At The Grove, we strongly believe that the whole school community is responsible for keeping children safe. We understand the essential role we play in protecting children. As such, our school safeguards children by:
creating a safe environment for children and young people through robust safeguarding practices
teaching children about keeping themselves safe
ensuring that adults who work in the school, including volunteers, are safe and pose no risk to children
training staff and keeping them updated with safeguarding policy and practices, so that they are confident in responding to concerns
maintaining an environment where children feel able to share worries with any member of staff
We have a Safeguarding Team (Designated Safeguarding Leads), who are responsible for ensuring that polices and practices are effective and who have a legal responsibility for dealing with safeguarding issues, providing advice and support to staff, liaising with the Local Authority, and working with a range of other agencies.
At The Grove, our Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) are:
Ms A Sharkey (Head teacher and DSL)
Mrs S Parrott (Deputy Head/Inclusion Leader and Deputy DSL)
Mrs M Read (EYFS Lead and Deputy DSL)
Their responsibilities include leading on:
How to Report Safeguarding Concerns
If you have any safeguarding concerns about a child, you must report them.
If you believe the child is in immediate danger, don’t delay. Call the police on 999 straight away.
Under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003, you must call the police if you’re informed that a girl under 18 has undergone FGM.
You can also report concerns in the following ways:
Contact NSPCC on 0808 800 5000. They will then pass the concern onto the local child protection team who will investigate it.
Report your concern directly to your local authority child protection team.
Report it to your Designated Safeguarding Lead (If you are the DSO, choose one of the above two steps).
Call the NSPCC’s Whistleblowing advice line on 0800 028 0285 or email them on help@nspcc.org.uk. They offer free advice and support to anyone who’s concerned about how child protection issues are handled in an organisation.
Prevent Duty
Prevent duty is about keeping people and communities safe from the threat of terrorism.
All school staff have received Prevent training, which teaches them how to spot the signs that a child or young person may be at risk of radicalisation – religious or political – and what to do if they suspect this from a student.
In an attempt to combat radicalisation, British values are taught to kids in UK schools. This is because, as stated within the Prevent Duty Strategy, Terrorism is defined as "vocal or active opposition to fundamental British Values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs."
Preventing extremism in schools and children's services
Emailcounter.extremism@education.gov.uk
Telephone020 7340 7264
Safer Recruitment
As a school we must ask anyone we hire to provide a Disclosure Barring Service Check (DBS) to ensure they’re safe to work with children. This is the minimum requirement, and we ask teachers for a new check every 3-5 years. All staff must undergo safeguarding training during their induction.
Keeping Children Safe In Education (KCSIE)
What is it?
Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) is the Department for Education’s (DfE’) statutory safeguarding guidance for schools and colleges in England.
Bullying
Bullying can happen anywhere at any time, such as directly in the classroom or anonymously online. It can have damaging effects on a child’s confidence and, frighteningly, has even pushed children to suicide. Bullying becomes a child protection issue where there is ‘reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm.’
FGM
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). FGM is an illegal practice in the UK.
Racism
We offer children a safe and respectful classroom environment, where they have an opportunity to reflect on how an individual’s behaviour, attitudes and biases can affect others and teach them how to recognise and challenge prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination.