Safeguarding
SAFEGUARDING
Thomas Barnes Primary School is committed to keeping our children safe. By providing a safe environment for children to learn and play and by identifying children who are, or may be, suffering harm, the school endeavor to ensure they are kept safe both at school and at home.
To achieve this, we have systems in place which are designed to:
- Creating and maintaining a safe learning environment.
- Identifying child welfare concerns and taking appropriate action.
- Using the curriculum to enable our children to develop keep safe strategies
- Creating a listening culture to hear the child’s voice
- Operating safe recruitment and selection procedures to prevent unsuitable people working with our children.
Anyone visiting the school shares the responsibility to keep children safe whilst on our premises and will be required to work within the guidelines of our safeguarding procedures.
For more detailed information, please ask to see our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy which is part of a set of policies designed to create a safe environment for our children. All of these policies are available on request.
Safeguarding Guidance for Staff, Visitors & Volunteers
Thomas Barnes Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all of our children. It is a requirement that all staff, visitors, students and volunteers share this commitment.
We have a duty of care to our children to pass on any concerning information to a Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Our Procedures
Be aware of and alert to the potential abuse of children.
All Safeguarding and Child Protection issues or concerns must be reported to one or all of the following members of staff:
Mr C. Reilly Co-Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead Mrs E. Tibbitts Co-Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead (working days Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) Mrs K. Phillips SENCO, KS1 teacher and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (working days Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) Miss E. Green EYFS teacher and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead Miss K. Britnell KS2 teacher and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead - If one of our pupils makes a disclosure to you; remain calm and reassure the child that they haven’t done anything wrong.
- DO NOT promise confidentiality; explain that you may need to tell someone.
- If you need to clarify information, ask open ended questions “Can you tell me/ explain/ describe?”
- Record the disclosure on a record of concern form (these can be found on the safeguarding board in the staff room, main office, safeguarding packs in every classroom, school hall) The information needs to be factually accurate and using the words of the child. Also include any emotions and body language the child is displaying.
- Staff members are to record concern directly onto the MY CONCERN system.
- DO NOT record your assumptions or interpretations.
- The record must be signed and dated.
- Pass the completed Record of Concern Form to a DSL immediately.
If at anytime you want safeguarding advice, please speak to Mrs Tibbitts and Mr Reilly.. In their absence please speak to Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads Mrs Phillips, Miss Green and Miss Britnell.
Don’t think “What if I’m wrong?”
Think “What if I’m right?”
The Act Early websites for parents, families and people around the vulnerable to radicalisation with concerns are www.actearly.uk and https://www.counterterrorism.police.uk/actearlypartners/
Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1181955/Keeping_children_safe_in_education_2023.pdf
Working Together to Safeguard Children: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/779401/Working_Together_to_Safeguard-Children.pdf
What to do if you are worried a child is being abused: