Resource contents
How might practice look different in the future for children, your staff team, your stakeholders, and across your setting’s practice and systems?
1: Ethos, values and culture promote safe and respectful relationships between all members of the community
Children: Pupils feel safe and settled. They seek out adults for comfort and reassurance. They are learning to express their feelings and to treat others kindly.
Staff team: Staff consistently model warm, respectful interactions with pupils and each other. They understand their role in creating an environment where pupils feel secure enough to communicate their needs.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents feel welcomed and included. They understand the setting’s values and see these reflected in how staff interact with their child. They feel able to raise concerns, and have trust that they will be taken seriously.
Setting’s practice: The setting’s values are visible in daily routines, interactions and the physical environment. Policies reflect a commitment to safe, respectful relationships, and staff can articulate what this looks like in practice.
2: Staff are equipped to notice, respond to and prevent child sexual abuse
Children: Pupils are cared for by adults who notice changes in their behaviour, mood or wellbeing and respond with curiosity and concern.
Staff team: Staff understand that child sexual abuse can affect very young children. They know the signs and indicators relevant to this age group and feel confident raising concerns. They understand that behaviour is communication.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents are confident that staff are trained in safeguarding and know how to recognise and respond to concerns. They understand how the setting keeps children safe.
Setting’s practice: Staff receive regular training on child sexual abuse, including content specific to early years. Supervision and team meetings include space to discuss concerns. Recording systems capture observations clearly and are reviewed.
3: Learning opportunities throughout the curriculum promote safe and healthy relationships
Children: Pupils are learning about their bodies, personal boundaries, and the difference between safe and unsafe touch in age-appropriate ways. They know how to ask for help. They know the names for private body parts. They are learning that some secrets should be told to a trusted adult.
Staff team: Staff feel confident delivering age-appropriate content on bodies, boundaries and relationships. They create opportunities for pupils to learn about consent through everyday interactions and play. They notice when pupils need help, and support conversations.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents understand what their children are learning and why. They are given information about how to reinforce these messages at home, including establishing healthy routines for using devices
Setting’s practice: The curriculum includes planned opportunities to teach pupils about bodies, boundaries and seeking help. Resources are age-appropriate and regularly reviewed. Staff and parents are informed about content and approach.
4: Engagement with and support for pupils are underpinned by an understanding of child sexual abuse and trauma
Children: Pupils experience consistent, predictable routines that help them feel safe. When they are distressed, adults respond calmly and help them regulate their emotions.
Staff team: Staff understand how trauma and adverse experiences can affect young children’s development, behaviour and attachment. They adapt their responses to meet individual pupils’ needs without judgement.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents of children who have had adverse experiences feel supported rather than blamed. They see staff responding to their child with patience and understanding.
Setting’s practice: The environment is calm and predictable. Staff have access to training and support on trauma-informed approaches. Individual pupils’ needs are planned for.
5: The response to child sexual abuse is informed by engagement with the community and professional networks
Children: Pupils benefit from joined-up support when they or their families need additional help. Their needs are understood in the context of their home and community.
Staff team: Staff know where to signpost families for support. They have good relationships with health visitors, social workers and other professionals. They share information appropriately and in the pupil’s best interests.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents know where to access support in the community. They feel the setting understands their family’s circumstances and works with them, not against them.
Setting’s practice: The setting has strong links with local safeguarding partners, early help services and community organisations. Information is shared appropriately and in line with statutory guidance. Staff contribute to multi-agency working when needed.
6: The response to concerns about child sexual abuse is prompt, fair and consistent
Children: When there are concerns about a pupil, adults act quickly to understand what is happening and to keep them safe. Pupils are not left waiting for help.
Staff team: Staff know how to record and report concerns. They are confident that their concerns will be taken seriously and acted upon. They understand the referral process and what happens after a concern is raised.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents are kept informed in ways that do not compromise their child’s safety. They understand the setting’s safeguarding responsibilities, and have trust that concerns are handled fairly.
Setting’s practice: Recording systems are used consistently. Concerns are reviewed promptly and actions are tracked. The setting engages effectively with statutory partners and knows how to escalate when needed. Governance arrangements provide appropriate oversight.
How might practice look different in the future for children, your staff team, your stakeholders, and across your setting’s practice and systems?
1: Ethos, values and culture promote safe and respectful relationships between all members of the community
Children: Pupils feel they belong and are valued. They treat each other with kindness and respect, and they know this is expected of everyone in the setting’s community. They feel confident that adults will help if something is wrong.
Staff team: Staff model respectful behaviour in all their interactions. They consistently challenge unkind, stereotypical or harmful behaviour and understand why this matters for safeguarding. They feel valued and supported.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents understand the setting’s values and see them reflected in how their children are treated. They feel welcomed and able to raise concerns. Governors understand their role in promoting a safe culture.
