Knayton C of E Primary Academy

Safeguarding

Statement

At Knayton CofE Academy, we recognise our moral and statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children. We make every effort to provide a safe and welcoming environment underpinned by a culture of openness where both children and adults feel secure, able to talk and believe that they are being listened to.

"Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play in safeguarding children. School staff are particularly important as they are in a position to identify concerns early and provide help for children, to prevent concerns from escalating. Schools and their staff form part of the wider safeguarding system for children. This system is described in the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children 2013. Schools should work with social care, the police health services and other services to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm." Keeping Children Safe in Education 2014

This applies to teaching staff, teaching assistants, non-teaching staff, premises staff, Governors, volunteers and anyone else who is responsible for, or is in contact with, children in our school.

At Knayton, our aim is to safeguard and promote our pupil’s welfare, safety, health and guidance by fostering an honest, open, caring and supportive climate.

The pupils’ welfare is of paramount importance.  Knayton fully recognises the contribution it can make to protecting children and supporting pupils in schools.

If you are concerned about the safety of your child, or a child you know, you should act without delay.

Prevention

At Knayton C of E Academy we aim to establish and maintain an ethos where children feel secure and are encouraged to talk and are listened to.

We recognise that for children, clear lines of communication with a trusted adult helps prevention. All class teachers ensure that children know they can be approached at any time if children in their care are worried or in difficulty.

In line with our Anti-Bullying policy, the children are taught that all bullying behaviour is unacceptable, regardless of who bullies, how it is delivered or what reasons are given to justify bullying actions.

In line with our E-Safety policy, children are taught how to keep themselves safe when using technology. Further advice and information can be found at:

www.stopitnow.org.uk                       

www.ceop.gov.uk                   

 www.iwf.org.uk

Opportunities for children to talk about their feelings and emotions are provided regularly during PSHE lessons and also through our SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) curriculum when issues such as bullying and keeping safe are planned for and discussed in class in order to equip children with the skills they need to stay safe from abuse.

Collective Worships are regularly used to reinforce these issues. Each class also has feelings check in, a safe space and a ‘worry box’ where children are able to write down and ‘post’ to the adults in their class any concerns that they have in school or at home.

Protection

Staff at Knayton CofE Academy are recruited and selected in strict accordance with the Child Protection guidelines. This applies to all staff, whether teaching or non-teaching, full or part time, volunteer helpers and students on placement.

Roles and Responsibilities

All adults working with or on behalf of children have a responsibility to protect children. There are, however, key people within Knayton and the Local Authority who have specific responsibilities under Child Protection procedures.

The adults in the Safeguarding Team at Knayton C of E Academy are:

Mrs Abigail Clay - Designated Safeguarding Lead

Mrs Rebecca Niblett-Atkinson - Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

These key people are the point of contact for parents, staff, voluntary helpers and all other adults involved in school who have concerns about a child’s safety. Our Headteacher will ensure that these staff members have appropriate time and resources made available to them to enable them to fulfil their duties in this sensitive area.

The qualified First Aiders at Knayton CofE Academy are:

Mrs Helen Hallam 

Miss Emily Almond 

Mrs Emma Atkinson

Mrs Mel Cowton

Mrs Laura Hullah

Mrs Rebecca Niblett-Atkinson

Miss Georgia Burns

The First Aiders have ‘workplace’ qualifications, which are regularly renewed.

The Health and Safety representatives at Knayton CofE Academy are: Headteacher

Further information on child safety at the beginning and end of the day and during school trips can be found in our booklet ‘Safeguarding Information for Parents and Carers’.

Training

All staff receive and be able to access Child Protection training relevant and appropriate to their role through our induction process, staff meetings, INSET and Local Authority Child Protection courses.

This will include training in procedures to follow, signs to note and appropriate record keeping. All staff, whether paid or unpaid, have access to appropriate training so that they are able to react appropriately should an incident occur.

All staff will be trained to recognise and respond to situations where a child may be considered to be at risk.

Knayton CofE Academy will ensure that all of these key adults attend regular training relevant to their role.

The Governors receive Child Protection training in line with their role.

Temporary staff will be made aware of this policy through notices throughout school, information guidelines and the staff handbook.

Likewise, visitors, volunteers, students and all adults working with the children will be made aware of the policy.

Procedures

If your child is being bullied, we will follow our anti-bullying policy procedures to stop it. It is very important that your child understands that we need to know it is happening because bullying will not stop if it is kept secret.

If there is a serious complaint, for example violence or persistent bullying, please see the Headteacher.

Otherwise, speak to the relevant member of staff first. If you do not wish to speak to the member of staff or the issue is not resolved, discuss the complaint with the Headteacher. If you feel the resolution is inadequate, follow the schools complaint procedure.

Where it is believed that a child is suffering from, or is at risk of, significant harm, we will follow the procedures set out in our Child Protection Policy. Any action we take will be in the interests of the child.

If an allegation is made against a member of staff, inform the Head of School.

In the absence of the Head of School it should be reported to the Deputy Headteacher (unless the allegation is against the Deputy Headteacher).

If an allegation is made against the Headteacher, follow the complaints procedure.

At Knayton CofE Academy, we recognise that schools do not operate in isolation. For this reason, every effort will be made to maintain positive working relationships with all staff, parents and colleagues from other agencies to ensure that good lines of communication are maintained and that we are all working together for the protection of the children in our care.

Elevate Safeguarding Statement

Elevate Multi Academy Trust (Elevate) is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children within its family of Academies. It expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Elevate and its Academies believe that the child’s welfare is always of paramount concern, and that all children have a right to be protected from abuse regardless of their age, gender, disability, culture, language, racial origin, religious belief or sexual identity. All suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately in accordance with Elevate’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy.

Elevate and its Academies recognises its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all its children by protecting them from emotional, sexual or physical harm and from neglect or bullying. They acknowledge that child abuse can be a very emotive and difficult subject. It is important to understand the feelings involved but not to allow them to interfere with judgement about the action to be taken.

Every adult is expected to play their part in safeguarding our children. Each Academy supports this through safeguarding and child protection awareness training. All staff in all of our Academies know the procedures that should be followed should they have any concerns about a child. All staff know where to go should they require some information, help and guidance.

Elevate supports each Academy in the following ways:

• Fully adopting the Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance September 2021 and section 3 of the Early Years Framework March 2021;
• Undertaking safeguarding external/internal reviews and Local Authority audits on an annual basis;
• Ensuring each Academy adheres to Elevate’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy and other safeguarding policies and procedures that details Academy specific advice and designated safeguarding officer details;
• Ensuring each Academy has a governor on its Local Governing Body with special responsibility for safeguarding;
• Having a Trustee with special responsibility for safeguarding, who liaises with Elevate’s School Improvement lead for Safeguarding and the Safeguarding link governors;
• All staff receive regular training on child protection procedures, including Prevent and Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance.

Reporting Concerns about a Child

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child at any of our Academies contact the relevant Designated Safeguarding Officer in each Academy. Details can be found on each Academy website.

Reporting Concerns about an Adult Working or Volunteering in Our Academies

If you are concerned about an adult working or volunteering in any of our Academies contact the Head teacher or if it is a concern against the Head teacher then the next most senior member of staff must be informed and the Chair of Governors.

Safer Recruitment

All applicants for employment at Elevate and its Academies will be fully vetted in accordance with DfE Guidelines Safeguarding Children: Safer Recruitment and Selection in Education Settings.