Creating a Safe Environment – children are safe and feel safe
Chellaston Infant School adopts an open and accepting attitude towards children as part of our responsibility for pastoral care. Children, parents and staff will be free to talk about any concerns and will see the setting as a safe place when there are difficulties. Children’s worries and fears will be taken seriously, and children encouraged to seek help from school staff.
Our Safeguarding Policy can be found here
Chellaston Infant School will therefore ensure that through effective training and procedures:
- All staff remain vigilant to the indicators of abuse, neglect and specific safeguarding issues such as child criminal exploitation, child sexual exploitation and peer on peer abuse.
- Staff are aware that technology is a significant component in many safeguarding and well-being issues; abuse may occur online and/or offline.
- There is a whole school approach to online safety to address the 4 areas of risk; content, contact, conduct and commerce
- An ethos is established and maintained where children feel secure and are encouraged to talk and are listened to, taken seriously, kept safe and responded to appropriately.
- Children are involved in the decision-making which affects them.
- Children know that there are adults in the school whom they can approach if they are worried or have difficulties and the setting has well developed listening systems.
- Information is provided to children and their families which detail information and contact numbers for appropriate support services and helplines in and outside of school.
- Curriculum activities and opportunities (including any remote learning) are planned/provided to equip children with the resilience and skills they need to stay safe from abuse, exploitation and radicalisation.
- All remote learning activities will incorporate safeguarding procedures and follow the same principles set out in the school’s staff behaviour policy (Code of Conduct) and/ or online safety policy.
- There is a clear written statement of the standards of behaviour and the boundaries of appropriate behaviour expected of staff and pupils that is understood and endorsed by all.
- Positive and safe behaviour is encouraged among children; staff are alert to changes in a child’s behaviour and recognise that changes in behaviour may be an indicator of exploitation, abuse or neglect and/or an indicator the child may be experiencing a mental health problem or be at risk of developing one.
- Effective working relationships are established with parents and colleagues from partner agencies.
- There is awareness that there may be wider environmental factors present in a child’s life that are a threat to their safety and welfare (contextual safeguarding /place-based risk). For example, personal and family circumstances and lifestyles of some children lead to an increased risk of neglect and or abuse.
- There is a recognition that children who do not attend school regularly or go missing from education are particularly vulnerable and at increased risk of neglect, exploitation and abuse.
- Staff are appropriately trained in safeguarding according to their roles and responsibilities, have regular opportunities for safeguarding briefings and records are kept of all training undertaken.
- Robust safer recruitment procedures are followed that deter and prevent people who are unsuitable to work with children aren’t able to secure employment or volunteering opportunities at the school.
- Volunteers and visitors are appropriately supervised.
- The environment is safe and secure; this includes ensuring that all visitors to the setting are suitable and checked and monitored as appropriate. The school “Visitors’ Policy” sets out how visitors will be checked and monitored. Also see DDSCP Access to Schools by Staff from Other Agencies Briefing Note.
- Where the school has invited external agencies in i.e. to support delivery of subjects such as online safety, relationships /relationships and sex education and health education, there will be an agreement made in advance of the session on how a safeguarding report should be dealt with by the external visitor.
- Any groups using school premises for the provision of services to children have their own safeguarding policies, or adopt the school policy, and have satisfactorily completed all appropriate checks.
- All visiting speakers present materials appropriate to the age and maturity level of pupils, that do not insult or promote intolerance of other faiths or groups, adhere to the school’s equalities duties and are not permitted to incite hatred, violence, call for the breaking of the law or promote any acts of terrorism or extremism.
