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Safeguarding and support for pupils

 
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NAHT members are at the forefront of safeguarding children. School leaders are committed to keeping children safe, so they can learn well. NAHT believes that all pupils should receive the support they need to maintain their well-being and achieve their potential, both within school and from wider services including health and social care.

NAHT is campaigning to:

Enable schools to play their part in supporting pupils' well-being

  • Lobby for pupils and schools to get the support they need from wider services including health, social care, police and youth services
  • Influence the implementation of the proposals from the mental health green paper, including the senior lead for mental health and mental health support teams
  • Support schools to access relevant, high-quality training and resources to enable pupils to exercise their right to support for their mental well-being.

 

Support schools to safeguard and protect pupils

  • Engage with the DfE over proposed changes to the role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead
  • Influence changes to Keeping Children Safe In Education, Working Together and Sexual Violence and harassment guidance
  • Campaign to improve online safety for children and young people
  • Press the government to ensure home educated children are adequately safeguarded
  • Promote guidance and resources to support schools to protect children at risk of harm including involvement with violence and other crime.

 

Enable schools to support vulnerable groups of pupils

  • Campaign to ensure pupils with SEND can receive the support they need from schools and wider services
  • Press for improved alternative provision and collaborative approaches across communities to support pupils excluded from school
  • Provide information to schools to help them to support disadvantaged children
  • Enable schools to make informed decisions regarding parental requests to home educate
  • Ensure reforms to behaviour guidance and networks is evidence-based and appropriate for all schools and a diverse pupil population. 
 

Physically active learning - key research and resources

What is Physically Active Learning (PAL)?

Learning whilst taking part in a physical activity is claimed to increase academic performances in primary aged children. Physically Active Learning (PAL) is a campaign pioneered by the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine (NCSEM) at Loughborough University to increase children's fitness while improving their academic results. Improvements to engagement, behaviour and concentration on tasks have also been found and the university is currently undertaking a year-long study to examine the effects of PAL within the classroom.

How is PAL used?

The PAL website offers ways that teachers can implement movement integration (MI) into their schools. There are various options where classes do not need to leave the room and cover subjects such as maths and literacy. An example asks children to make the shape of a capital letter or make an exclamation mark by jumping followed by a punch. While the Tagtiv8 game is a more vigorous form of exercise, allowing children to play a version of tag rugby whilst solving maths problems.

Considerations

If future programmes of activity-based learned are employed in schools, teachers and senior leaders should consider how they:

  •  Support staff who are using PAL in areas such as time management
  •  Identify training to help staff implement PAL and build their confidence
  •  Ensure a whole school approach towards the programme is adhered to.

Find out more

The official PAL website offers information, guidance and many classroom and playground based exercises that can be used by teaching staff. Tagtiv8 is a version of tag rugby that includes problem-solving with maths and English. Information on the yearlong study can be found on the NCSEM website. 

You can read our literature review on recent research below. 

First published 11 July 2018

First published 11 July 2018
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