According to ‘The Evaluation Schedule for Schools’ January 2010, Inspectors should evaluate:

·      how safe pupils feel in school, including their understanding of issues relating to safety, such as bullying

·      the extent to which the pupils feel able to seek support from the school should they feel unsafe.

The guidance inspectors are asked to take account of includes:

·      the views expressed by pupils from a wide range of groups, and others, such as parents and carers, staff and governors, regarding pupils’ safety at school

·      the extent to which pupils are able to understand, assess and respond to risks, for example those associated with new technology, water, fire, roads and railways

·      the extent to which pupils feel safe from different forms of harassment and bullying, including those related to faith, race (including Gypsy/Roma and Travellers of Irish heritage), gender, sexuality and disability

·      the extent to which pupils feel safe, respected and comfortable in the company of staff and other adults

·      whether or not pupils feel listened to

·      whether or not pupils know how to complain and ask for help

·      the extent to which pupils and parents are confident that issues are considered fairly and that appropriate action is taken.

In order to help self-evaluate prior to inspection schools might ask themselves:

·      Do pupils feel safe in our school? How do we know this?

·      Do all groups of pupils feel safe? How do we know this?

·      Which areas of the school are those where pupils feel less safe?

·      What are we doing to make them feel safer?

·      Do parents feel their children are safe in school? How do we know this?

·      Do pupils feel they are safe from bullying?

·      What information do we have about bullying in our school? What actions have we taken as a result?

·      Is the bullying incident record up-to-date? Have we acted on reported incidents? Have our actions been successful?

·      Do we monitor bullying incidents to ensure that no particular group is over-represented?

·      Does our curriculum ensure that pupils are taught about health and safety risks?

·      Do pupils understand the risks connected with different subjects e.g. science, PE, using the internet?

·      Are pupils reminded regularly about the risks in using the internet? Do pupils understand what these risks are?

·      Do they apply this information to their own internet use? How do we know this?

·      Is the internet access policy regularly reviewed and are all pupils and staff aware of what it contains? Do they apply the guidance?

·      Do pupils apply the lessons they have learnt and the information they have received about keeping safe to their own lives?

·      Do our pupils know how to complain and who to ask for help? How do we know?

·      Do we encourage pupils to share their concerns?

·      Do we encourage pupils to look out for one another?

·      Do pupils feel that their views are taken seriously? Do they receive feedback from actions taken as a result of their comments?

·      Do parents feel that their views are taken seriously? Do they receive feedback from actions taken as a result of their comments?

·      Do parents and pupils feel that the behaviour policy is fairly implemented? Do they feel that it helps pupils to keep safe?

 

When completing the SEF schools no longer have prompts to help them. Instead it is expected that schools use the grade descriptors as a guide:

 

Outstanding (1)	Pupils have an excellent understanding about what constitutes unsafe situations. They maintain a well-tuned perspective on their own safety and that of others. Pupils say they feel safe at school at all times. Parents and carers strongly agree that the school keeps pupils safe. Groups representing a wide range of pupils are entirely confident that issues they raise will be dealt with promptly and effectively by the school.
Good (2)	Different groups of pupils say they feel safe at school. Parents and carers say the school keeps pupils safe and few raise concerns about their child feeling unsafe in school. Pupils generally understand what constitutes an unsafe situation. Pupils have an accurate perspective on their own safety and that of others. Pupils are confident that issues they raise will be dealt with promptly and effectively by the school.
Satisfactory (3)	Pupils say they usually feel safe at school and parents and carers agree. Pupils know about the main risks they might face and understand how these risks may threaten their own and others’ safety. Pupils are clear that issues they raise will be taken seriously by the school and appropriate action taken.
Inadequate (4)	·       Pupils, or a significant group, who understand what constitutes an unsafe situation at school say they do not feel safe. or ·       Pupils have a worryingly inaccurate perspective on their own safety. or ·       Pupils have little confidence in the school’s ability to deal with safety issues.

 

Different strands can be tracked within these grade descriptors. Identifying these can help schools decide on their grading as well as helping them to determine what actions are necessary to move to the next level.

Strand 1: pupils know how to keep themselves safe

Outstanding (1)	Pupils have an excellent understanding about what constitutes unsafe situations. They maintain a well-tuned perspective on their own safety and that of others.
Good (2)	Pupils generally understand what constitutes an unsafe situation. Pupils have an accurate perspective on their own safety and that of others.
Satisfactory (3)	Pupils know about the main risks they might face and understand how these risks may threaten their own and others’ safety.
Inadequate (4)	Pupils have a worryingly inaccurate perspective on their own safety.

 

Strand 2: pupils feel safe

Outstanding (1)	Pupils say they feel safe at school at all times.
Good (2)	Different groups of pupils say they feel safe at school.
Satisfactory (3)	Pupils say they usually feel safe at school
Inadequate (4)	Pupils, or a significant group, who understand what constitutes an unsafe situation at school say they do not feel safe.

 

Strand 3: parents feel that their children are safe

Outstanding (1)	Parents and carers strongly agree that the school keeps pupils safe.
Good (2)	Parents and carers say the school keeps pupils safe and few raise concerns about their child feeling unsafe in school
Satisfactory (3)	Pupils say they usually feel safe at school and parents and carers agree.
Inadequate (4)

Strand 4: views are acted upon

 

Outstanding (1)	Groups representing a wide range of pupils are entirely confident that issues they raise will be dealt with promptly and effectively by the school.
Good (2)	Pupils are confident that issues they raise will be dealt with promptly and effectively by the school.
Satisfactory (3)	Pupils say they usually feel safe at school and parents and carers agree.
Inadequate (4)	Pupils have little confidence in the school’s ability to deal with safety issues.

 

What might this judgement look like on your SEF? Below are some suggestions for statements you might want to include:

  Pupils are consulted annually about how safe they feel. The 2009 survey (File A) showed that 91% felt safe in school at all times. Areas where pupils felt less safe were in an around the toilets. Further discussions about this have taken place with schools council. As a result an additional member of staff is to be on inside duty in order to help monitor use of the toilet areas.

Parents are consulted annually about the safety of their children. The 2009 survey (File A) showed that 98% felt that their children were safe or very safe on the school site. Further discussion in the parents’ forum suggested that there are still concerns about pupils crossing at the Bridge End entrance. The parents and school are currently lobbying councillors for a pelican crossing.

All pupils have health and safety units as part of the PSHE curriculum. All subjects have health and safety inputs into units as appropriate (File B – curriculum plans). For example, at the beginning of every year pupils are reminded in the ICT lessons about the internet access policy. Use is monitored throughout the year.

All pupils understand about site security and will inform a member of staff if they see an unknown visitor without a badge. Pupils are reminded regularly in assemblies and circle  time about basic safety issues such as road safety, being safe around electric appliances and fire drill.  

The bullying and harassment incidents record shows that the number of recorded incidents has dropped since the introduction of the new behaviour policy ( 34 in 2008 reduced to 15 in 2009). There is a slightly higher proportion of white girls on FSM who have reported being involved in a bullying incident during 2009. Although all the incidents were dealt with effectively (no further recurrences were logged) the reasons for this are currently being investigated by the deputy headteacher.

Where action has been taken following a bullying incident the victim is informed of what has happened and where possible time is taken to help build relationships between the bully and victim. Parents are also closely involved and are kept informed about events (Parent record form D).