We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children and expect all our staff, volunteers and visitors to share in this commitment.

All members of staff have a statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all pupils at all times.

 

Key Staff

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is Jacqui Boyle.

Our Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSLs) are Donna Debock and Susan Billington.

Our Safeguarding Governor is Elaine O'Shaugnessy (interim)

Our Trust Executive Safeguarding Lead is Elaine Hughes.

Our Single Point of Contact (SPOC) is Jacqui Boyle.

Our Prevent Lead is Jacqui Boyle.

 

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding means:

• protecting children from abuse and maltreatment;
• preventing harm to children's health or development;
• ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care; and 
• taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best life chances. 

Some common themes in Safeguarding include the following: Neglect, Emotional Abuse, Physical Abuse, Children Missing from Education, Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), Bullying including Cyberbullying, Domestic Violence, Drugs, Fabricated or Induced Illness, Faith Abuse, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Forced Marriage, Gangs and Youth Violence, Mental Health, Preventing Radicalisation, Sexting and Trafficking.  

Safeguarding children and child protection guidance and legislation applies to all children up to the age of 18. It is the responsibility of all adults, especially those working or volunteering with children.

The school aims to help protect the children in its care by working consistently and appropriately with all relevant agencies to reduce risk and promote the welfare of children.  

Child protection is part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. It refers to the activity which is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or at risk of suffering, significant harm.

Safeguarding encompasses more than just recognising and identifying children at risk from harm and taking action to prevent this. Safeguarding has many other elements:

• Safer Recruitment - ensuring that everyone working in our school is suitably qualified and safe to do so;
• Safer Premises - this includes ensuring our school site is secure and safe and that children can be collected and dropped off at school safely;
• Online Safety - ensuring that children and parents know how to keep children safe online 
• Risk Assessment - school trips (including residential trips) and other activities are risk assessed to minimise risk and keep children safe;
• Curriculum - ensuring that we have a broad and balanced curriculum with activities that are fun and engaging, but safe;
• Partnership Working - working with other agencies to share information; and
• Attendance - ensuring that children have good education, all absences from school are accounted for and ensuring no children are missing from education.

The school adheres to the following three DfE safeguarding documents: 

• Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018
• Keeping Children Safe in Education 
• The Prevent Duty 2015

All staff receive annual Child Protection and Safeguarding update training and are aware of the procedures for passing on concerns within school. 

Report any concerns

If you suspect a child is being abused or is in danger of being abused please contact a Designated Safeguarding Lead, or any member of staff.

You can also contact the Central Bedfordshire Access and Referral Hub on 0300 300 8585 (out of hours service 0300 300 8123)

If a child is in immediate danger, call the Police immediately on 999.