familiar with all risks that might arise from the tools, equipment, materials and process they plan for children to use.  No member of staff may teach any part of the curricular (such as DT/Forest School) unless they are trained and competent to do so

•    Staff must endeavour to carry out their teaching duties with regards to their own safety and the safety of the pupils
•    All equipment must be used in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions
•    Pupils must be properly advised on the safe use of equipment before they use it
•    Staff must ensure that the student is fully aware and compliant with our safety needs.  If this is not the case then the learning activity cannot go ahead
•    Students must never be allowed to use DT/Forest school equipment unless their risk assessment is cleared for them to do so
•    All lessons where personal protective equipment is required must be prepared and risk assessed prior to commencement
•    Any possible fault in any equipment must be reported to the Health and Safety Lead and the piece of equipment immediately withdrawn
•    All activities including outings must be risk assessed and check on line
•    If there is more than one member of staff with one child then the group format must also be cleared.
•    Inaura operates a 1:1 staff/pupil ration.  In certain cases some students have 2:1.  This means in practise that no child should be left at any time and each member of staff is responsible for each child
•    If staff and children are in a small group staff must check the ‘ladder of responsibility’ to make sure they know which member of staff is the senior lead