Setting’s practice: Values are embedded in everyday practice, not just displayed on walls. Policies are understood and implemented consistently. Recruitment processes explore candidates’ attitudes to inclusion and respect. Low-level concerns about staff are recorded and reviewed.
2: Staff are equipped to notice, respond to and prevent child sexual abuse
Children: Pupils are cared for by adults who notice when something is wrong and take the time to find out more. They know that if they tell an adult about a problem, the adult will listen.
Staff team: Staff understand the scale and nature of child sexual abuse and know it can happen to any child. They can recognise signs and indicators and feel confident speaking to a pupil when they have concerns. They know what to do next.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents are confident that staff are trained to recognise and respond to child sexual abuse. Governors receive appropriate information about safeguarding and ensure adequate training is in place.
Setting’s practice: All staff receive regular training on child sexual abuse, including how to notice concerns and how to have conversations with pupils. Those with additional safeguarding responsibilities access further training and support. Knowledge is refreshed and applied in practice.
3: Learning opportunities throughout the curriculum promote safe and healthy relationships
Children: Pupils learn about healthy relationships, consent and personal boundaries in age-appropriate ways throughout their time at the setting. They know the correct names for body parts. They understand what to do if someone makes them feel unsafe, including online. They know how to seek help.
Staff team: Staff feel confident delivering PSHE/RSE content on relationships, bodies and boundaries. They create safe spaces for discussion and know how to respond if a pupil raises a concern during a lesson. The PSHE/RSE lead works closely with the safeguarding team.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents understand what their children are learning and why it matters for keeping them safe. They are consulted on the RSE curriculum and given information to support conversations at home.
Setting’s practice: The curriculum includes comprehensive, age-appropriate content on healthy relationships, consent, online safety and seeking help. Content is informed by what staff know about the pupils and the community. Pupil voice shapes curriculum development.
4: Engagement with and support for pupils are underpinned by an understanding of child sexual abuse and trauma
Children: Pupils experience consistent routines and calm, predictable responses from adults. When they are struggling, staff respond with curiosity rather than judgement. Pupils who have experienced trauma receive support that helps them feel safe and able to learn.
Staff team: Staff understand how trauma affects children’s behaviour, learning and relationships. They see behaviour as communication and adapt their responses accordingly. They know which pupils may need additional support, and they understand why.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents feel the setting understands their children. They are involved in planning support and do not feel blamed for any difficulties their children are having.
Setting’s practice: The environment in the setting supports emotional regulation. Staff have access to training on trauma-informed practice. Individual pupils’ needs are planned for and reviewed. Behaviour policies reflect an understanding of the impact of trauma.
5: The response to child sexual abuse is informed by engagement with the community and professional networks
Children: Pupils benefit from adults who understand their lives outside the education setting. When they need extra support, it is available. Staff work with other professionals to help them.
Staff team: Staff know where to signpost families for support. They have good relationships with local safeguarding partners and community organisations. They share relevant information appropriately, and contribute to multi-agency working.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents know where to access support, and have trust that the setting will help them find it. Community partners view the setting as a reliable collaborator. Governors understand local safeguarding arrangements.
Setting’s practice: The setting has strong, active relationships with statutory partners and community organisations. Staff understand the local context and how it affects pupils’ lives. Information is shared appropriately, and referrals are made when needed.
6: The response to concerns about child sexual abuse is prompt, fair and consistent
Children: When pupils have concerns, adults act quickly to understand what is happening and to help. Pupils are not left waiting. All pupils receive the same quality of response, regardless of their background or characteristics.
Staff team: Staff know how to record concerns and are confident that these will be acted upon. They understand what happens after they report a concern, and receive feedback where appropriate. They know how to challenge if they feel a concern is not being addressed.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents understand the setting’s safeguarding responsibilities. When concerns arise, they are kept informed appropriately. There is effective governance of safeguarding practice.
Setting’s practice: Recording is consistent, timely and child-centred. Data is used to identify patterns and inform priorities. The setting engages effectively with statutory partners and uses escalation procedures when needed. Responses to harmful sexual behaviour are proportionate and consistent.
How might practice look different in the future for children, your staff team, your stakeholders, and across your setting’s practice and systems?
1: Ethos, values and culture promote safe and respectful relationships between all members of the community
Children: Students feel respected and safe. Sexual harassment, harmful sexual behaviour and sexist language are not ignored, and students are confident these will be challenged. Students know who to go to if they have concerns, and have trust that they will be taken seriously.
Staff team: Staff consistently model and promote respectful relationships. They challenge harmful attitudes and behaviours, including those that might be dismissed as ‘banter’. They understand how cultural attitudes towards sex/gender and sexuality can influence harmful behaviour and vulnerability.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents understand the setting’s expectations around respectful behaviour and relationships. They are confident that harmful behaviour will be addressed. Governors understand the prevalence of harmful sexual behaviour in education settings and their oversight responsibilities.
