Safeguarding

The primary role of any school is to provide a safe environment for its pupils. Achieving this requires a multifaceted approach which involves empowering all of the stakeholders who hold an interest in ensuring that this aim is achieved.

Once the basic practices and procedures are in place, it is necessary to monitor the wellbeing of pupils to identify at the earliest possible opportunity anyone that may require assistance or may even be at risk of harm from either themselves or another party. It is here that the Safeguarding Committee is crucial. This body consists of members of the SLT drawn from across the full breadth of the School and the School’s Psychologist. It meets on a weekly basis and reviews those cases that have been identified by members of staff from across the School as being of particular concern. The make-up of the committee allows for an issue to be examined from a range of perspectives and for a course of action to be devised and implemented. The cases are then closely monitored until the individual concerned is deemed to have reached a satisfactory state of wellbeing.

The Safeguarding Committee helps those most in need, however, it is part of a triage system. The most severe and in need are discussed at committee level with those on the tier below being monitored primarily by the HM or Class Teacher in consultation with their SLT line manager, the School Psychologist and any other departments within the School that might be of use, for example, the Individual Needs team. In some cases the committee may decide that liaison with agencies external to school, such as Social Services or the Police are necessary to best protect our pupils and in this regard the School is bound by a legal and moral responsibility to report the most serious child protection issues to the appropriate government bodies.

In all cases, communication is essential, and accurate, timely and precise record keeping is important in tracking the journey of a given pupil as they receive support.