Safeguarding
Keeping children safe is central to all we do. You can read full details in our policies and procedures, but in summary:
- All adults working in school are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, which you may know under its former title as a CRB check.
- All adults working in Regulated Activites are also subject to checking on the Barred List.
- Any regular volunteer is subjected to the same checking process as an employee.
- Adults who have not been through the process are not allowed unsupervised access to children.
- All checks are updated at least every 3 years,
- All recruitment is subject to Safer Recruitment processes and selection panel members are trained in this.
- All adults working in school have undertaken Safeguarding Training and this is renewed every two years.
- Staff complete training on specialist areas of Safeguarding such as FGM, County Lines and Peer-on-Peer abuse.
- There are three fully trained Designated Safeguarding leads,
- All staff have in-house refresher training annually, which includes changes to the key document Keeping Children Safe in Education
- All Safeguarding concerns are logged on a secure digital system to which all staff have access.
- Concerns are reviewed weekly by the DSLs.
- Transform Trust regularly audits this logging system.
- The Lead Governor conducts a comprehensive annual audit of Safeguarding.
- Safeguarding concerns are a standing item in weekly staff beirfings and meetings.
- A specialist pastoral and wellbeing team adds considerably to the capacity for managing concerns and operates pro-actively with children, families and agencies.
- Pupil and adult mental health and wellbeing is a core part of the curriculum and school day,
- Pupil wellbeing, mental health and engagement are ‘measured’ termly through Leuven tests.
- An active School Council exists for children to raise concerns.
- Pupil Voice is formally gathered annually and all (100% of) children expressing any negative views or feelings are followed-up by the Pastoral Team.
- Online/e-safety is a key priority and children are explicitly taught this.
- There is a robust system of monitoring for bullying, underpinned by a well-established Anti-Bullying Charter.
- Children can self-refer or report concerns anonymously.
- Attendance is monitored closely – all unexplained absences are followed up within a short-time of registers closing,
- Expectations of Attendance are high; attendance is typically 96.5 to 97% in any given year.
- The wellbeing of children absent long-term, including for all during Covid-related lockdowns or self-isolation, is monitored closely.
- Children are not off-rolled or excluded. There have been no permanent exclusions in the past 7 years. Fixed-term exclusions are extremely rare, averaging less than one per year.
Our trained Designated Senior People with responsibility for Safeguarding are:
Mr Peter Hillier, Headteacher
Mrs Alex Taylor, SENCO
Mrs Jenny Walker, Pastoral Lead
These are the primary contacts for any Safeguarding concerns.
Our designated Governor with particular responsibility for Safeguarding is:
Mrs Donna Marshal (Chair of Governors)
The Operational Safeguarding Lead for the Transform Trust is:
Claire Smith (0115 982 5090, option 1)
Safeguarding Documents
Safeguarding Policy 2023-24
Safeguarding Guide for Parents
Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions Policy
Safer Recruitment
Safeguarding Guide for Visitors
Safeguarding Leaflet – PDF Document
Behaviour Management Policy
Behaviour Policy 2021-22 (under review, September 2023, for ratification by Governors, October 2023)
Behaviour Management Policy 2023-24 (draft, for ratification October 2023)
Behaviour Management Flow Chart
PDF Document
Anti-Bullying Charter Re-Launch Presentation September 2023
PREVENT Action Plan
Transform Trust – PDF Document