Safeguarding
Our school Child Protection policy is currently under its annual review in September 2017. During this time our CP policy will be followed in conjunction with statutory guidance in all our safeguarding arrangements.
Parent and carers guidelines for school safeguarding
The School Premises is a safe place for pupils and part of school property managed by the school. Please do not approach other children to resolve issues between that child and yours. Although you may feel angry, upset or frustrated by that child’s actions it is unacceptable and inappropriate to speak directly to that child in this way. You may make that child feel frightened, vulnerable or intimidated and you would not want your own child to feel this way. Please come into school and speak to us so that we could resolve the issue by speaking to both children involved and any others as there are always two sides to every story and in a safe and secure environment it is more likely that the children will tell the truth about what has happened and the issue can be solved.
Equally please do not choose the playground to resolve issues with other parents. Although you may feel that is a good opportunity to see the other parent those feelings of anger, upset and frustration can quickly lead into a confrontation (even unwillingly) and also can cause the other parent to feel the same way as you feel.
This behaviour is again unacceptable and inappropriate particularly as it may be in front of your own and other children and can cause them to feel scared and anxious. Confrontations of this kind can often become physical and therefore you may increase the risk of harm not only to yourself but other children and this will lead to police intervention if it occurs on school property and we then have the legal right to request that you do not access our premises again.
Please remember to come into school and speak to us and we can arrange an opportunity for you to discuss your concerns, perhaps even with the other parents involved in a calm and controlled environment so there is no risk of harm to you or to others. If as parents you observe any of the above behaviours including parents behaving inappropriately towards their own children please inform us immediately.
Social Networking Sites
Social Networking Sites can be a good form of communication if used appropriately and a tool for positive learning for our young people. In school we support pupils in what it means to be a ‘good communicator’ for example by understanding ‘what is a friend?’ and how to maintain appropriate relationships online by being friends with only those people known to them. We also explore with our young people how to be kind to one another online and report any form of abuse or harm by recognising that by teaching young people this at an early age they will continue to make informed choices as they grow older and also recognise how to keep themselves safe online.
In school we have cyber safety agreements and cyber safety policies that support this and as parents in our school community you have been part of this by signing our cyber safety agreement. We understand that parents have a differing level of knowledge of social networking sites and gaming sites and wide-ranging views on what their children should or should not be accessing, however there are some general tips to keeping your child safe online, these include;
- Knowing what they are accessing
- Talking to them about how to stay safe online.
- Setting parental controls
- Checking age-appropriate content of social networking sites and gaming sites accessed
- Checking the recommended age limit for sites accessed
- Children learn better through the role modelling of behaviour so please think about your own online activity including gaming sites or social networking sites and what message this can give your children.
As highlighted above issues may occur between your child and others but please do not use social networking sites as a medium to address the issues with either another child or parent. Comments that are written online can be misconstrued, hurtful and distressing and once written can be used as evidence in police investigations.
To prevent a situation like this occurring please come into school to address any problems that have occurred between children. In line with this please do not use social networking sites to be critical of either the school or staff within the setting.
If comments are made against the school or its reputation this becomes a legal matter and both legal services and the site used will be contacted to remove the communication as soon as possible. If comments are made against individuals working within the school which causes that individual hurt, alarm or distress then under the Malicious Communications Act 2003 this becomes a criminal matter and the police will be contacted immediately by the school. These are the steps we have to take to ensure we protect our staff, governors and children in our school and community.
Just as we take e -safety and bullying very seriously for the children in our school we also take seriously the communications adults in the community post on line.
Images and Photographs
Images and Photographs create good memories for both adults and children. However our school policy is that no mobile phones or photographs may be taken of children on our site. This policy came into force in September 2017.
Please take this responsibility seriously. If school are made aware that images are posted online without consent legal and potentially criminal action could be sought.
