Safeguarding at Huby Church of England Primary School – A Whole-School Approach

At Huby Church of England Primary School, the safety, wellbeing and welfare of our children are at the heart of everything we do. Guided by our Christian vision, "Shining Together Through Courage, Connection and Curiosity," we are committed to providing a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment where every child feels valued, respected and empowered to let their light shine.

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. Every adult who works with our children has a duty to protect them from harm, promote their welfare and ensure that they feel safe, supported and listened to. We believe that safeguarding is not simply a set of policies and procedures, but a culture of vigilance, care and collective responsibility that underpins every aspect of school life.

Our school community is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all pupils. We have robust Safeguarding and Child Protection policies and procedures in place, which are regularly reviewed and reflect current statutory guidance. All staff, governors, volunteers and supply staff are expected to understand and follow these procedures, recognising their individual responsibility to identify, report and respond to safeguarding concerns.

We recognise the importance of working in partnership with parents, carers and external agencies to ensure the best possible outcomes for children. Where concerns arise about a child's welfare, we may need to share information with appropriate professionals and safeguarding agencies. Wherever appropriate, we will discuss concerns with parents and carers; however, there may be circumstances where doing so could place a child at greater risk or compromise safeguarding action.

Our commitment to safeguarding reflects our school values:

• Courage – Empowering children to speak up, seek help and know that their voices will be heard.

• Connection – Building positive, trusting relationships where children feel safe, supported and that they belong.

• Curiosity – Encouraging children to develop the knowledge, confidence and understanding needed to recognise risks, make safe choices and seek support when needed.

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children means:

• Providing help and support to meet children's needs as soon as problems emerge.

• Protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online.

• Preventing impairment of children's mental and physical health or development.

• Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.

• Taking action to enable all children to have the best possible outcomes.

Child protection is an essential part of safeguarding. It focuses on protecting individual children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm. Our child protection procedures outline how concerns are identified, reported and acted upon to ensure that children receive the support and protection they need.

Who to Speak To

If you have any concerns about the safety, welfare or wellbeing of a child at Huby Church of England Primary School, please contact our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or one of our Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSLs).

We take all safeguarding concerns seriously and are committed to responding promptly, sensitively and appropriately.

• Designated Safeguarding Lead: Mrs Jen Preston
• Prevent Lead: Mrs Jen Preston
• Deputy Safeguarding Leads: Mr Michael Hartley and Mrs Emma Thompson
• Safeguarding Governor: Mrs Karen Cahill

Safeguarding concerns can also be reported to North Yorkshire Council's Children and Families Service through its designated safeguarding referral arrangements.

Our Commitment

At Huby, we believe that every child has the right to feel safe, to be heard and to flourish. Through our shared commitment to safeguarding, strong relationships and a culture of care, we work together to ensure that every child is protected, supported and given the opportunity to let their light shine.

Prevent Statement

On 1^st July 2015 the Prevent duty (section 26) of The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 came into force. This duty places the responsibility on local authorities and schools to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.

Huby  Church of England Primary School is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all its pupils. As a school we recognise that safeguarding against radicalisation is as important as safeguarding against any other vulnerability.

All staff are expected to uphold and promote the fundamental principles of British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. We believe that children should be given the opportunity to explore diversity and understand Britain as a multi-cultural society; everyone should be treated with respect whatever their race, gender, sexuality, religious belief, special need, or disability.

As part of our commitment to safeguarding and child protection we fully support the government’s Prevent Strategy.

Operation Encompass

Huby Church of England Primary School is a part of Operation Encompass

Operation Encompass, has been designed to provide early reporting to schools of any domestic abuse incidents that occur outside of normal school hours and that might have had an impact on a child attending our premises the following day. This information will be shared at the earliest opportunity between Monday to Thursday and, when an incident occurs on a Friday, Saturday or a Sunday, the police will contact us the following Monday.

A nominated member of school staff, known as a key adult, will receive awareness training to enable them to liaise with the police. They will be able to use information that has been shared with them, in confidence, to ensure that our school is able to make provision for possible difficulties experienced by children or their families. Information will be shared where it is identified that a child or young person was present, witnessed or was involved in a domestic abuse incident.

Operation Encompass was introduced in Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall, in February 2011 and has proved very effective in providing appropriate support in a timely manner. This initiative has already been implemented in other force areas such as Cleveland and is now being extended across the Durham area.

We are keen to offer the best support possible to all our children and we believe this is extremely beneficial and supportive for all those involved.

Parents and Carers

We, the Governing Body , Headteacher and all members of staff, strongly believe that our school should be a welcoming and safe place for our children, staff, parents and visitors alike and that our parents share that belief. We have legal responsibilities for the safeguarding and wellbeing of children and staff, and a duty of care to all users of our school.

All adults who enter our school site at any time set examples of behaviour and conduct which influence children and young people and we believe that they should therefore demonstrate high standards of conduct in order to encourage our pupils to do the same. Parents and carers must show respect to all other parents and carers, children and staff.

Please ask the school office for a copy of our safeguarding leaflet for parents and visitors.

Behaviour which is regarded as unacceptable includes:

• Physical abuse, threatening, oppressive or aggressive behaviour or use of offensive language towards other adults, staff or children
• Entering the school site under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Smoking or vaping anywhere on the school site (this includes e-cigarettes)
• Bringing dogs, with the exception of Assistance Dogs, on to the school site without the explicit permission of the Headteacher
• Mobile phone use on the school site, without the explicit permission of the Headteacher (or in the case of an emergency)

School-related issues which parents or carers have concerning school, pupils or their families must be brought to the attention of a member of staff. Parents or carers must not try to resolve any issues themselves by direct action on site. If issues cannot be successfully resolved by speaking to a staff member, parents’ and carers’ correct course of action is use our Complaints Procedure as appropriate

We expect all communication between parents and school to be conducted in a polite and respectful manner. Communication may be similarly restricted if it becomes unacceptable

Thank you for your cooperation