At Cockfield Primary School, we regard the safeguarding of children as our main priority – it permeates everything we do in school. All have the right to be happy, to be safe and to learn; we all have the responsibility to make this happen. Children need to know that they are part of a supportive family community.
Members of Staff Responsible
We are all responsible for ensuring that each child remains safe, however the Designated Leads for Safeguarding are Mrs Wright and Mrs Harrison.
Mrs Wright (DSL)
Mrs Harrison (Deputy DSL)
We will ensure that:
- the welfare of every child remains paramount;
- all children whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious beliefs and/ or sexual identity have the right to be protected from harm;
- all suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately;
- ALL MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SAFEGUARDING
- all staff and volunteers working at our school have a responsibility to report concerns to the designated leads for Safeguarding: Mrs Wright and Mrs Harrison
Anybody who is concerned about a child’s welfare can make a referral to First Contact (03000 267 979). To find out further information use the link or speak to a DSL in school: https://www.durham.gov.uk/firstcontact
If you feel like you and your family need more help then you are currently accessing, then please speak to a DSL at school and/or contact the Family Hubs.
Areas of Safeguarding
Our safeguarding policies cover all areas of school life and include:
- staff & visitors- ensuring they are vetted, informed & trained;
- children’s and adult’s behaviour- promoting safer & happier behaviours & lifestyles;
- parents & carers- promoting links & supporting families;
- premises -keeping them safe, pleasant & fit for purpose;
- curriculum -providing positive, life affirming learning experiences;
- outside school- ensuring safer activities and environments outside school.
- online safety – ensuring that we protect our children by teaching them about how to behave safely online
- filtering and monitoring access to online websites and resources and adjusting settings as needed
Safer Recruitment
We follow strict procedures to ensure that everyone who works with our children is vetted, keeping our children as safe as possible. Ongoing checks and ‘whistle-blowing’ are in line with current policy.
Staff Training
All staff are:
- trained in child protection issues and they are aware of the procedures to follow;
- encouraged to be vigilant in order to maintain the safety of our children;
- trained on the details in the guidance ‘KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE IN EDUCATION 2023’. This is available for staff and volunteers to access on a daily basis. This applies to volunteers too. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education–2
- trained through re-fresher training on a regular basis.
Child Protection with Safeguarding Policy
All staff have an up-to-date understanding of safeguarding children issues and are able to implement the safeguarding children policy and procedure appropriately. Policies are in line with current guidance and procedures.
Staff are able to respond appropriately to any:
- significant changes in children’s behaviour;
- deterioration in their general well-being;
- unexplained bruising, marks or signs of possible abuse;
- signs of neglect;
- comments children make which give cause for concern.
All staff are aware of the need to maintain privacy and confidentiality.
Information Sharing
We have an obligation to obtain necessary information from parents in advance of a child being admitted to school, including:
- emergency contact numbers;
- the child’s special dietary requirements, preferences or food allergies the child may have;
- the child’s special health requirements;
- information about who has legal contact with the child; and who has parental responsibility for the child.
Written parental permission is requested, at the time of the child’s admission to the provision, to the seeking of any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment in the future.
PARENTS & CARERS MUST TELL US OF ANY CHANGES TO THESE DETAILS. This helps us with making sure that our safeguarding processes are effective.
We take confidentiality very seriously. Any information which we hold is treated as confidential and shared on a ‘need-to-know’ basis.
Data Protection – Privacy Notice – Data Protection Act 1998
Cockfield Primary School are a data controller for the purposes of the Data Protection Act. We collect information from your child and may receive information about your child from their previous school and other agencies.
We hold this personal data and use it to;-
- Support pupil teaching and learning
- Monitor and report on pupil progress
- Provide appropriate pastoral care
- Assess how well your child and the school are doing
This information includes your child’s contact details, national curriculum assessment results, attendance information and personal characteristics such as ethnic group, any special educational needs and relevant medical information.
We will not give information about your child/children to anyone outside the school without your consent unless the law and our rules allow us to.
We are required by law to pass some information about your child to the Local Authority and the Department for Education (DfE)
If you want to see a copy of the information about you that we hold and/or share, please contact Mrs Wright. The school applies the standard cost to review documents.
If you require more information about how the Local Authority (LA) and/or DfE store and use your information, then please go to the following websites:
http://www.durham.gov.uk/dataprotection
https://www.gov.uk/topic/schools-colleges-childrens-services/safeguarding-children
Links with External Agencies
Because our first concern must be the well-being of your child, there may be occasions when we have to consult other agencies before we contact you. The procedures we have to follow have been laid down in accordance with the local authority child protection procedures.
We are fortunate to be supported by a range of external agencies which can be called upon to support the work we do in school. These include School Nurse, Health Practitioners, Educational Psychology, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services, Behaviour Support, Social Services and Specialists in supporting Special Educational Needs.
Reporting Concerns or Complaints
Further to the above procedures, we have in place a concerns and complaints policy. This enables children, staff and carers to report anything they feel is of concern.
Concerns should be raised in the following order.
- To the Class Teacher. Then, if there is no resolution;
- To the Head Teacher. Then, if there is no resolution;
- To the Chairman of Governors. Then, if there is no resolution;
- To the Local Authority.
Contact details are available from the school office.
Review of Policy and Practice
In order to ensure that best practice is maintained, our policies are reviewed at least regularly to incorporate the latest statutory guidance emerge.
If you would like more information on safeguarding, please contact the school for all our policies or view our school policies section on our website.
Inspections and Revisions to Safeguarding Guidance
Useful documents