School receives award for domestic abuse education

Oaktree Nursery and Primary School is the first school in Swindon to receive the award

A primary school has been honoured for its support around domestic abuse and teaching children about healthy relationships.

Oaktree Nursery and Primary School in Park South, Swindon, has received an award after completing the Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service (SDASS) Hope programme.

As well as giving pupils age-appropriate lessons on relationships, the programme provides staff training on domestic abuse and dedicated workers to hold drop-in sessions at the school for local families.

Children and young people manager for SDASS, Emma Maclennan, said: “Education is a key part of ensuring that the next generation can live a life free from domestic abuse."

The school is the first to complete the programme, which is available to all schools in the Swindon area, and received the award from patron of SDASS, the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire Sarah Troughton.

The Hope programme provides training for school staff on domestic abuse

Deputy headteacher, Kate Howard, said: “We’re really proud of what we’ve achieved as a school through the Hope programme and the very special work that SDASS do."

She added that through taking part in the programme staff at the school have increased their knowledge and awareness of domestic abuse and the impact that it can have on children.

Year 6 pupils, Ziad and Amaka, took part in the lessons, led by two SDASS’ school support workers.

They said: “Heidi and Cassie taught us how to treat and respect people equally.

"We particularly enjoyed learning about each other and playing games with each other as a year, saying what we loved about ourselves and what we didn’t like."