Safeguarding

Garlinge Primary School and Nursery Designated Safeguarding Leads

Mr Williams (Executive Headteacher)	Mrs Northrop (Head of School)	Mr Cope (Head of School)

As Safeguarding Leads we have the overall responsibility for the day-to-day oversight of safeguarding and child protection systems within our school.

We fully recognise the importance of providing an ethos and environment within school that will help children to feel safe, secure and respected; encourage them to talk openly; and enable them to feel confident that they will be listened to.

Within our role we liaise effectively and supportively with all school staff and other agencies and always in the best interests of children and families. These agencies can include Early Help, Children's Social Care, CAMHS, Local Housing Associations and Domestic Abuse Services.

If you have a safeguarding concern about a child or an adult, or if you would like confidential advice, please contact us by ringing the school office to make an appointment or by calling in at the beginning or end of the school day.

We work with the strictest of confidentiality and will not share any information you give us without discussing this with you first.

If you, or someone you know, is at immediate risk of harm please dial 999 or contact Children's Social Services on 03000 41 11 11

Safeguarding

Garlinge Primary School and Nursery recognises the importance of providing an ethos and environment within school that will help children to feel safe, secure and respected; encourage them to talk openly; and enable them to feel confident that they will be listened to.

We will endeavour to support the welfare and safety of all pupils through:

• Maintaining children's welfare as our paramount concern
• Ensuring the content of the curriculum includes social and emotional aspects of learning
• Ensuring that Child Protection is included in the curriculum to help children stay safe, recognise when they don't feel safe and identify who they might / can talk to
• Providing suitable support and guidance so that our children have a range of appropriate adults to approach if they are in difficulties
• Promoting a positive, supportive, neutral and secure environment where pupils can develop a sense of being valued and heard in their own right
• Ensuring all steps are taken to maintain site security and pupils' physical safety
• Working with parents to build an understanding of the school's responsibility to ensure the welfare of all children including the need for referral to other agencies in some situations
• Developing effective and supportive liaison with other agencies

Safer Recruitment

Garlinge Primary School and Nursery is committed to ensure that all steps are taken to recruit staff and volunteers who are safe to work with our pupils/students and have their welfare and protection as the highest priority. The Governing Body and Senior Leadership Team are responsible for ensuring that the school follows safe recruitment processes outlined within county guidance, including accurate maintenance of the Single Central Record; and an application, vetting and recruitment process which places safeguarding at its centre, regardless of employee or voluntary role.

Security

All staff have a responsibility for maintaining awareness of buildings and grounds security and for reporting concerns that may come to light. We operate within a whole-school community ethos and welcome comments from pupils, parents and others about areas that may need improvement, as well as what we are doing well.

Appropriate checks will be undertaken in respect of visitors and volunteers coming into school as outlined within guidance. Visitors will be expected to sign in and out via the office visitors log and to display a visitor's badge whilst on school site. Any individual who is not known or identifiable should be challenged for clarification and reassurance.

The school will not accept the behaviour of any individual (parent or other) that threatens school security or leads others (child or adult) to feel unsafe. Such behaviour will be treated as a serious concern and may result in a decision to refuse access for that individual to the school site.

Please see our Safeguarding Policy for more information.

Please see our Child Protection Policy for more information.