Setting’s practice: The setting’s values are visible in behaviour policy, pastoral support and how incidents are handled. Discriminatory language and behaviour are challenged consistently. Staff recruitment and management of low-level concerns reflect the setting’s commitment to safe culture.
2: Staff are equipped to notice, respond to and prevent child sexual abuse
Children: Students know that staff will notice if something is wrong and will take concerns seriously. They have trust that disclosures will be handled sensitively and that they will be supported.
Staff team: Staff understand that child sexual abuse affects adolescents as well as younger children, and that it can take many forms, including online abuse and exploitation. They can recognise potential signs and indicators, and feel confident initiating conversations with students when they have concerns.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents are confident that staff are trained to recognise and respond to child sexual abuse and harmful sexual behaviour. Governors ensure that training is adequate, up to date and evaluated for impact.
Setting’s practice: All staff receive regular training on child sexual abuse that reflects the experiences of adolescents, including online risks, exploitation and harmful sexual behaviour. Safeguarding leads have access to specialist training and peer networks. Staff confidence is monitored and supported.
3: Learning opportunities throughout the curriculum promote safe and healthy relationships
Children: Students receive high-quality RSE that is relevant to their lives and addresses topics including consent, healthy relationships, pornography, online safety, exploitation and how to seek help. They have safe opportunities to ask questions and discuss issues that matter to them. Their views shape curriculum content and delivery.
Staff team: Staff feel confident delivering RSE content, including on sensitive topics. They know how to manage disclosures that arise during lessons. The RSE lead works closely with the safeguarding team to ensure that curriculum content responds to what is known about students’ experiences.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents understand what is being taught and why. They are consulted appropriately and given information to support conversations at home. Governors have oversight of curriculum content and its impact.
Setting’s practice: The RSE curriculum is comprehensive, evidence-informed and regularly reviewed. It addresses online and offline risks, the impact of pornography, and the realities of healthy relationships. Content is shaped by student voice and delivered by confident, well-supported staff.
4: Engagement with and support for pupils are underpinned by an understanding of child sexual abuse and trauma
Children: Students who have experienced trauma or abuse are supported in ways that recognise how their experiences may affect their behaviour, attendance and engagement with learning. They are not judged or blamed.
Staff team: Staff understand how trauma can present in adolescence, including through behaviour that may appear challenging or disengaged. They approach students with curiosity and avoid responses that may re-traumatise. They know how to access specialist support.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents of students who have experienced trauma feel the setting understands their child and works with them to provide appropriate support. They are not blamed for their child’s difficulties.
Setting’s practice: Behaviour and attendance policies reflect an understanding of trauma. Staff have access to training and supervision that supports trauma-informed practice. Individual support plans are developed with the student’s input and reviewed regularly.
5: The response to child sexual abuse is informed by engagement with the community and professional networks
Children: Students benefit from adults who understand what is happening in their lives and their community. When they need extra support, including from specialist services, staff help them access it.
Staff team: Staff understand the local context, including risks in the community and online. They have strong working relationships with safeguarding partners, police, health services and specialist organisations. They contribute effectively to multi-agency responses.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents know where to access support and trust the setting to help them. Community partners see the setting as a proactive and reliable collaborator. Governors understand local safeguarding arrangements and the setting’s role within them.
Setting’s practice: The setting actively engages with local safeguarding partners and specialist services. Intelligence about local risks informs safeguarding priorities. Information is shared appropriately and referrals are made in a timely way.
6: The response to concerns about child sexual abuse is prompt, fair and consistent
Children: When students raise concerns or when concerns are identified, action is taken quickly and fairly. All students receive the same quality of response. Students who have been harmed by sexual behaviour or abuse are supported, and students who have harmed others are held accountable and helped to change their behaviour.
Staff team: Staff know how to record and report concerns and are confident their concerns will be taken seriously. They understand what happens after they report and receive appropriate feedback. They know how to escalate if they feel a concern is not being addressed.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents understand the setting’s safeguarding responsibilities. When concerns arise, they are communicated with appropriately. Governors provide effective oversight and challenge.
Setting’s practice: Recording is consistent, thorough and child-centred. Data is used to identify patterns, including in relation to harmful sexual behaviour. The setting responds proportionately and consistently to all forms of child sexual abuse. Relationships with statutory partners are strong and escalation procedures are used when needed.
How might practice look different in the future for children, your staff team, your stakeholders, and across your setting’s practice and systems?
1: Ethos, values and culture promote safe and respectful relationships between all members of the community
Students: Students feel respected and safe. Sexual harassment, coercion and harmful behaviour are not tolerated. Students know how to report concerns and are confident these will be taken seriously, whether they relate to peers, staff or people outside the setting.
