Safeguarding
At St Paul’s C of E Primary our aim is that every child feels safe, happy and cared for at all times.
The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff, governors, visitors and volunteers to share this commitment.
We recognise that:
- the welfare of the child is paramount
- all children regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm and abuse.
- working in partnership with children, young people and their parents, carers and other agencies, is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.
Child protection is part of safeguarding and refers to the protection given to specific children who are suffering, or at risk of suffering or harm. Occasionally, we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child's welfare. We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with parents and carers first unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child's welfare.
Designated Safeguarding Leads
Mrs Christie Clarke is the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for Safeguarding & Child Protection at St Paul’s C of E Primary School. Mrs Evans and Mrs Emma Hartley are the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSL).
The Safeguarding & Child Protection Link Governor is Tom Mitchell.
Mrs Christie Clarke (Headteacher) and Mrs Caroline Clarke (School Business Manager) are responsible for Health & Safety and Premises.
The role of DSL is to:
- work with school leaders to ensure safeguarding is at the heart of the school ethos and that all staff are supported in knowing how to recognise and respond to potential concern.
- liaise with the Senior Leadership Team & Safeguarding Link Governors to keep them informed of any safeguarding issues, especially in relation to ongoing enquiries and police investigations.
- as required, liaise with the Local Authority Designated Officers if a concern has arisen regarding a member of staff.
- liaise with staff on matters of safety and safeguarding and when deciding whether to make a referral by liaising with relevant agencies.
- act as a source of support, advice and expertise for staff and the wider school community.
Safeguarding & Child Protection Training
Safeguarding is the responsibility of all staff at St Paul’s C of E and all the teachers and teaching assistants undergo regular training in Safeguarding, including (but not limited to): Child Protection, Safer Recruitment, First Aid, Prevent (the name given to the training which aims to prevent young children becoming radicalised) and Identifying Children at Risk of FGM and other safeguarding risks.
All staff and governors have completed training in Safeguarding and Channel Awareness (Prevent Duty). This training also included attendees reading and agreeing to the DFE’s Keeping Children Safe in Education, the school’s Code of Conduct and the relevant Safeguarding & Child Protection policy documents. All staff also regularly complete annual Health & Safety training and read and agree to the relevant school policy documentation.
Preventing Radicalisation
St Paul’s C of E actively supports the Government's Prevent Agenda to counter radicalism and extremism. The Prevent Strategy Information for Parents explains our responsibilities in protecting children from extremist and violent views. It also supports us in promoting and teaching important values such as tolerance, respect and the celebration of diversity.
Bullying
As a Church school, St Paul’s C of E Primary School’s distinct Christian character means we provide a nurturing environment within which not only do children thrive, but the entire school community feel they belong. Our school is a family where everyone has the right to feel safe, happy and valued, and is supported to achieve their full potential.
The school uses Daily Worships, Assemblies and the curriculum whenever possible whenever possible to reinforce the ethos and the values of the school. At St Paul’s C of E, staff are vigilant for signs of bullying and always take reports of incidents seriously. The school uses the curriculum whenever possible to reinforce the ethos of the school and help pupils to develop strategies to combat bullying-type behaviour. It is everyone’s responsibility to prevent bullying from happening.
We work hard to ensure that any instances of bullying are dealt with quickly and followed up over time. We care deeply about all the children at our school and work closely with children and families to give every child the best experience.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
A pupils positive mental health and wellbeing is a vital aspect of their children. Since the pandemic we have been working hard to ensure that we have provision, support and resources to help all children at St Paul's CE Primary School and their parents with strategies and support.
If your child is struggling and needs some help, you may be feeling really worried as a parent – and like you’re not sure where to start to seek support. Remember that you and your child are not alone.
Always speak to your child's class teacher in the first instance but the attached booklet will provide you with information about the steps for support in school for children and some useful resources to support you at home.
Parent Guide to Support Children with Mental Health and Wellbeing
E-Safety
Similar to other pupils across the country, children here at St Paul’s C of E Primary School spend a great deal of time using the internet within school and at home.
We value computing within our school and encourage our children to experience different ways of accessing modern technology. From laptops to tablets, our children are able to access and research a wealth of resources and explore different technologies to suit their learning styles.
The E-Safety of our children is of paramount importance to the school and something that we monitor and revisit regularly with both staff and children.
Below are some links to help you keep your children safe online at home.
Please get in touch if you would like any more support.
NSPCC - Keeping Children Safe Online
Safer Internet - Guide for Parents and Carers
Gov - A Practical Guide for Parents and Carers on Online Safety
Internet Matters - Parent and Carer Support Pack
We also encourage parents/carers to talk to their children about how to behave safety when online, to ensure pupils remain safe when browsing at home. CEOP’s website has a wealth of information on E-Safety for parents.
Whistleblowing
Should anybody have any concerns regarding the conduct of any adult within our school community, in addition to our Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy, please refer to the following school policies:
Operation Encompass
Our school has been given the opportunity to take part in a project that runs jointly between all schools in York, City of York Council and North Yorkshire Police. This project is 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.
Other Safeguarding & Child Protection Policies
We have a number of other policies and procedures in place that contribute to keeping children safe which can be viewed below and on the Key Policies page of this website.