Herts for Learning launches new Sexual Abuse toolkit for schools
Herts for Learning (HfL), the UK’s largest schools-owned company, has launched a free Sexual Abuse toolkit, which is aimed at schools and is available to all staff, students and governors. It has been developed by the ‘Hertfordshire Everyone’s Invited Working Group’, which was set up in May 2021, at the request of Hertfordshire County Council and the Hertfordshire Headteacher forums. It was formed in response to the murder of Sarah Everard, the subsequent Everyone’s Invited movement and the report published in May 2021 by Ofsted into Sexual Abuse in Schools.
The toolkit is designed to assist schools in facilitating discussion about healthy and abusive relationships, creating a safe and respectful culture for all, educating young people to prevent harassment and abuse and supporting victims of sexual abuse. It provides age appropriate guidance and support for school leaders and staff around preventing harassment, violence and abuse in young people’s relationships. It includes resources and materials to support with the design of an impactful RSE curriculum and links to organisations, agencies and training providers.
Commenting on the launch of the toolkit, Rachel Macfarlane, Director of Education Services at Herts for Learning said, “In Hertfordshire, we are aware that children can experience sexual harassment and abuse anywhere, including in schools. We recognise the significance of this. It is the duty of leaders and teachers to ensure that pupils across all key stages are equipped with the knowledge, skills and understanding that will build their capacity to have a moral, respectful and positive approach to relationship-building, to be able to recognise risk and adopt safeguarding behaviours for themselves and others and to understand how the law applies to behaviours and/or experiences.”
Macfarlane continues, “We are optimistic that the launch of the Sexual Abuse toolkit will play a crucial role in supporting school leaders to be prepared to demonstrate to a range of audiences (including Ofsted) the impact of their polices, practice and curriculum in relation to relationships, harassment, violence and abuse.”
The Sexual Abuse toolkit contains guidance and resources to support the following:
- Primary teaching resources
- Secondary teaching resources
- Everyone’s Invited – immediate steps for named schools
- Key principles for teaching and learning about anti-abuse
- Additional reading for staff
- Self-assessment and traffic light tools
- Support for young people – Hertfordshire
- Support for young people – National
- Parent and carer support
- Advice and resources for Governors
- SEND
- Training
- What to do if you are concerned about a child
The Toolkit is FREE to access and users are not required to subscribe, log in or give any details.
To support the launch of the toolkit and to provide further guidance to schools, settings and trusts, Herts for Learning will be running two webinars in the coming months; one aimed at senior leaders and governors in secondary schools and one aimed at senior leaders and governors in primary schools.
Webinar details:
Preventing the rise in school age sexual abuse (primary)
Date: Thursday 18th November 2021
Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm
This webinar is free to attend for Hertfordshire schools and £69 (excl VAT) per delegate for all non-Hertfordshire schools.
Book on the HfL CPD Hub, course code: WEL/21/435/P
Preventing sexual harassment and abuse – systems and curriculum (secondary)
Date: Tuesday 8th March 2022
Time: 9:30am – 3:30pm
This webinar is free to attend for Hertfordshire schools and £129 (excl VAT) per delegate for all non-Hertfordshire schools.
Book on the HfL CPD Hub, course code: WEL/22/725/S
Herts for Learning is the UK’s largest schools-owned company, providing a broad range of education and business services that support schools and settings to deliver improved outcomes for children.
We work with 99% of Hertfordshire schools and over 3,100 schools and settings nationally, deploying 450 staff across all phases. We provide training, support and challenge to staff and governors at all levels. Since 2013, over 250,000 delegates have attended our training events and conferences.
For more information about Herts for Learning, please visit hertsforlearning.co.uk or email info@hertsforlearning.co.uk
