Safeguarding

Overview

Riseley Church of England Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all members of the school community to share this commitment. To this end we will endeavour to provide a safe and welcoming environment where children are respected and valued.

The safety and wellbeing of all children and young people is of paramount importance. We recognise that parents and carers send their children to school each day with the expectation that the school provides a safe and secure environment in which their children can flourish. We therefore have a wide range of measures in place to ensure this is put into practice and is maintained.

Children have a right to feel safe and should be protected. Safeguarding children is everyone's responsibility. If you have any concerns about a child within the school, please contact a member of staff immediately.

Nominated Officers

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for Riseley is Leigh Pointon (Executive Headteacher).

The Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) for Riseley is Rachel Wingerath (SENDCo).

The named Governor responsible for safeguarding and child protection is Graham Cole.

Child Protection at Riseley Church of England Primary School

The school staff are trained to be alert to signs of abuse and neglect and will follow the Bedford Borough Safeguarding Children Board Interagency Child Protection procedures to ensure that children receive appropriate and effective support and protection.

Parents and carers should know that the law requires all school staff to pass on information which gives rise to concern about a child's welfare, including risk from neglect. The staff will seek, in general, to discuss any concerns with the parent/carer and, where possible, inform them of the referral to Children's Services. This will only occur where such discussion will not place the child at increased risk of significant harm.

In accordance with local Information Sharing protocols, we will ensure that information is shared securely and sensitively. Information will only be shared with other services where it is deemed necessary and proportionate to ensure that children are safe and receive the right support.

The school will seek advice from Children's Services when they have reasonable cause to suspect a child may be suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. Occasionally, concerns are passed on which are later shown to be unfounded. Parents/carers will appreciate that the member of staff in the school responsible for Child Protection (known as the Designated Lead) is charged with carrying out their responsibilities in accordance with the law and acting in the best interest of the child.

Policies

We have a number of policies in place which support our ethos for ensuring our children are safe, secure and in an environment where they can flourish. These are available from our main school office and include:

Staff Induction and Training

All our staff and volunteers have an induction schedule which includes safeguarding training and every member of staff has formal training every two years. This knowledge is maintained throughout the school year with bite size reminders and updates on current practices and law.

Robust Recruitment Procedures

As a school we take time to assess all applications and include clear expectations around safeguarding and suitability to work with children. We apply these protocols and expectations to regular volunteers too. Candidates are expected to answer questions around safeguarding during their recruitment selection interview.

Safeguarding Resources