SAFEGUARDING AND CHILD PROTECTION
St Mary’s CE (A) First School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff, governors and volunteers to share this commitment.
Contact number for Staffordshire Children’s Advice and Support Service: 0300 111 8007
If you believe the child to be at risk of immediate harm, this must be reported to the police on 999 or 101. Once you have reported to the police, please contact Staffordshire Childrens Advice and Support Service or Emergency Duty Team, on the number above.
We have a Safeguarding Policy and there are procedures in place which all staff, including supply staff, volunteers and governors, must ensure that they are aware of.
Sometimes we need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there is a concern about a child’s welfare. We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with parents first unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child’s welfare.
Mrs Jo Moult is the school's Designated Safeguarding Lead and Mrs Nicky Malkin is the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead. Mrs Sarah Norris and Miss Ella Jeffery lead safeguarding within our nursery. The nominated Governor for Safeguarding is Mrs Danielle Austin. They have a legal duty to raise any concerns over the safety and care of all the children in the school, whether at school, at home or in the community.
The school works closely with other local professionals to support families and young children. This includes the 0-19 service (school nurse team), VIPEducation Welfare, Family and Parent Support Workers, Children's Services and Housing, Social Services, Community Paediatrician, as well as many others.
Operation Encompass
Our school is part of a project which is run between schools and Staffordshire Police. Operation Encompass is the reporting to schools, prior to the start of the next school day, when a child has been in a house where domestic violence has taken place. The Designated Safeguarding Lead, Mrs Moult, is trained to liaise with the police, and use the information which has been shared, in confidence, whilst ensuring that the school is able to make provision for possible difficulties experienced by children or their families who have experienced an incident of domestic violence.
Our Prevent Statement
At St Mary's, we aim to prepare our children to become good citizens of the future. Through our curriculum we teach British values and how to celebrate diversity. We aim to raise their awareness of radicalisation and extremist views, whatever the source. We have adopted the priniciples and advice, found in "Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023" and the 2023 "Prevent Duty Guidance". These are incorporated into our school policy on tackling extremism.
Online Safety
At St Mary's, we have a dual responsibility; to ensure our school's online procedures keep children safe, and to ensure we teach children about online safety, in and out of school. We foster an open environment in which children are encouraged to ask any questions and participate in ongoing conversations about the benefits and risks of the online world around them. By taking a whole school approach to online safety, we can make sure that staff, volunteers, governors, parents and carers know how to keep children safe online. We also support children to know how to keep themselves safe too.
https://safetynet.skipseducational.org/parent-guides/
Online Safety Policy
If you have any concern or questions or would like some support please speak to Mrs Moult. Please read our Safeguarding Policy.
St Mary's Safeguarding Policy 2023-24
Staffordshire Safeguarding Children Board
Child Exploitation & Online Protection
Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023
Think You Know How - Education from the National Crime Agency
County Lines Information