Safeguarding Provision
SAFEGUARDING PROVISION
Keeping your child safe
What we do in school to keep your children safe
‘Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, every day’.
Our first and foremost priority is to keep your child safe and healthy. Under the new OFSTED framework safeguarding is a key indicator of what constitutes a good school. Keeping your child safe means:
*The health and safety of all children
*Making sure that the adults who work here have undergone safety and security check
*Protecting children from deliberate harm
*Being an anti- bullying school
*Being proactive against racist behaviour
*Being proactive against attempts to indoctrinate children in to any form of extreme ideology
*Protecting our children from harassment and discrimination
*A positive approach to behaviour management including the use of physical intervention safely, when necessary
*Meeting the needs of children with medical conditions
*Providing first aid
*Protecting children from drug and substance abuse
*Children enjoying safe educational visits
*Caring for children’s personal needs
*Keeping children safe when using the internet and making sure they are aware of cyber bullying.
*Making sure our school is secure and safe
*Being a ‘listening school’
*Ensuring they know who to go to in school if they have a problem
Your child and their health & safety are our number one priority. We employ the following strategies to keep your child healthy and safe:
Child Protection
All staff here at Perryfields Infant School receive appropriate and regularly updated training in Safeguarding and Child Protection to ensure that they are aware of the school’s procedures for child protection and their responsibilities. We have a written policy and procedures for Safeguarding complying with Local Authority guidance. The Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mrs A. Reid, Headteacher. The two Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads are Mrs C. Champion, Deputy Headteacher and Miss B. Williams, Assistant Headteacher. All visitors to our school have their attention drawn to safeguarding measures upon arrival at the school in order to support us to fulfill our responsibilities, and any visiting speakers agree to our Visiting Speakers Protocol prior to talking to our pupils with expectations clearly outlined.
Our Headteacher has had specific training around CSE (Child Sex Exploitation) and is a CSE Champion, and the Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher have also received PREVENT training around challenging and preventing extremism, both of which have been disseminated to all teaching and support staff in the school. All staff follow The Statutory Guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’.
Recording and Reporting Racist Incidents
Under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and Home Office Code of Practice on reporting and recording racist incidents (2000) schools are required to record and investigate all racist incidents and to report them to the Local Authority on a regular basis. Definition of a racist incident: as recommended in the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report 1999: ‘A racist incident is any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.’
Preventing Radicalisation and Extremism
In line with the DfE’s Prevent Duty advice (June 2015) we are committed to actively promoting the fundamental British values of democracy, the Rule of Law, Individual Liberty and Mutual Respect and Tolerance of those with different Faiths and Beliefs. Our core mission of diversity permeates all we do. We place a strong emphasis on the common values that all communities share such as self-respect, tolerance, challenge etc. We work hard to broaden our students’ experience, to prepare them for life and work in contemporary Britain. We teach them to respect and value the diversity around them as well as understanding how to make safe, well-considered decisions and challenge/debate appropriately. We recognise that we have a responsibility to protect children from all forms of extremism and this forms an integral part of our Safeguarding Policy. This includes the use of internet filtering systems in school, to ensure children are safe from terrorist and extremist material when using the internet. Staff are vigilant of signs/indicators which may be visible if a child is vulnerable to extremist ideology. If anyone working in, or visiting our school has any concerns regarding radicalisation and extremism they need to contact the Headteacher who has received specific training around the PREVENT agenda from the Home Office.
If you have any concerns about your child and think that they are becoming radicalised or displaying extremist views, you can contact the school for help. In the first instance, please contact Mrs Reid, Headteacher.
Collecting your child during the school day
We ask that parents try and make appointments where possible out of school hours for their children. If you have to collect your child during the school day for a medical or dental appointment, we insist that we receive notification in writing in advance of the appointment addressed to the office staff stating the times and details.
If your child is ill
Please keep them at home and notify us by 8.45am on the first day of any absence so that we know they are safely at home with you. We have a policy of contacting parents / carers if we haven’t received a message shortly after 9am. Prior to 8.45 there is an answer machine which office staff pick up upon arrival in the morning.
If your child becomes ill during the day they will be monitored and we will telephone you if we feel it is necessary to do so. Any cuts and grazes resulting from normal play will be dealt with by our first aid trained staff. Any bumps on the head will be reported to the child’s teacher and parents / carers will also be notified.
Jewellery
For the sake of safety, we request that jewellery should not be worn to school, with the exception of small stud ear-rings which may be worn at the owner’s risk.
The Local Authority regulations and our school’s policy state that all jewellery must be removed for P.E.
