Safeguarding

Every Child has the right to stay safe

• Safe from maltreatment, neglect, violence and sexual exploitation
• Safe from accidental injury and death
• Safe from bullying and discrimination
• Safe from crime and anti-social behaviour in and out of school
• Have security, stability and are cared for

Every Child Matters: Changes for Children HMSO 2004

The governors and staff of Rathfern Primary School fully recognise their responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and this includes the protection of children from abuse or neglect.

We recognise that everyone working with the school has a full and active part to play in protecting our pupils from harm. Our policy applies to all staff, governors, volunteers, and other agencies (such as commissioned services or extended school services), who provide services or activities within or for the school.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined in “Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education” (DfES Publications 2006) as:

• Protecting children from maltreatment
• Preventing impairment of children’s health or development;
• Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
• Undertaking that role so as to enable those children to have optimum life chances and to enter adulthood successfully.

Supporting children

We recognise that the school plays a significant part in the prevention of harm to our pupils by providing pupils with good lines of communication with trusted adults, supportive friends and an ethos of protection.

The school community will therefore:

• Establish and maintain an ethos where children feel secure and are encouraged to talk and are always listened to.
• Ensure that all children know there is an adult in the school whom they can approach if they are worried or in difficulty.
• Encourage self-esteem and self-assertiveness whilst not condoning aggression or bullying (behaviour policy, Anti-bullying and cultural diversity policy)
• Liaise and work together with all other support services and those agencies involved in the safeguarding of children
• Notify Children’s Specialist Services as soon as there is a significant concern.
• Provide continuing support to a pupil about whom there have been concerns who leaves the school by ensuring that appropriate information is forwarded under confidential cover to the pupil’s new school, and other agencies as appropriate.

Named Persons

• Naheeda Maharasingam (Head Teacher)
• Daniela Alamir (Inclusion Lead)
• Chantelle Daley (Assistant Head)

Named Governor

• Rhian Douglas

Further Reading

Please read our complete Safeguarding Policy for further details:

TBC