Keeping Safe at St Peter's

OUR SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT

At St Peter’s Church of England Primary School we listen to our pupils and take seriously what they tell us. All staff, governors and volunteers are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

We have a number of policies and procedures in place that contribute to our safeguarding commitment, including our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy which can be viewed in the policies section on our website.

Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies, when there are concerns about a child's welfare. We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with parents/carers first, unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child's welfare.

All school staff are trained to look out for signs of harm and are required to record and report concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). In school we use a secure recording system called Child Protection Online Monitoring System (CPoms) to log and monitor concerns.

Please let us know if you have any concerns or would like additional information.

Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL)

Ms Deborah Skuse -Pastoral and Safeguarding Lead is our DSL Tuesday - Thursday.

 

Miss Katie Bogdiukiewiczk - Family Support Worker is our DSL Monday and Friday

 

 

 

 

Our Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead is:

Miss Gemma Metcalf - Attendance & Admission Officer.

                                                                                           

 

 What is Prevent Duty 

The Prevent duty requires all schools to "have due regard to the need to prevent people being drawn into terrorism", under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015. The duty covers all types of extremism, whether political, religious or ideological.

We need to protect children from the risk of radicalisation, as part of our wider safeguarding duties and duty to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of children.

We will:

· Promote the fundamental British values in your curriculum

· Enable children to discuss sensitive topics, including terrorism and extremism

· Follow our robust safeguarding procedures to identify children at risk

· Engage with Bristol Local Authority to determine the potential risk of individuals being drawn into terrorism in our local area

· Ensure we have measures in place to protect children from harmful online content

· Make sure staff all receive training to help them identify pupils at risk, challenge extremist ideas, and know how to act if they have a concern

· Follow our usual safeguarding procedures and liaise with other agencies such as the Local Authority, police, social care or Channel, the government’s programme for identifying and supporting those at risk of being drawn into terrorism.

Find out what this means for schools and how we support children to keep them safe from extremism and radicalisation.

Click here for top tips to help parents discuss radicalisation and extremism with young people.

Mental Health and Well-being

Our current School Improvement Plan includes our commitment to personal development and well-being. To view are aims click here.

We have a Senior Mental Health Lead in school, Debra Skuse, who works closely with Lucie Temple, our Education Mental Health Practitioner. Look out for parent/carer anxiety workshops in school, often on a Friday morning in the POD. In term 2 we are running anxiety groups for some children. 

Who can help?

  

 

 

 

 

 

 You can click on the images above and will be directed to the websites.

Click here for information regarding "tackling online hate and trolling".

 

Is it legal to leave a child home alone?

The law on leaving your child on their own - GOV.UK The law does not say an age when you can leave a child on their own, but it’s an offence to leave a child alone if it places them at risk. Use your judgement on how mature your child is before you decide to leave them alone, for example at home or in a car. 

NSPCC.org.uk: A child who isn't old enough or who doesn't feel comfortable should never be left home alone. If this is the case, it's best to look into childcare options that might work for your family.  There's no legal age a child can be left home alone, but it’s against the law to leave a child alone if it puts them at risk. Every child matures differently, so it would be almost impossible to have a "one size fits all" law.

The NSPCC have an online quiz to help reduce this worry and help you make the right decision.

 Leaving Your Child Home Alone - Advice | NSPCC

• children under 12 are rarely mature enough to be left alone for a long period of time
• children under 16 should not be left alone overnight
• babies, toddlers and very young children should never be left alone

 Parents can be prosecuted if they leave a child unsupervised ‘in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health’. 

Do you have concerns about a child? Report it.

 

 

Click here to access the Keeping Safe Partnership website to refer a child at risk of significant harm. 

 

Contextual safeguarding 

What is Contextual Safeguarding?

"We recognises that as young people grow and develop they are influenced by a whole range of environments and people outside of their family. For example in school or college, in the local community, in their peer groups or online. Children and young people may encounter risk in any of these environments. Sometimes the different contexts are inter-related and can mean that children and young people may encounter multiple risks. Contextual safeguarding looks at how we can best understand these risks, engage with children and young people and help to keep them safe. It's an approach that's often been used to apply to adolescents, though the lessons can equally be applied to younger children, especially in today's changing world." 

Cate Meredith, Senior Consultant for the NSPCC

 

Child Exploitation 

Definition from Save the Children, 2020

"Child exploitation refers to the use of children for someone else’s advantage, gratification or profit often resulting in unjust, cruel and harmful treatment of the child."

Child Anxiety

Please talk to us and/or your GP if you are worried that your child is struggling with low mood and/or showing signs of anxiety.

Child Adolescent and Mental Health Services (CAMHS) occasionally deliver workshops for parents and carers in our area.  

Click here to find out more from a powerpoint that was shown at a recent workshop.

Here are some CAMHS recommended books and websites about anxiety that might be helpful

Please talk to school and/or your GP if you are worried that your child is struggling with low mood and/or anxiety.