Education Adviser, Emma Mudge, discusses the key messages linked to safeguarding in The Curriculum and Assessment Review: Building a World‑Class Curriculum for All…

2025 brings a significant moment for education – ‘The Curriculum and Assessment Review: Building a World‑Class Curriculum for All’ lays out a refreshed vision for curriculum, assessment and qualifications across England.  

As Designated Safeguarding Leads, it’s helpful to unpick what this means for safeguarding and the practical actions you can lead to be ahead of the curve in this ever-evolving area of education.  

What are the key messages that link with safeguarding? 

Here are five themes from the Review that resonate strongly from a safeguarding perspective: 

1: A curriculum for all that drives equity and inclusion:

The Curriculum and Assessment Review emphasises that the national curriculum must help us to achieve “a world-leading education system [which] must deliver excellence for all young people, irrespective of background.” (P.25).  

It highlights that children with SEND and those from disadvantaged backgrounds are disproportionately affected when curriculum design is weak or overloaded and that currently their rate of progress is slower than those pupils who are not in these groups.  

From a safeguarding perspective, this intersects with vulnerability – children who feel excluded or whose needs are inadequately met in school are at greater risk of disengagement, and disengagement is a known risk factor for many safeguarding issues (e.g. mental health, exploitation, behaviour issues etc). 

2: Knowledge, sequencing and coherence:

The Review recommends clearer subject sequencing, greater coherence across the school curriculum and a tighter focus on the mastery of key concepts.  

The link to safeguarding is perhaps less direct, but important: a well-organised curriculum supports students to feel secure and competent in their learning journey, reducing the risk of children becoming isolated or ‘falling behind’ without detection.  

It also means a clearer view of progression – useful when considering transitions, vulnerable learners or those returning from absence or exclusion. 

3: Life Skills, Digital Literacy and Resilience:

The Review draws attention to applied knowledge and skills: digital literacy (including responsible technology use and AI), media literacy, financial literacy, oracy and social/emotional aspects.  

These are squarely safeguarding issues: online harms, misinformation, exploitation, financial vulnerability and poor resilience in adverse situations. Schools that embed these elements well will strengthen their preventative safeguarding offer. 

4: Representation, Diversity and Identity:

The Review makes it clear that pupils need to “see themselves in the curriculum” (P.181), particularly in KS4.  

Educationalists and safeguarding leads have been aware for a long time that a diverse, inclusive curriculum contributes to motivation, belonging and positive identity.  

DSLs recognise how children from diverse backgrounds might experience school differently, or may have additional safeguarding needs because of cultural, identity or community factors and the Review echoes this with a recommendation that the National Curriculum should “should reflect our diverse society”, (P.180). 

5: Citizenship’s Importance Heightened: 

The Review recommends making Citizenship mandatory in primary schools, to ensure that all pupils are taught the knowledge and skills needed “to play a full and active role in society”, (P.57).  

It identifies that the Citizenship curriculum across all key stages should include a wide range of content including financial literacy, democracy and government, law and rights, media literacy and climate education.

There are clear preventative safeguarding links here to exploitation, domestic abuse, coercive control and radicalisation, amongst others. 

What actions can DSLs/Deputy DSLs take now? 

To be ahead of the game, here are some practical, concise steps you can lead or support now: 

• Audit the curriculum through a safeguarding lens: Meet with your curriculum lead or senior leadership to review how your school’s curriculum currently addresses inclusion (especially for SEND and disadvantaged pupils), the sequencing of knowledge and the embedding of digital/media literacy and life-skills. 

• Map vulnerable groups to curriculum transitions: Identify children who might be vulnerable at transition points (KS1 to KS2, KS2 to KS3, KS4 to KS5) or whose attendance/engagement has been poor. Check how your curriculum design supports their continuity and mastery of prior learning – how does your school overcome this challenge? 

• Embed online and media-safety within life-skills: Work with your computing/PSHE leads to check how digital literacy (including safe use of technology, recognising misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories and online risk) is sequenced across year groups. Ensure these link with your school’s wider safeguarding strategy (e.g. online safety policy, monitoring). 

• If your school doesn’t already have one, begin to write an AI Policy: ensure that the AI policy is appropriate for both staff and pupil use and that it is reflective of the stakeholders’ level of understanding. Identify opportunities for how your school explicitly teaches pupils how to responsibly and positively engage with this newly evolving technology and be clear with how it is used in line with the law and DFE guidance. 

• Strengthen pupil voice and identity-checking: Engage with pupils (especially from under-represented groups) and subject leads to explore how well the curriculum enables them to see themselves in the learning. Are there gaps or barriers? Use these insights to inform adjustments, ensuring belonging and reducing the risk of disengagement. 

• Communicate with governors and senior leadership: Raise awareness of the Review’s implications and the safeguarding links. Suggest including key curriculum safeguards (inclusion, sequencing, digital literacy) in the school’s safeguarding self-audit or strategy review. 

• Monitor and track change: As curriculum changes are likely to follow, keep a log of actions, changes and how they connect with safeguarding. This will support oversight, evidence for inspection and ensure that curriculum evolution supports rather than undermines safeguarding integrity. 

What should you be cautious about? 

• Don’t assume immediate radical change: The Review explicitly states many existing frameworks remain broadly sound. So, while preparing is prudent, there should be no panic or wholesale redesign without clarity of direction. 

• Beware unintended consequences of change: For example, in seeking to broaden life-skills or digital literacy, ensure that core learning (especially for vulnerable pupils) is not sidelined. Over-ambitious curriculum redesign may inadvertently create gaps for those already at risk. 

• Avoid disparate approaches: If curriculum changes run in isolation (led only by subject leads) the safeguarding dimension may be missed. Ensure your role as DSL is embedded in conversations, not peripheral. 

• Don’t neglect staff training: As new curriculum emphasis emerges (e.g. on digital/media literacy or diverse representation) staff may need CPD. Lack of training could weaken implementation and risk children falling behind or missing critical safeguarding threads. 

• Watch timelines and resource demands: Curriculum change often requires time, training and money. As a DSL you’ll need to factor in these constraints, especially where safeguarding interventions are already stretched. 

Final thoughts 

For DSLs and Deputy DSLs, the Curriculum and Assessment Review represents both opportunity and responsibility.  

On the one hand, the refreshed focus on inclusion, life skills, digital safety and mastery aligns strongly with key safeguarding objectives. On the other, without deliberate attention, these shifts could bypass the safeguarding arena or even create unintended risks for more vulnerable children. 

By taking a proactive stance — auditing now, embedding safeguarding in curriculum planning, linking with leadership and using pupil voice — you can ensure your school is not simply reacting to change, but shaping it in the best interests of the children you serve. 

If any of this has got you thinking and you’d like more support or advice, our expert RSHE and Safeguarding Advisers can help. Contact us on hello@servicesforeducation.co.uk for more information. 

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  About the Author

Emma Mudge - Adviser, Services For Education

Emma has more than 20 years' experience in primary education and has worked in a variety of roles including Assistant Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher, and Acting Head Teacher - working at the forefront of school leadership and improvement for the majority of her career.  

Emma now works as the Educational Adviser for English sharing her experience and knowledge to continually promote and improve the standard of teaching and learning in English, and in school improvement overall. Supporting schools with the accuracy of their KS1 and KS2 writing assessments is an important part of her role, using her expertise as a member for the moderation team to inform, train and support teachers and school leaders. 

Emma is also part of the team which delivers the Health For Life programme (improving the healthy opportunities for primary aged children) and the NPQSL, where she proudly supports the development of our aspiring leaders in the city.