Safeguarding

Safeguarding is the ‘umbrella’ term we use to mean everything we do to keep children safe and free from harm. The school has a strong commitment to keeping children safe as well as a range of statutory duties it must carry out in doing so.  The SAFETY of the children in our care is of the highest importance to everyone at Northenden Community School.

Click here to see our Safeguarding Policy

Areas of the school’s work which relate to Safeguarding include:

  • Supervision of Children
  • Attendance and Punctuality Policy
  • Behaviour Policy
  • Promoting Equal Opportunities
  • Anti-bullying Policy
  • Safeguarding Policy
  • Protecting children from Radicalisation and Extremism
  • Online Safety (E-safety)
  • Administration of Medicines
  • First Aid
  • Health and Safety
  • Traffic Management (Car Parking)
  • School Security and Visitor Management
  • Child Collection Policy (after school)
  • Safe Recruitment and the vetting of staff and volunteers
  • Staff Conduct and Safe Working Practice for Staff

Keeping Children Safe

There are a number of key ways in which the school works to keep children safe.  In managing safeguarding on a day-to-day basis we:

  • have a positive ethos based on mutual respect
  • value positive relationships between everyone involved in the life of the school
  • have high expectations of the children’s behaviour and care for each other
  • have high expectations of staff behaviour towards the children and to each other
  • ensure that children are adequately supervised
  • ensure that all visitors to school are either vetted or their visits managed appropriately
  • are vigilant in monitoring and raising concerns about individual or groups of children
  • classroom management and general safety (e.g. of equipment, fixtures and fittings)

Statutory Duties

The school has a number of statutory duties.  These are defined in law.  The school must:

  • provide adequate levels of supervision for all children;
  • promote safety as part of our curriculum;
  • appoint on or more persons with responsibility for Safeguarding and Child Protection;
  • act upon any concerns related to the safety or well-being of all children;
  • share information with other agencies about vulnerable children;
  • ensure all those working or volunteering on the premises are appropriately checked, including through the Disclosure and Barring Service

Staff Roles

All staff and volunteers in our school have a responsibility for Safeguarding and ensuring that the children are well cared-for and free for harm.  All staff are made aware of these responsibilities during their induction and through regular training and updates regarding good safeguarding practice.  This training includes:

  • roles and responsibilities
  • knowledge of the different types of significant harm to children
  • skills in handling disclosures from children
  • procedures for reporting and escalating concerns to Senior Staff or the Local Authority
  • procedures for working with families and outside agencies, including Children’s Services

If any member of staff or volunteer has a concern about the safety, care or well-being of a child, they:

  • will take steps to monitor and record their concerns
  • may discuss their concerns with parents
  • discuss their concerns with a Designated Person in school (see below)
  • ask for their concerns to be referred to Manchester City Council Children’s Services

Designated Safeguarding Officers (Designated Persons)

All schools must designated one or persons to have overall responsibility in school for safeguarding and child protection.  These staff are known as Designated Persons or Lead Safeguarding Officers.  Designated people receive refresher training in their role every two years.  The members of staff appointed as Designated Persons at Northenden Community School are:

  • Mr Beard, Headteacher
  • Mrs Gray, Deputy Headteacher

Child Protection

Child Protection is the term given to specific aspects of safeguarding practice which are concerned with ensuring children are free for the risks of significant harm.  Significant harm is defined as:

  • Neglect (this having an impact on their care, well-being, supervision, growth, safety)
  • Fabricated or induced illness
  • Physical Abuse
  • Emotional Abuse
  • Sexual Abuse, including exploitation
  • Domestic Violence
  • Radicalisation and Extremism

The school will take steps to determine how children may be affected by the above and in doing so we may refer concerns to Children’s Services.

More information about Child Protection is available here.  

Reporting a Concern about a Child

If you are concerned about the welfare or safety of a child who attends our school, including your own child, please get in touch with the Headteacher at the school.  Alternatively, you can discuss the matter with another member of staff but they will be obliged to share information with senior staff. 

Alternatively, if you feel that a child is at risk from any of the above or significant harm whilst at home or outside school hours, you should contact Manchester City Council’s Children’s Services Department (Contact Centre) on 0161 234 5001.  Where the risk of harm is immediate (e.g. domestic violent, physical abuse, child left unsupervised), you should ring the police by dialling 999.

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