Staff team: Staff model respectful, boundaried relationships with students. They understand the specific risks facing this age group, including in relation to exploitation and coercive relationships. They challenge harmful attitudes and behaviour, including those that may be normalised in wider culture.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents and carers of students under 18 understand the setting’s safeguarding responsibilities. Employers, placement providers and partner organisations understand and share the setting’s expectations around safe behaviour. Governors understand the safeguarding context for this age group.
Setting’s practice: The setting’s values are reflected in policies, pastoral support and how incidents are handled. Expectations are clear for all members of the community, including visiting speakers, employers and placement providers. Staff recruitment and management of concerns reflect a commitment to safe culture.
2: Staff are equipped to notice, respond to and prevent child sexual abuse
Students: Students know that staff will take concerns seriously. They have trust that disclosures will be handled sensitively, that confidentiality will be respected where possible, and that they will be supported regardless of their age.
Staff team: Staff understand that students under 18 are children for safeguarding purposes and that older students may also be vulnerable. They recognise signs of abuse, exploitation and coercive relationships, and feel confident raising concerns and initiating conversations with students.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents and carers of students under 18 are confident that staff are trained to recognise and respond to safeguarding concerns. Employers and placement providers understand their safeguarding responsibilities. Governors ensure that training is adequate and relevant.
Setting’s practice: All staff receive training on safeguarding that is relevant to this age group, including exploitation, coercive control, online risks and harmful sexual behaviour. Safeguarding arrangements are clear for all learning contexts, including placements, work experience and off-site provision.
3: Learning opportunities throughout the curriculum promote safe and healthy relationships
Students: Students have access to education on healthy relationships, consent, coercive control, online safety and exploitation that is relevant to their lives and developmental stage. They understand how to recognise unhealthy relationships and where to seek help. Content reflects the realities of adult relationships, including in online contexts.
Staff team: Staff feel confident addressing sensitive topics with this age group. They know how to respond if a student raises a concern. Tutorial and pastoral staff work closely with safeguarding leads to ensure that content reflects current risks and student need.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents and carers understand that relationship and safety education continues post-16. Employers and placement providers support messages about respectful behaviour and healthy relationships in workplace contexts.
Setting’s practice: The curriculum includes relevant content on healthy relationships, consent, exploitation, coercive control and online safety. Delivery is tailored to diverse student groups and learning contexts. Student voice shapes content and approach. Staff delivering this content are supported and confident.
4: Engagement with and support for pupils are underpinned by an understanding of child sexual abuse and trauma
Students: Students who have experienced trauma or abuse are supported in ways that recognise how their experiences may affect their engagement, relationships and wellbeing. They are treated with respect and not judged for their circumstances or choices.
Staff team: Staff understand how trauma can affect young people, including through mental health difficulties, relationship patterns and engagement with learning. They respond with compassion and know how to connect students with appropriate support.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents and carers of students with additional needs or vulnerabilities feel the setting understands their young person and works with them to provide appropriate support.
Setting’s practice: Student support services are accessible and trauma-informed. Staff have access to training and guidance. Support plans are developed with student involvement and respect their growing autonomy. Policies recognise the impact of trauma on attendance, behaviour and achievement.
5: The response to child sexual abuse is informed by engagement with the community and professional networks
Students: Students benefit from strong links between the setting and specialist services. When they need extra support, including in relation to mental health, exploitation or domestic abuse, staff help them access it. Students on placements are protected by clear safeguarding arrangements.
Staff team: Staff know where to signpost students for support and have good relationships with relevant agencies, including those supporting young adults. They understand the local context and risks affecting this age group. They contribute effectively to multi-agency working where appropriate.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents, carers, employers and placement providers understand safeguarding arrangements and their respective responsibilities. Community partners see the setting as a proactive and willing safeguarding partner.
Setting’s practice: The setting has strong relationships with statutory partners, specialist services and community organisations. Safeguarding arrangements extend across all learning contexts, including placements and partnerships. Intelligence about local risks informs safeguarding priorities.
6: The response to concerns about child sexual abuse is prompt, fair and consistent
Students: When students raise concerns or when concerns are identified, action is taken quickly and sensitively. Students are kept informed about what is happening, and are involved in decisions where appropriate. All students receive the same quality of response, regardless of age or background.
Staff team: Staff know how to record and report concerns and are confident that these will be acted upon. They understand what happens after they report, including when a concern relates to a student who is 18 or over. They know how to escalate if they feel a concern is not being addressed.
Parents and stakeholders: Parents and carers of students under 18 are informed appropriately when concerns arise. Employers and placement providers understand their responsibilities for reporting concerns. Governors provide effective oversight.
Setting’s practice: Recording is consistent, thorough and student-centred. The setting responds appropriately to concerns about students of all ages, recognising that some adults may also be vulnerable. Data is used to identify patterns. Relationships with statutory partners are strong and escalation procedures are used when needed.