Safeguarding policy summary

Safeguarding & Child Protection – Parent Summary

At our school, the safety and wellbeing of every child is our highest priority.

We are fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all pupils. Our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy sets out how we work to keep children safe, in line with national guidance including Keeping Children Safe in Education.

What safeguarding means

Safeguarding includes:

• Protecting children from abuse and neglect

• Preventing harm to children’s health or development

• Ensuring children grow up in safe and effective care

• Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes

Our responsibilities

All staff in school have a duty to safeguard children. This means they:

• Receive regular safeguarding training

• Know how to recognise signs a child may be at risk

• Report any concerns immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

We have a trained safeguarding team who lead this work and liaise with external agencies when needed.

Types of concerns we may respond to

Safeguarding covers a wide range of issues, including:

• Physical, emotional or sexual abuse

• Neglect

• Domestic abuse

• Online safety concerns

• Bullying or peer-on-peer abuse

• Child exploitation

• Radicalisation

Our role is to identify concerns early and act to keep children safe.

Working with parents and carers

We believe safeguarding works best when schools and families work together.

In most cases, we will discuss concerns with parents/carers first. However, if we believe a child may be at risk of harm, we have a legal duty to seek advice or make a referral to Children’s Social Care without prior notice.

This is to ensure children receive the protection and support they need.

Confidentiality

Information about children and families is treated with the utmost care and shared only with professionals who need to know in order to keep children safe.

Safer recruitment

All adults working in school are subject to rigorous safeguarding checks, including DBS clearance, references, and identity verification.

Our commitment

We are committed to:

• Creating a safe, supportive environment

• Listening to children’s voices

• Acting swiftly on concerns

• Working with families and external agencies

If you ever have a safeguarding concern about a child, please speak to a member of our safeguarding team via the school office.

Together, we can ensure every child feels safe, valued and protected.

Please click here for the full policy