Worried about a child?

You do not need to know that something is wrong before speaking to us. If something has concerned you, please tell us.

DSL: Mr Terentius Jackson, Headteacher
 

School: 01229 718279

At Captain Shaw’s, keeping children safe is at the heart of everything we do.

As a small school, we know our children and families extremely well. We want every child to feel safe, valued and listened to, and to know that there are trusted adults around them who will notice, listen and help.

Safeguarding is not simply about responding when something has gone wrong. It is about creating a culture in which children feel safe, learn how to keep themselves safe and receive the right help at the right time. This reflects our commitment to Serving the Common Good: seeking what is best for everyone, beginning with the last, the least, the lost, the most vulnerable and the most forgotten.

Everyone has a part to play

Safeguarding and child protection are everyone’s responsibility. All members of staff receive safeguarding training and know how to recognise and respond to concerns about a child. This reflects our school’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy.

Our approach is child-centred, supportive and inclusive. We listen carefully to children, work openly with parents and carers wherever it is appropriate to do so, and seek help early when a child or family may need additional support.

Our policy reflects this approach by defining safeguarding as providing help and support as soon as problems emerge, protecting children from harm both within and outside the home, including online, supporting their health and development and enabling them to have the best possible outcomes.

Safeguarding and inclusion

Safeguarding and inclusion belong together.

Children do not all communicate distress, ask for help or show that something is wrong in the same way. Knowing our children well, noticing changes, understanding individual communication and behaviour, and removing barriers to being heard are therefore important parts of keeping children safe.

We recognise that some children may face additional barriers or vulnerabilities, including children with SEND or health conditions, young carers and children experiencing difficult circumstances.

Our starting point is always the individual child: What does this child need in order to be safe, included and able to flourish?

Learning to be safe

Keeping children safe is also something we teach.

Through our curriculum and everyday life in school, children progressively learn about personal boundaries and privacy, safety networks and safety skills, feelings and emotions, self-awareness, resilience and positive mental and emotional wellbeing.

Online safety is part of this too. Children learn how to use technology safely, responsibly and wisely, alongside the filtering and monitoring arrangements we have in place on school systems and devices.

This learning connects naturally with our school values:

Be truthful • Be respectful • Be a good friend • Show courage • Show wisdom • Persevere

We want children to develop the knowledge, confidence and language to recognise when something does not feel right, tell someone they trust and know that they will be listened to.

Working with families

Parents and carers are important partners in safeguarding.

If something is affecting your child or your family, we encourage you to talk to us. Sometimes a conversation and some additional support in school may be enough. At other times, we may work with you and other professionals to make sure that a child or family receives the right help.

There are circumstances in which we have a duty to share information with other professionals in order to protect a child. Data protection law does not prevent necessary information being shared for the purpose of keeping children safe.

Our aim is always to act in the best interests of the child.

Our Safeguarding Team

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Terentius Jackson – Headteacher

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)
Yvonne Wrigley

Safeguarding Link Governor
Helen Webber

If you are worried about a child, however small the concern may seem, please speak to a member of our safeguarding team or contact the school office on 01229 718279.

You do not need to be certain that something is wrong before speaking to us. Sharing a concern allows us to listen, consider what may be happening and decide whether any help is needed.

If you believe that a child is in immediate danger, please contact the emergency services on 999.

Our Safeguarding Policy

Our full Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy explains our safeguarding arrangements and procedures in detail. It is reviewed regularly to reflect current statutory safeguarding guidance.

You can find the policy on our School Policies page.

Keeping children safe is not something separate from education at Captain Shaw’s. It is part of knowing every child, helping them to find their voice, teaching them to make wise choices and creating a school in which every child has the opportunity to belong, learn and flourish.