Safeguarding
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility at Heald Place. We believe that every child has a right to learn and thrive in a safe and supportive community and we ensure that this is reflected throughout the curriculum.
Safeguarding is about preventing and protecting from harm, keeping our pupils safe from abuse, discrimination and bullying. The staff establish and maintain a safe, engaging and challenging learning environment where all children can develop and learn at their own pace. It's our duty to respond to and report any concerns, and we work alongside parents, carers and multi-agency partners to ensure our children are kept safe from harm.
"There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Pupils feel safe and know how to stay safe." Ofsted
Please see below our safety measures:
- The school has a Safeguarding Policy which is read and understood by all staff.
- During school hours, access to the school can only be gained through reporting to the school office.
- All visitors to school are asked to sign in at the school office and wear a green/red visitors’ lanyard while in the school building.
- Staff take a register at the beginning of the morning and afternoon sessions and regular headcounts are carried out during the day.
- Parent and Carers must ensure that they contact the school by 9:00am on the morning of any absence that their child may have.
- Failure to contact the school with a reason for a child’s absence will result in a member of the Senior Leadership Team conducting a home visit welfare check.
- Personal mobile telephones are not permitted to be used in school.
- Parents and Carers sign a consent to give staff permission to take their child’s photograph for appropriate and relevant school based reasons.
- All staff in the school have undertaken an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. This check is reviewed every three years. Any person who does not have this check will never be left unsupervised with the children, but will be supervised by a member of staff.
- The staff check all equipment both indoors and outdoors on a daily basis to ensure it is safe to be used by the children.
- The school has a Fire Safety Procedure, regular fire and lock down drills to ensure the safe and swift evacuation or lock down of the building.
- Parents and Carers must consent where another person is going to collect a child from school. Give the name of the person collecting your child to the office, who will pass the information on to the relevant staff. The children will not be allowed to leave the building until we clarify the identity of the person collecting the child.
- As a school, we do not tolerate verbal or physical abuse towards staff and this may even result in that person being barred from the premises.
- All staff members complete training in Safeguarding Children every year.
- We encourage all members of the public not to approach the children at the railings to the playground, even if you are a Parent or Carer.
- If a child has an accident while in school, the injury is treated by a trained first aider, recorded, and the information is passed on to the parents and carers at home-time. If a childs injury or illness is deemed more serious, and an ambulance has to be called, all necessary measures will be taken to contact the Parent or Carer immediately. A member of first aid trained staff will acompany the child in an ambulance if a Parent or Carer cannot be contacted.
- There may be times when our families will need additional support. Heald Place staff can seek support and advice on your behalf from other agencies. We offer Early Help support to all of our families.
- If Heald Place staff have concerns about a child they have a statutory duty to investigate this further. Our approach to working with Parents and Carers is one of transparency and honesty and our responsibility is to safeguard and promote the welfare of all the children in our care. We aim to do this in partnership with our Parents and Carers. In most cases parents and carers will be informed when concerns are raised about the safety and welfare of their child. Parents and Carers will be given the opportunity to address any concerns raised.
- Parents and Carers will be informed if a referral is to be made to the Children’s Social Care Service or any other agency.
- Parents or Carers will not be informed if it is believed that by doing so would put the child at risk. In such cases the Designated Lead or Headteacher will seekadvice from Children’s Social Care.
If you would like to know anything else about how we keep our children safe, have any questions or if you are ever concerned about the safety or wellbeing of someone at our school please talk to one of the school’s Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs).
Please speak to the Designated Safeguarding Lead - Nikki Sellers, or the HeadTeacher - Mr Kapacee.
Files to Download
