Safeguarding

Safeguarding Statement

At St George’s Catholic Primary School, we regard the safeguarding of children as our main priority. We believe that we all have the right to be happy, to be safe and to learn. We all have the responsibility to be vigilant and make this happen.

Section 175 of the Education Act 2002 places a duty on schools to exercise their functions with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children who are pupils at a school.

All Harrow schools follow the Harrow Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures. St George's Safeguarding & Child Protection and Safer Recruitment policies are available on request from the Head teacher’s office or can be viewed on the school website.

We will ensure that:

The welfare of the 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 staff and volunteers working at our school have a responsibility to report concerns to Mrs Deirdre Monaghan (Designated Safeguarding Lead & Headteacher), Miss Sarah Pitkeathly (Deputy Safeguarding Lead & Acting Deputy Headteacher) or Mrs Angela Conway (Deputy Safeguarding Lead and Learning Mentor). The designated Governor for Safeguarding is Mr Richard Szydlo.

Areas of Safeguarding

Our safeguarding policies cover all areas of school life and include:

Staff & Visitors
Ensuring they are vetted, informed & trained.

Children’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.

Members of Staff Responsible

We are all responsible for ensuring that each child remains safe, however the Designated Senior Persons for Child Protection are the Headteacher, Mrs Deirdre Monaghan, the Acting Deputy Headteacher, Miss Sarah Pitkeathly and the Learning Mentor, Mrs Angela Conway.

We also highlight our responsibilities to protect children from harm online. All staff recruitment panels include at least one person who has completed appropriate 'Safer Recruitment in Education' training.

The Nominated Governor for Safeguarding is Mr Richard Szydlo.

Safer-Recruitment

We follow strict procedures to ensure that everyone who works with our children is vetted, through DBS checks, keeping our children as safe as possible. Ongoing checks and ‘whistle-blowing’ are in line with current policy.

Staff Training

Staff are trained in child protection issues and they are aware of the procedures to follow. All staff have an up-to-date understanding of safeguarding children issues and are able to implement the Child Protection Policy and procedure appropriately. Policies are in line with current guidance and procedures.

All staff are aware of the need to maintain privacy and confidentiality.

The Child Protection Policy (and related policies) form a central part of the Staff induction process, and all of these policies are reviewed annually.

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.

PARENTS & CARERS MUST TELL US OF ANY CHANGES TO THESE DETAILS