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Keeping Our Children Safe

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Keeping Our Children Safe

Keeping Our Children Safe

Safeguarding is Everyone’s Responsibility

At Ponteland Community Primary School, the safety, welfare and wellbeing of every child is our highest priority.

Safeguarding is much more than child protection. It is about creating an environment in which children are safe, happy, known, valued and listened to, where concerns are identified early and where children and families receive the right help when they need it.

Everyone who works with or visits our school has a responsibility to help keep children safe.

Our safeguarding arrangements are informed by the statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education, alongside other relevant national and local safeguarding guidance.

Our Safeguarding Team

Designated Safeguarding Lead

Mr Carl Corrin-Johnson
Headteacher & Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

The Designated Safeguarding Lead has overall responsibility for safeguarding and child protection within PCPS.

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads

Mrs Elizabeth Blackburn
Deputy Headteacher & Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

Mr Adam Burgess
Deputy Headteacher & Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

Mr Ryan Bottley
Assistant Headteacher & Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

Miss Amelia Sivell-Legender
Assistant Headteacher & Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

Miss K Pearson

Nursery Manager

Having a wider safeguarding team means that there is appropriate safeguarding leadership available throughout the school and across our Early Years provision.

If You Are Worried About a Child

Please tell someone.

If you are worried about the safety or wellbeing of a child, do not assume someone else will report it.

You can speak to any member of staff, who will ensure that your concern is passed promptly to a member of our safeguarding team.

You can contact school on:

Ponteland Community Primary School
Telephone: 01661 824853

You do not need to be certain that abuse or neglect has taken place before raising a concern.

If something doesn’t feel right, please tell us.

If a Child Is in Immediate Danger

If you believe a child is in immediate danger or at immediate risk of serious harm, call the police on:

999

Do not wait to contact school first in an emergency.

Reporting a Concern Directly to Northumberland

Members of the public can also report concerns about a child directly to Northumberland County Council.

Northumberland uses Onecall as its contact point for children’s services and safeguarding.

Northumberland Onecall

Telephone: 01670 536400

REPORT A CONCERN ABOUT A CHILD OR VULNERABLE PERSON – NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY COUNCIL

If you believe someone is in immediate danger, call 999.

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children includes:

protecting children from maltreatment
preventing impairment of children’s physical and mental health or development
ensuring children grow up in circumstances consistent with safe and effective care
taking action to enable all children to achieve the best possible outcomes

Safeguarding can involve concerns about many different aspects of a child’s life.

These may include:

physical abuse
emotional abuse
sexual abuse
neglect
domestic abuse
online abuse
child-on-child abuse
bullying and cyberbullying
exploitation
grooming
harmful sexual behaviour
radicalisation and extremism
mental health concerns linked to safeguarding
children missing from education
concerns about a child’s home or community environment

Staff receive regular training to recognise indicators of concern and understand what action they must take.

Our Commitment to Children

We want every child at PCPS to know that:

There is always someone who will listen.

Children are encouraged to talk to an adult if they feel:

worried
frightened
unsafe
uncomfortable
upset
bullied
concerned about a friend
worried about something that has happened online
concerned about something at home or elsewhere

Children do not need to know whether something is officially a “safeguarding concern”.

They simply need to know:

If something is worrying you, tell an adult.

Our staff will listen, take children seriously and act appropriately.

Listening to Children

Children’s voices are central to effective safeguarding.

We work hard to create relationships in which children feel comfortable approaching adults and know that their worries will be taken seriously.

Our Classroom Promise is that every child should feel:

Safe • Happy • Known • Valued • Challenged • Inspired • Supported • Encouraged • Successful

Being known and valued is particularly important to safeguarding. Adults who know children well are better able to recognise when something has changed or when a child may need additional help.

What Happens if School Has a Concern?

Where a member of staff has a safeguarding concern, they must report it in accordance with our safeguarding procedures.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead or a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead will consider what action is appropriate.

Depending upon the circumstances, this might include:

speaking with the child
speaking with parents or carers where appropriate
providing support within school
seeking advice from safeguarding professionals
working with Early Help services
making a referral to Children’s Social Care
contacting the police or another statutory agency
taking immediate action to protect a child

Our responsibility is always to consider what is in the best interests of the child.

