1. ST WERBURGH'S PRIMARY SCHOOL

2. FGM JOURNEY 2005 – First became aware of FGM and decided that school was best placed to support and protect these girls. 2009 – FGM safeguarding group wrote guidelines for BSCB. Adopted by the SWSCB

3. STRATEGY AND PROVISION Training CP Lead All staff Policies and procedures – Attendance Safeguarding PSHE lessons Parents Multi-Agency partnerships

4. TRAINING Child Protection leads to be trained on FGM awareness. Child Protection leads to ensure frontline staff in schools receive this information through in-school awareness raising /staff meetings. Provide information…through posters, leaflets, talking to parents, coffee mornings.

5. POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Governor support The Governing Body needs to fully support the implementation of both the Attendance policy and Safeguarding policy. The Governing Body needs to support the school by backing the Headteacher in giving this subject a high profile in the school. Have a robust and rigorous attendance policy: All absences from school need to be requested in writing to the Headteacher and Governing Body. All families wishing to travel abroad and request leave from school will need to meet the Headteacher.

6. PSHE LESSONS A comprehensive PSHE programme: A whole school approach to PSHE and taught and caught lessons around VAWG agenda. A thorough RSE programme in place that is bespoke for their community.

7. FGM DISCUSSION During PSHE lessons in year 6 those children who have permission to participate have a discussion about child protection and safeguarding of which FGM is mentioned. Sessions are for girls at present and are about conversations that are designed to empower young girls. To understand their right to be safe and be in control of their bodies is an integral part of this. These sessions are to emphasise what our bodies should look like and that it is not ok or legal for someone to cut or change them. Reference is made to the posters around the school and how to get help if they are worried about this happening to them or anyone they know.

8. DISCUSSION COVERS Keeping safe into secondary school Being confident to say no Body changes in puberty Violence against girls Being confident to have ownership of their bodies, this includes a discussion about FGM. Language used includes: “Sometimes there is a medical need for an operation, if anyone talks to you about going away for a celebration then know that you can ask for help” “Your body will have some changes during puberty (explain) but otherwise it needs to stay the same as when you were born, no one else can change it for you.”

9. PARENTS Our main focus has been to approach this with the support of the community. The school has identified pupils in the school that are from communities that practice FGM and are potentially at risk. Parents were contacted and invited to come into school to talk about FGM and the Law in the UK. The mothers openly discussed the practice and their experience of FGM when they were in their home countries. All agreed that it was a practice that needed to stop The Learning mentor and Headteacher discussed the role of parents to educate their children in relationship education and, puberty or allow the school to do this for them in PSHE lessons.

10. MULTI-AGENCY WORKING The success of the work at St Werburgh’s Primary has been largely due to the way in which the school has worked with other agencies. This has lead to the development of a trusted partnership that allows all sectors to feel valued and heard and helps alleviate ‘buck passing’ or ‘responsibility dodging’. Joined up – multi agency working is the only way to eradicate FGM in a generation.

11. Claire Banks St Werburgh’s Primary School James Street St Werburgh’s Bristol BS2 9US Headstwerburghsp@bristol-schools.uk 0117 9031466