Safeguarding, promoting Welfare of Children and Child Protection

As a school our first priority is the safeguarding of our pupils.

The School has comprehensive polices,  procedures and an going training programme to ensure that all  staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities to support and protect all our children through discrete lessons and through topic work and other subjects. *

Definitions

Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of Children

• Protecting children from maltreatment;
• Preventing impairment of children's health or development;
• Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

Child Protection

• The activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm.

 Parent/Carer Role

Safeguarding is everyone’s concern. If you have a concern regarding the safety or welfare of a child then share your concern.

You can:

• Call South Gloucestershire Action and Response Team (ART) directly on 01454 86 6000
• Contact the school and speak to the class teacher or speak to the school Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) 01454 867125
• Miss Jodie Tumelty – Headteacher (Designated Safeguarding Lead - DSL)
• Mrs Briggs - SENDco  (Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead  - DDSL)
• Mrs Forman – Deputy Headteacher (Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead - DDSL)

 Working together to deal with concerns

Under the school’s statutory responsibilities in law we may need to discuss with parents any concerns we may have regarding the safety or wellbeing of a child.

This may involve seeking answers to questions to help us understand a situation where a there is a concern in order for us to seek alongside parents and carers the best solutions in the best interests of the children.

We will always do so in a sensitive way as possible and with regard to appropriate levels of confidentiality and would hope parents/carers would  engage as fully as possible in any such dialogue.

We understand however that these may be ‘difficult conversations’ but part of our responsibilities is to have these where we feel welfare or safety is at stake.

It may be necessary to refer to external agencies where we feel an issue or concern requires further investigation and wider support in securing the wellbeing or safety of a child. Again this is part of our statutory responsibilities.

We will always inform parents of such referrals and gain consent. However if we feel that this is likely to place the child in danger of harm we would refer without gaining permission.

By having an open approach to safeguarding and child protection we have the best chance to keep children from significant harm and promote their wellbeing and help them thrive and flourish. 

 Policies and guidance documents are available on the  Policies Page