There may be circumstances where information needs to be shared with safeguarding agencies without first seeking parental consent, particularly where doing so is necessary to protect a child.

A referral to Children’s Social Care does not automatically mean that an allegation has been proven. It enables appropriately trained professionals to consider the information and determine what support or action may be required.

Working With Families

Where it is safe and appropriate to do so, we aim to work openly and constructively with parents and carers.

Families can sometimes experience difficulties that affect children’s wellbeing, and asking for help early can prevent difficulties becoming more serious.

If something is happening within your family that may affect your child, please talk to us.

Our role is not simply to respond when something has gone wrong. Safeguarding is also about recognising when children or families may benefit from early help and support.

Information about support available to families can also be found through Northumberland’s Supporting Families and Early Help service.

Child-on-Child Abuse

Children can sometimes harm other children.

PCPS takes all forms of child-on-child abuse seriously.

This can include:

bullying
cyberbullying
physical abuse
sexual harassment
sexual violence
harmful sexual behaviour
inappropriate sharing of images
discriminatory behaviour
abuse within friendships or relationships

We do not dismiss harmful behaviour as simply “banter”, “part of growing up” or “children being children”.

Concerns are taken seriously and managed in accordance with our safeguarding and behaviour procedures.

Children are encouraged to report concerns about their own experiences or something they have witnessed involving another child.

Online Safety

Safeguarding children also means helping them stay safe online.

Children learn how to use technology safely, responsibly and respectfully, including how to recognise risks and seek help.

PCPS is a mobile-phone-free school for pupils, except where access to a device has been specifically agreed because of an identified medical need.

Our approach to online safety includes:

safe communication
privacy and personal information
cyberbullying
online gaming
social media
inappropriate content
grooming
scams and misinformation
artificial intelligence and manipulated content
reporting and blocking
knowing when to tell a trusted adult

You can find detailed guidance for children and families on our Online Safety page.

Safer Recruitment

We follow robust safer recruitment procedures when appointing adults to work at PCPS.

Appropriate pre-employment checks are completed in accordance with statutory requirements. Depending upon the role, these include checks such as:

identity verification
employment history
references
qualifications
right to work
appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service checks
other safeguarding and recruitment checks required for the role

The school maintains a Single Central Record of required recruitment and vetting checks.

Our safeguarding responsibilities also apply to volunteers, contractors, visitors and other adults working within our school environment.

Visitors to School

Visitors are expected to follow our safeguarding and site procedures.

Appropriate identification and visitor arrangements are used so that staff and children can recognise adults who are authorised to be within school.

Visitors must follow staff instructions and must immediately report any safeguarding concern they become aware of.

Safeguarding information is provided to visitors and volunteers as appropriate to their role.

Staff Safeguarding Training

Safeguarding is part of everyone’s role at PCPS.

All staff receive safeguarding and child protection training appropriate to their responsibilities, together with regular updates throughout the year.

Staff are expected to:

remain alert to signs that a child may need help
listen carefully to children
report concerns promptly
understand the school’s safeguarding procedures
know how to contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead or a deputy
understand their responsibilities if they have a concern about another adult
maintain appropriate professional boundaries

Our safeguarding team undertakes additional training appropriate to their designated responsibilities.

Concerns About an Adult Working With Children

Safeguarding also includes responding appropriately where there is a concern about the behaviour of an adult who works or volunteers with children.

If you have a safeguarding concern about the behaviour of a member of staff, volunteer or another adult working within school, please contact the Headteacher, Mr Carl Corrin-Johnson.

If the concern relates to the Headteacher, it should be raised with the Chair of Trustees.

Concerns will be handled in accordance with statutory safeguarding requirements and the school’s safeguarding procedures.

Our Curriculum & Keeping Safe

Teaching children how to stay safe is an important part of our curriculum.

Through PSHE, Relationships and Health Education, Computing, online-safety education, assemblies, pupil leadership and the wider curriculum, children learn about:

healthy and respectful relationships
appropriate boundaries
consent in age-appropriate contexts
recognising unsafe situations
asking for help
online safety
bullying
equality and respect
physical and emotional wellbeing
children’s rights
trusted adults
personal safety

Our aim is not to frighten children, but to give them the knowledge, vocabulary, confidence and relationships they need to seek help when something is wrong.