This podcast looks at Ofsted’s review into sexual harassment, abuse and violence in schools and the implications for safeguarding practice. We discuss what child-on-child abuse and harassment is and how schools have reacted so far to Ofsted’s review and the Everyone’s Invited testimonies that preceded it.
We look at how schools can respond effectively to Ofsted’s recommendations, not least the requirement that we “assume that sexual harassment and online sexual abuse are happening” in our school. We ask:
- How can we encourage victims to report incidents?
- How should we be changing our school culture?
- How can we ensure pupil voice is at the heart of our response?
- How can we review RSHE to ensure provision is high-quality?
- How can we engage with parents/families?
- What kind of staff training, CPD and support is required?
We touch upon reviewing school policies (including behaviour policy), challenging all incidents including “lesser” day-to-day incidents and addressing the “banter defence”, and responding to particular incidents.
Our expert guests are:
- Elizabeth Rose is an independent safeguarding consultant and the director of So Safeguarding. She has worked in education for more than 15 years and is a former secondary designated safeguarding lead and local authority safeguarding in education advisor.
- Natasha Eeles is the founder of Bold Voices, which delivers education on gender inequality and gender-based violence in schools and universities: www.boldvoices.co.uk
See also our May 2021 podcast focused on effective general safeguarding practice in schools: Click Here.
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For details about The SecEd Podcast, or to suggest future topics, email editor Pete Henshaw at editor@sec-ed.co.uk