Fire Drill
A fire drill is held each term to ensure the swift evacuation of the building. If you are helping in school and the alarm sounds, please leave by the nearest exit and assemble on the playground where you will be met by the office staff who will record that you are present from the Visitors book.
Road Safety
We are constantly trying to increase the number of children walking and cycling to school. We ask parents / carers to support us and ease traffic congestion by walking your child to school, or by encouraging them to scoot or cycle; this provides an ideal opportunity to teach your child about road safety and traffic awareness. There are parking restrictions in force out the front of the school so, if you do have to travel by car, please park well away from the school entrance for the sake of the safety of our pupils. Please remember to be considerate of our neighbours when parking.
Safety in the playground
Before and after school
The school opens at 8.40am at which point the school staff take responsibility for children. We ask parents to ensure that children are waiting sensibly with their grown-ups in the playground before coming into school. Children are expected to walk their bikes and scooters up the school pathway in the mornings and store them in the bike/scooter shed and likewise in the afternoons to avoid someone being injured. Bikes and scooters should not be in the playground or car park.
Dogs are not permitted on the school grounds at any time. We ask that if you bring them as far as the school entrance that they are tied up away from the school gate in the interest of those children and adults who may not like dogs.
During school hours
We have very clear rules about behaviour and use of play equipment in the playground. Supervising adults are outside with the children every playtime and lunch time and additionally Year 2 Play Leaders are present in the playground to help ensure that playtimes are a happy time for children in Reception.
The school has a variety of play equipment along with designated areas for activities to keep our pupils entertained.
No Smoking Area
Our school building and grounds are strictly a No Smoking area.
Security
The school was built with the security of pupils and staff in mind including:
*perimeter fencing
*designated and enclosed gated area for foundation stage children to enable them safe free-flow access
*an intruder alarm linked to internal/external response
*an effective fire alarm system
*door entry system
Although we want to have an open door policy we must balance this against the safety of pupils and staff and we request that parents / carers respect this.
Visiting the school
Any visitors to the school must sign in and out as a visitor and wear their badge at all times.
Visitors receive a copy of our laminated ‘safeguarding sheet’ to read prior to entering the school.
Curriculum
Keeping safe is embedded through our curriculum and schools ethos. It is discretely taught to all pupils within our PSHE and RSE curriculum, also then again in science.
Promoting Core Values/SMSC
Perryfields Infant School understands that the personal development of each of our pupils as individuals contributes to their achievements and ability to engage in the learning process. We are committed to promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of every child in our care, and believe their development in these areas links directly to their ability to achieve their full potential at school.
Please see our SMSC provision over-view on our school website and how opportunities our school provides for the promotion of these also supports our aim to support our pupils in keeping safe and understanding between right and wrong in society.
Swimming
In years 1 and 2 children go swimming during the summer term. They are accompanied by two members of staff who remain poolside during the lesson and closely supervise the children in the changing rooms. The children are taught swimming by a fully trained instructor.
Risk Assessments and School Trips
All school trips involve the undertaking of a risk assessment. When travelling our children wear high visibility tabards clearly identifying them as Perryfields Infant School pupils.
Bullying
It is the responsibility of the whole school to ensure that Perryfields Infant School is a bully free zone. We are proactive in promoting a caring and positive ethos between all members of the school community. We have specific weeks which involve PSCHE circle times/activity covering different forms of bullying including cyber. Pupils are encouraged to ask adults for help. The school has an open door policy which enables us to intervene promptly where pupils experience friendship difficulties to prevent bullying.
Cyber Safety
E-Safety is embedded within our curriculum here at Perryfields Infant School and is also regularly taught discretely to our pupils. We take cyber safety very seriously. The school has a CEOPP trained member of staff who champions e-safety in school. During e-safety week, the children will also watch videos and discuss safe internet behaviour using materials provided by the Police CEOP (available at www.thinkuknow.co.uk). We have filtering systems in place to prevent children at school accessing websites considered to be unsafe or inappropriate, and encourage parents and carers to be aware of the online material and websites that their children are accessing at home. The children learn the importance of keeping their personal details private and safe and how to behave politely and responsibly online. Children also learn to tell a trusted adult if they don’t like what they see online.
Working with parents
We believe it is fundamentally important to work closely with parents to keep our pupils safe. The school has an open door policy which encourages that two-way communication between school and parents to best safeguard our pupils and to provide support and assistance to particular pupils when required.
Please refer to the following policies also for more information on how we keep our pupils safe:
- Child Protection policy
- Safeguarding Policy
- Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs Policy
- Anti-Bullying Policy
- E-safety Policy
- Promoting Positive Behaviour Policy
- Attendance Policy
- Medicines in School Policy
- Whistleblowing Policy
** Also see ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’.