Safeguarding

We have a number of policies and procedures in place that contribute to our safeguarding commitment, including our Child Protection Policy.

The Abbey CE VA Primary School Safeguarding Team

Mrs O’Melia – Headteacher /Designated Safeguarding Lead

Mrs Fraser – Deputy Headteacher/ Designated Safeguarding Officer

Mrs Crisp- SENCO/Designated Safeguarding Officer

Mr s Wright – Governor/Designated Safeguarding Governor

For urgent Child Protection / Safeguarding advice:

Please call MASH on  0300 123 4043 

Call 999 if someone is in immediate danger or a crime is being committed.

What is Safeguarding? 

Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.

Safeguarding means:

• Providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge
• Protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online
• Preventing the impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development  ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes

Safeguarding children and child protection guidance and legislation applies to all children up to the age of 18.

It is extremely important that we keep our children safe and secure at all times. In order to do this, we have a variety of systems in place in which we ask parents to support and fully adhere to at all times.

• A secure entry system.
• CCTV cameras are placed around the school site.
• The main car parking gate has a secure entry system so that cars cannot enter the site.
• A member of the SLT and Site Manager stands at the gate entrance every morning.
• All staff and governors are issued with photo-identity lanyards.
• Adults authorised to visit the school site are required to sign in and out and wear visitor’s passes at all times.
• All adults working regularly with children will be subject to DBS check.
• Adults who occasionally help at school will never be left with children by themselves.
• Compliance teachers and other adults working with children must read and agree to the Safeguarding Visitors Compliance Card on entry to the school.
• Extracurricular clubs must provide the school with qualification certification and CRB/DBS.
• All staff and governors receive safeguarding training at least every three years.
• Staff, governors, parents and children sign an Acceptable Use Agreement.

All schools have a duty to protect children from the risk of radicalisation by promoting fundamental British Values and by enabling children to challenge extremist views in a safe and secure environment. As a school community, we are mindful of our responsibility to promote and actively seek the inclusion of all members of society. All staff at Abbey School complete the Prevent Training which aims to ensure that early warning signs are picked up and acted upon.

What is Child Protection?

Child Protection is part of Safeguarding and promoting welfare. It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm.

Staff Understanding of Safeguarding and Child Protection

All staff must read and sign Part 1 of Keeping children Safe in Education 2024 and all staff receive a minimum of one safeguarding and child protection training session annually. Staff are also required to adhere to the Child Protection Policy.

Additionally, there is a rolling programme of professional development for child-facing staff to address safeguarding themes throughout the academic year.

Keeping Children Safe in Education

Parents and Volunteers

All parents and volunteers must have read and signed the Volunteer / Parent Agreement Form before they start a placement at The Abbey CE VA Primary School.

Prevent Duty

The aim of “Prevent” is to reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism by stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. Delivery of Prevent is grounded in early intervention and safeguarding –  please click here for Channel Duty Guidance

You can report a concern of radicalisation using the Prevent National referral form (ODT, 22 KB) and emailing it to preventreferrals@met.pnn.police.uk

The Department for Education also has a dedicated telephone helpline, 020 7340 7264, which school staff and governors can call to raise concerns about extremism with respect to a pupil. You can also email counter.extremism@education.gov.uk. Note that this is not for use in emergency situations.

In an emergency, call 999 or the confidential anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321 if you:

1. Think someone is in immediate danger
2. Think someone may be planning to travel to join an extremist group
3. See or hear something that may be terrorist-related 

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

The Department for Education’s Keeping Children Safe in Education explains that FGM comprises “all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs”.

FGM is illegal in the UK and a form of child abuse with long-lasting, harmful consequences. It is also known as ‘female genital cutting’, ‘circumcision’ or ‘initiation’.

Any teacher who discovers that an act of FGM appears to have been carried out on a pupil under 18 must immediately report this to the police, personally. This is a statutory duty, and teachers will face disciplinary sanctions for failing to meet it.

FGM – Female Genital Mutilation Indicators:

• Child’s family comes from community known to practice FGM
• Child may talk about special or long holiday to country where practice is prevalent
• Child may confide that she is to have a special procedure or attend a special occasion

FGM Helpline:   0800 028 3550  fgmhelp@nspcc.org.uk

Online Safety

Please see our Online Safety page.