Safeguarding and Child Protection

The school leadership team

The leadership team ensures that all child protection policies are up-to-date and effectively implemented. They undergo regular training to stay informed about the best practices in safeguarding.

Designated safeguarding leads

Specific members of are trained and assigned to handle safeguarding concerns. They are available during school hours to address issues and guide other staff.

All school staff

Every member of staff must act if they suspect a child is at risk. They are trained to recognise signs of abuse and know how to report these concerns through the appropriate channels.

Staff

The school uses the Child Protection Online Monitoring System (CPOMS) to report and manage any concerns about student safety. Staff are trained annually on how to use this system.

Parents and students

Parents or students who have concerns regarding the safety or wellbeing either of their child, themselves as a student, or another student, can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The safeguarding team monitors this inbox and will respond promptly. Alternatively, concerns may be reported by requesting to speak with someone from the safeguarding team by telephone.

Physical abuse

This involves any bodily harm to a child, such as hitting, shaking, or causing injury through other violent acts.

Emotional abuse

Continuous mistreatment that negatively affects a child’s emotional well-being, which can occur alongside other types of abuse.

Sexual abuse

This includes forcing or persuading a child to participate in sexual activities, whether or not the child understands what is happening.

Neglect

The failure to meet a child’s basic physical and emotional needs, leading to severe consequences for their health and development.

All matters related to child protection are handled with strict confidentiality. Information is only shared with those who need to know to protect the child. We always aim to involve parents when making decisions about their child’s welfare unless doing so would increase the risk to the child.

In certain situations, staff may need to make reasonable physical contact to ensure a child's safety. This might include guiding a child away from danger or breaking up a fight. The use of force is always minimised and appropriate to the situation.

The school is committed to teaching students how to stay safe online. This includes educating them about the risks of inappropriate content, harmful interactions, and unsafe online behaviours. We have solid filters and monitoring systems in place to protect students while they are using school networks. We balance this with the need to provide access to educational resources.

Parents are requested to consent to their child’s photographs being used in school publications and online platforms at the start of each school year. If the parent does not consent, a student’s images will not be used.

In situations where students need to engage in learning from home (such as during school closures), the school follows specific guidelines to ensure that virtual interactions are safe and professional. The head of school must approve all virtual sessions, and staff use the Microsoft Teams platform for these sessions.

Communication between staff, students, and parents should occur through official school channels like school email, office phones, or Microsoft Teams. In some cases, particularly during school trips or emergencies, staff may need to use personal numbers or messaging apps like WhatsApp. In these instances, all personal contact information is deleted after the trip or event.