Safeguarding Children and Child Protection
Prior's Mill CE Primary School Safeguarding Declaration
At Prior's Mill we take notice of and adhere to all the national and local policies and guidance in regard to Safeguarding Children and Young People.
The Governors and staff fully recognise the responsibilities and duty placed upon them to have arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of all pupils at the school. We recognise that all staff, including volunteers, have a full and active part to play in protecting pupils from harm. We believe that our school should provide a safe, caring, positive, and stimulating environment in which pupils can learn and which promotes the social, physical and emotional wellbeing of each individual pupil.
The school's Designated Person is the Head Teacher, Mrs G Wild and the nominated Deputies are the Deputy Head Teacher, Miss K Huddart and the SENCO Miss K Dalkin. The school's link Safeguarding Governor is Mr M Boyle, LA Governor.
Our current school Child Protection Policy was reviewed in October 2017 and endorsed by the Governing Body. Our Child Protection Policy is followed in conjunction with statutory guidance in all our safeguarding arrangements.
Our current safeguarding policy can be found on our School Policies page here - This policy will be ratified by Governors at their next meeting to take place October 2018
Other guidance can be found at the following websites:
Instagram Guidance for Parents
Stockton Safeguarding Children
Preventing Extremism & Radicalisation Safeguarding Policy
Download Dept for Education's 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' document
School Professional Training
All staff have annual Safeguarding and Child Protection Training. For the academic year 2016-2017 staff have received information about the new Department for Education statutory document: Keeping Children Safe in Education 2016 with a reminder of the key elements in the statutory 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' effective of September 2016.
In addition to the above, each term there are regular updates and reminders given through the staff meetings in order to ensure that staff are kept abreast of new initiatives and legislation.
School Guidance and Procedures
All Staff, Governors and Volunteers have read and noted the statutory guidance – Keeping Children Safe in Education 2016. Please refer to the link above for this document which is the 'golden thread' which runs through all of our Safeguarding procedures. We have reviewed our safeguarding procedures in light of the revised Keeping Children Safe in Education 2016 which took effect as of 5th September 2016.
At Prior's Mill we recognise our responsibility and duties to report Safeguarding and Child Protection concerns to the Social Services Department and to assist Social Services in Child Protection enquiries and in supporting children in need.
The school raises Safeguarding and Child Protection concerns with parents / carers at the earliest appropriate opportunity and ensures that all staff are given appropriate training in Safeguarding and Child Protection issues, as recommended in the guidance. At Prior's Mill, staff regularly update their Sageguarding knowledge. The Head Teacher attends Local Authority training on a termly basis and cascades information to staff via the vehicle of weekly staff metings. In the Summer Term 2016 all staff accessed online Safeguarding/Child Protection Training online offered by the Local Safeguarding Children's Board.
Information on the Use of Reasonable Force can be found here.
Safer Recruitment Training
At Prior's Mill we ensure that safer recruitment remains a priority under our safeguarding arrangements. Key leadership staff and governors have been trained in safer recruitment and all adults who work with children must have Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) clearance. Designated members of staff will be released to receive regular enhanced training to enable them to carry out their roles effectively. We also have published a clear Safer Recruitment Policy and Safeguarding Principles that set out the expectations for staff, volunteers and governors at our school.