Safeguarding & Prevent

All school staff undertake annual training with regard to best practice and safeguarding updates that are disseminated from a national level. This includes Keeping Children Safe in Education - Part 1. Staff are trained to recognise signs of radicalisation through the Prevent Strategy (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance) and our Life programme links to this with age appropriate content delivered to our students. 

All staff are trained in how to recognise and report safeguarding concerns, the safeguarding team respond to concerns rigorously and robustly:

• Emphasis is placed on students' views to ensure they feel safe in school gathered from informal discussion and formal processes, e.g. questionnaires;
• The responsibility for safeguarding extends beyond the school gates where students are engaged in activities;
• Safeguarding concerns the effectiveness of the school’s work with services provided, commissioned or brokered by the local authority to promote the safety and health of all learners;
• The governing body is accountable for ensuring that the school has effective policies and procedures in place in accordance with the DfE guidance and monitors the school’s compliance with this;
• Specified recruitment and vetting checks on intended new appointees, particularly identity and qualification checks, are carried out. There is a full, accurate and up-to-date single central record of these checks;
• All staff understand that safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility and know who to contact if they are concerned about a child or young person. They understand their responsibilities in order to achieve positive outcomes, keep children safe and complement the support that other professionals may be providing;
• Students are aware of how they can keep themselves safe and what behaviour towards them is not acceptable. They recognise when pressure from others (including people they know) threatens their personal safety and wellbeing and are helped to develop effective ways of resisting pressure, including knowing when and where to get help;
• The school monitors the provision for and outcomes of all students, including off site provision, work-based learning, extended services, students with a child protection plan, refugee and asylum seekers, looked after children and excluded students, attendance, exclusions and racist incidents;
• There is a designated person for child protection and a governor with specific responsibility for safeguarding (and for referring any allegations against the Head of School). The Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mrs JM Myers with Mr J Burns, Mrs J Wilkinson and Mrs S McGreal as deputies;
• There is a child protection policy and procedural document;
• Allegations against staff are dealt with in accordance with NYCC guidance;
• The designated member of staff has undertaken training in inter-agency working to standards agreed by the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB), and undertakes refresher training;
• All staff and other adults who work with students undertake appropriate and up to date training to equip them to carry out their responsibilities for child protection effectively, this is kept up to date by refresher training at three yearly intervals;
• There is a clear reporting system if a student, member of staff, parent or other person has concerns about the safety of children;
• Security arrangements for the grounds and buildings are adequate and reviewed annually;
• There are effective and prompt systems for referring safeguarding concerns about students to relevant agencies;
• Attendance is monitored and appropriate action taken as necessary, especially with regard to the most vulnerable;
• Close advisory links and collaboration are maintained with a large number of external agencies and professionals that support safeguarding. The following list is indicative rather than exclusive - Education Psychologists, Local Authority (Children’s Services), Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS);
• Internet safety advice and guidance for parents and students can be found below or on our website/social media. The school’s online filtering system is fully compliant with the IWF (Internet Watch Foundation) and CEOP (Child Exploitation Online Protection);
• Risk assessments are carried out whenever appropriate, in line with the relevant guidelines.