Child Protection
Your child’s safety and welfare is a priority and the staff and Governors rigorously review safety procedures to ensure policies and safeguards are in place to protect and promote the welfare of children and staff. These safeguards include several Policies including Child Protection Policy, Tackling Extremism and Radicalization Policy, as well as DFE guidance such as The Prevent Duty and Keeping Children Safe in Education 2016. Procedures are also put in place for dealing with many other issues that may or may not arise. If you have any concerns, please speak to the Designated Safeguarding Lead who is the Pupil Intervention and Parent Support Service Manager and in her absence, the Headteacher.
Parent/Carer details
School will send out an annual update form for key details. Parents must keep the school informed of:
- Change of address or telephone numbers
- Your child’s medical details
- Changes to an emergency contact number
We introduced a legal pickup and authorisation form to further protect vulnerable persons. Please ensure you return this form to school with an agreed family password for secure collection of your child.
Security in School
All visitors should follow the agreed procedure for access to the school:
8:00 a.m. Worcester Street – Breakfast Club
8:45 a.m. – 9:05 a.m. Main yards
9:10 a.m. – 3.15 p.m. Worcester Street pedestrian gates
3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Main yards
4:15 p.m. Worcester Street/Parliament Road for After School Clubs, please check with your child
During the school day, all gates will be locked except Worcester Street pedestrian gate. There is no access to school via the school car park.
All visitors must sign in at the reception and are asked to wear a lanyard / badge which is then collected as they leave the building. All staff are vigilant and will question anyone who is not wearing a lanyard on school premises.
We have an emergency plan in place which provides guidelines in the case of an emergency. Of course, we hope never to use these measures but you will appreciate the importance of having procedures, just in case.
We rely on our local community in supporting us in keeping our school a safe place. We ask our neighbours to keep us informed if they see anything suspicious and alert us to anything unusual that they see.
Adults who regularly help in school are DBS checked (the National Disclosure and Barring register). All external organisations i.e. sports coaches, etc. are also DBS checked. The school follows Safer Recruitment procedures when employing staff to work with our children and core staff and governors are Safer Recruitment trained.
Support Services
The Educational Welfare Officer acts as a liaison between home and school. The Educational Psychologist advises the school and parents of a child that may be experiencing difficulties in social and/or academic progress. Parents will be consulted should the school feel it appropriate to involve these agencies.
Pupil Intervention and Parent Support Service Manager
Mrs Lynn Webb is based in our school full time. She will support families who need advice on any aspect non-teaching/learning issues or concerns. Where appropriate, Mrs Webb will guide families through procedures where external professional support is required.
School operates a HIP Team who meet weekly. This inclusion team, discusses core Safeguarding and intervention with a wide range of professionals in school so core information is shared appropriately and concerns addressed swiftly.
Working with Other Agencies
We have close links with a number of agencies in Middlesbrough. Mrs Webb, Social Worker, the Headteacher and core Senior Leaders are the designated persons for child protection. If an issue is raised of a child protection nature, the adults concerned will usually be informed depending on the nature of the referral. However, in some cases direct contact might be made with Safeguarding and Children’s Care (Previously known as Social Services).
We recognise that all families have times of crisis and might need the support of professionals. We encourage our families to let us know if they are experiencing difficulties and we will do our best to put them in contact with the relevant agencies.
We believe that an open and honest partnership with our families is of great importance.
Problems at home often manifest themselves in school and vice versa. Communication is vital so that we can support the child concerned. Please let us know if events at home might affect a child’s behaviour and emotional
well-being in school.
If you are a non-resident parent, please ensure we have your recent address and details so core meeting and paperwork can reach you safely.
ParentInfo
Preventing young people from being at risk of radicalisation whilst online is essential especially when the risk is so great with known terrorist organisations increasing their funding into online propaganda through social media.A useful resource for parents,not only around the risk of radicalisation but also around CSE and online safety is the parentinfo website http://parentinfo.org/ which is part of Child exploitation & Online protection (CEOP)
The Parentinfo website is a useful source of information for parents and teachers working with young people around online safety.
Further information about the schools commitment to supporting education against hate and Government strategy can be found here
http://educateagainsthate.com/