At The Valley School, safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to creating a safe, supportive environment where all students are protected, respected, and empowered.
Our students are some of the most vulnerable in society, and we recognise the unique safeguarding challenges they may face. These include:
- Behaviours, moods, or injuries being wrongly attributed to a student’s learning difficulty without proper investigation;
- Children with SEND being disproportionately affected by bullying, sometimes without obvious signs;
- Communication barriers, which can make it harder for students to express concerns or seek help.
To address these challenges, we ensure our safeguarding procedures and staff training are of the highest standard. We also embed safeguarding across the curriculum, so that students learn, at a level appropriate to their needs, how to keep themselves safe and how to seek support.
Safeguarding Through Education
We understand that students with complex needs often remain dependent on adults for their safety. By following safe working practices, such as ensuring only trained and familiar staff provide intimate care, we help students build awareness of what safe and acceptable behaviours look like.
For students with greater cognitive understanding, staff engage in conversations and learning activities about key safeguarding topics such as bullying and online safety. We also recognise that students may find it difficult to apply strategies learned in one setting to another, so we provide consistent opportunities to revisit and reinforce key messages.
Personal, Social, Health and Emotional Education (PSHE)
PSHE is a cornerstone of our safeguarding curriculum and is taught weekly as a discrete subject. Sensitive topics are delivered at the right stage for each student, sometimes in small groups or 1:1 where there is a particular need. Staff also use daily opportunities to reinforce learning in a natural, supportive way.
Our PSHE curriculum is based on the three key strands recommended by the PSHE Association:
- Health and Wellbeing
- Relationships
- Living in the Wider World
Through enhanced PSHE provision, students explore topics such as relationships and consent in greater depth, often through small group sessions. Safeguarding themes are also addressed in assemblies and form time.
Online Safety and Digital Literacy
We deliver a robust and flexible online safety curriculum, taught as part of both ICT and PSHE. Lessons are designed to be engaging, relevant, and accessible, with further opportunities to embed digital literacy across the curriculum.
Recognising that students with learning difficulties are more vulnerable to online and offline risks, our approach is carefully tailored to their level of understanding. Parents, and where appropriate students themselves, are involved in shaping the programme.
Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)
RSE is a statutory requirement for secondary schools. At The Valley, RSE is primarily taught through Science, PSHE, and enhanced PSHE. Where needed, individualised targets and interventions ensure that students receive additional support in specific areas.
We recognise the challenges that puberty and adolescence bring for our students. To support this, we have appointed a Family Engagement Officer who provides 1:1 support, advice, and advocacy for students around RSE and related issues.
Religious Education
The Valley School is non-denominational, with a diverse school community. Religious Education and assemblies provide opportunities for students to learn about a range of beliefs, cultures, and festivals. These lessons also create meaningful contexts for exploring safeguarding themes such as respect, tolerance
