At Southrop Church of England Primary School we know that family life can be complicated and from time to time there may be occasions where extra help and support are needed.
We operate an ‘Open Door’ policy at school and are always available to speak to parents about issues and concerns.
Preventative Strategies
Staff and Governors
- The ethos of our school is one where every aspect of a child’s development matters and all staff value and work to this standard
- A comprehensive group of safeguarding policies is in place, updated annually; staff are required to attend an internal annual updating training session on safeguarding and they are available to governors and parents as well as being immediately available in the school office
- Safer recruitment procedures are applied to a high standard when recruiting new staff with at least one person on every interview panel who has completed and passed a Safer Recruitment training module
- There is a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) procedure in place and the Single Central Register is correctly maintained
- The school maintains a culture of vigilance with regard to the behaviour of staff and all staff understand that failing to take responsibility to report a concern is an offence
- All new staff receive a comprehensive safeguarding induction programme and are required to attend refresher training every three years
- All staff are appropriately trained, are aware of the types of abuse they may encounter and maintain an attitude that ‘it could happen here’
- Statutory training is regularly updated for all staff; additional training opportunities are pursued as appropriate
- All staff are familiar with and use the school system for logging incidents
- Volunteers, supply teachers and students are given information about safeguarding procedures in the school
- Robust policies for behaviour and anti-bullying are followed by all members of staff
- Safeguarding is a standing item on the agenda for meetings of the Full Governing Body and regular visits are made by the governor nominated to oversee child protection
- Headteacher is registered to receive alerts from Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children Board (GSCB)
- All staff are aware of specific safeguarding issues that may occur and the appropriate steps to take:
- Staff are aware of the MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference) process and how to support parents who are victims of domestic abuse
- Staff know the indicators of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) and can locate and use the Gloucestershire Protocol and Screening Tool if there are concerns that a child’s behaviour might put him/her at risk
- Staff know the procedure for dealing with the traumatic death of a pupil; they are aware of the signs of self-harming and understand that they may escalate
- Although Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), forced marriage and trafficking are unlikely at this school, staff understand they are still a possibility and know the signs that raise suspicion
- All staff have an understanding of what radicalisation and extremism are and why we need to be vigilant in school
- All staff have an understanding of Child Sexual Exploitation and Grooming and are aware of the procedures to follow should this situation arise
Key contacts in school
- Designated Safeguarding Lead: Miss Davies, Co-Head Teacher
- Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead: Mrs McLellan, Co-Head Teacher
- Safeguarding Governor: Mr James Simmons
Pupils
- It is an overarching commitment of the school to listen to the voice of every pupil on roll and act on concerns that emerge
- The school promotes an ethos of support and encouragement where each individual matters, and pupils are regularly given a clear message that they may share any concerns they have with any member of staff
- Identification of vulnerable pupils is comprehensive; a wide range of circumstances are recognised and documented as being a cause for concern and the progress and well-being of these pupils is carefully monitored
- Pupil Premium is used effectively to support vulnerable pupils and its impact clearly documented
- A robust and comprehensive Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) curriculum is in place, delivered through weekly timetabled lessons
- Any incidents of poor behaviour are managed effectively and consistently
- Any incidents of bullying or perceived bullying are taken seriously and dealt with promptly
- E-Safety is promoted through clear verbal and written messages
- Incidents and observations are routinely logged
- Pupils in year 4 an year 6 take part in the on-line pupil survey arranged by Gloucestershire County Council every other year. Reports from this system are read by the head teacher and retained for reference
Parents
- The school promotes and values good relationships with all parents and works hard to gain their trust
- Parents are provided with information to support their children’s development of resilience and self-reliance
Support Strategies
- Logged incidents are carefully scrutinised for any emerging patterns or escalating concerns and these are promptly acting; such incidents form part of the chronology in Child Protection Files.
Keeping Children Safe in Education
You can download Part 1 of the DfE document by clicking the link below: