Teach Secondary -Issue 15.1

– not the ever-messy realities of human behaviour. As a DSL, my main frustration was the false comfort provided by paperwork. We would spend hours assessing the risk of slips, or property getting lost on a routine trip, only for the real safeguarding issue to involve a suddenmental health crisis triggered by something entirely unpredictable. Templates make us feel compliant; they don’t make us safe. Yes, health and safety assessments remain essential, but safeguarding is a mindset. Leaders need training that actually develops their judgement, rather than simply ensuring their compliance. Present people with potential scenarios where every option carries some level of risk and make them JOININGTHE DOTS What could we gain by having schools work more closely with local health services? A recently published framework offers some intriguing proposals... Now, more than ever, there are significant benefits to be had when schools partner with other organisations and agencies in their local area to improve outcomes for families. An interesting demonstration of how this could work as a formal arrangement emerged in November 2025, with the publication of a national framework outlining how schools and NHS trusts can form new kinds of partnerships aimed at improving the health, wellbeing and life chances of children and young people in their local communities. Co-developed byWindsor Academy Trust, nine NHS trusts, the Confederation of School Trusts, the NHS Confederation and NHS Employers, the end result is ‘Co-Creating Healthy Futures: Schools and Health – A Framework’ (see tinyurl. com/ts151-SG1), intended as a practical and comprehensive guide to how education and health services can be more closely integrated and deliver better outcomes for all. At the heart of the framework is the idea that schools and NHS organisations can be seen as ‘anchor institutions’ that share certain civic responsibilities, and could therefore identify opportunities for joint commissioning, shared governance and prevention strategies that address broader issues relating to health inequalities, preventative healthcare and local aspirations. explain their reasoning. That is how safeguarding confidence is built. 3. In-school priorities So, what should leaders focus on first? I’d start with the ‘5-minute rule’, which holds that when a pupil or colleague brings you a concern, stop and give them at least 5 minutes of your undivided attention. That means no laptop, no surreptitious scanning of emails. Information is the most powerful safeguarding tool we have, but the moment someone feels dismissed, it disappears. I once brushed off a child’s vague comment about ‘ Aman with a funny hat ’ near the fence. Days later, that descriptionmatched someone police were searching for. I’d heard the words, but hadn’t listened properly. Next, there’s the ‘What if?’ Audit, where you take your health and safety procedures and then stress-test them with your most practical colleagues by considering the following: • What happens if the DSL and First Aider are both off-site? • What should you do if the fire alarm sounds during a lockdown? • How should you respond if a parent arrives at pick-up intoxicated? Don’t just write the answers down. Walk through them, practise them, because that’s how risk assessments stop being The framework sets out some suggested steps towards making this a reality, including: • Introducing local gateways aimed at fostering closer collaboration between school trusts, integrated care boards and public health teams • Using schools as neighbourhood hubs to co-locate services and improve access for families • Drawing up joint workforce strategies to help develop the next generation of NHS professionals It’s hoped that the framework can serve as a guide for school/trust leaders, integrated care boards, public health teams and local government partners, and show how joint programmes could lead to improved attendance, attainment and wellbeing for schools, while also easing pressures on overstretched NHS services via earlier interventions and more accessible local support. According to Dawn Haywood, chief executive of Windsor Academy Trust, “The wellbeing and future success of children depend on a holistic approach that connects education and health, because where we see educational inequalities, we also see health inequalities: they coexist. “Schools and health providers both serve as vital anchor institutions within their communities.When we work together across sectors and systems, our combined efforts become a powerful force for public good. This framework captures that spirit of collaboration, offering a shared roadmap for creating healthier, fairer and more hopeful futures for every child.” 44 teachwire.net/secondary