OLDHAM schools reviewing their curriculum in the wake of growing calls to tackle violence and harassment against women and girls.

Alexandra Park Junior School in Oldham has recently replanned its curriculum in line with new Relationships and sex education and health education (RSHE) guidance, which raises issues of consent, harassment and bullying across all year groups.

The school already runs regular assemblies with other groups to address concerns including knife crime and violence.

Blessed John Henry Newman RC College is also reviewing its curriculum.

Meanwhile in other parts of the country one school is considering introducing self-defence classes for younger pupils, while another is now allowing girls to wear strappy tops on non-uniform days.

The Oldham Times:

 Image: PA

The alterations come after calls for change by students and their families resounded across the country following the death of Sarah Everard.

Students nationally have been opening up in school about women’s safety and sharing their own experiences in light of the tragic death of 33-year-old Ms Everard.

Alexandra Park Primary School’s PSHE leader Samantha Hickling has however urged caution saying changes to the curriculum need to be “thought through” and not “purely reactive.”

She said: “We need to make sure it is fit for purpose for students and makes them feel safe, not just a 'rubber stamp' or tick boxing activity. There is no point making tokenistic changes if there isn't real thought behind it.

“We also at our school have an excellent pastoral team who support students with any and all concerns.”

The headteacher of Blessed John Henry Newman RC College, Glyn Potts also confirmed that the school was “reviewing” its curriculum.

He said: “We need now to consider the context and impact of such measures.”

Last week, concerns rose among politicians and sector leaders after allegations of a “rape culture” in a number of private schools emerged.

Thousands of testimonies have been given on the Everyone’s Invited website, where people can anonymously share experiences of misogyny, harassment, abuse and assault.

The headteacher of Nottingham Girls’ High School, said: “I think there’ll be a new wave, a new movement of this discussion about women and their safety. I think it’s really important.”

“We are saying, ‘Yes, we will put things in place like self-defence’, but more important than that is having the conversation about what is appropriate and what is not, and educating boys and girls about respect, consent and all those things.”