Safeguarding at Gilded Hollins

Keeping children safe is our priority.

Gilded Hollins Community Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and staff, and expects all adults to share this commitment. We work with other agencies to ensure adequate arrangements are in place within our school to prevent harm.

The health, safety and welfare of our children are of paramount importance to us. We respect our pupils and want to provide them with a stimulating and safe environment that encourages them to flourish. 

In order to keep our children safe at school, we

• ensure that all our staff – through their induction and on-going training - have a clear understanding of their responsibilities towards our children’s safeguarding
• make sure that we have a range of clear and up to date policies and procedures in place to ensure the safety and protection of our pupils in all aspects of school life
• ensure that we teach our pupils how to keep themselves healthy and safe – in and out of school
• ensure that we audit our safeguarding practices regularly so we remain vigilant
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Qualities

Our 6 rules and 6 qualities are taught from the very first day in our school. Qualities such as respect, honesty and kindness teach children to be safe and respectful .  We have an open, honest and relationship centred approach at school, wherein children are nurtured and taught that they are able to confide in any adult if they are worried about anything.

Behaviour

We have very clear expectations of our children’s behaviour, and these are regularly discussed in class and whole school assemblies. Our children learn from an early age that bullying in any form is not tolerated  and we expect our staff to act as exemplary role models.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Promoting and supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing of both children and staff is a key part of our safeguarding role as a school. All members of the school community work to ensure that everyone feels happy, safe and supported in the school environment. We have a learning mentor and kindness ambassadors who help ensure that all members of the school community are well supported. The SCARF curriculum is our chosen approach to mental health and wellbeing throughout school ensuring that positive behaviour, mental health, well-being resilience and achievement are taught systematically throughout the school.

Inclusion and Equality

The school has a commitment to equality and accessibility for all and we believe that everyone should be treated with care, dignity and respect. Our children are explicitly taught that any form of discrimination on grounds of race, religion, sexuality or disability is wrong. Assemblies, class texts and PHRSE lessons explore different ideas, cultures, faiths and beliefs to broaden our pupil’s awareness of the world and we teach tolerance and mutual respect.

Teaching and Learning

Our curriculum covers topics such as healthy diet, the importance of exercise, road and pedestrian safety, stranger danger, resilience, how to deal with bullying, friendship and much more.

All our children are taught about the importance of staying safe online and we have very clear online safety guidelines for both staff and children and everyone signs an Acceptable Use Agreement before they use a computer. In our constantly changing world, we try to provide children and parents with as much up to date information as we can about practical ways to stay safe on the internet through our weekly newsletters and online safety teaching is incorporated regularly into lessons and assemblies.

Our Staff

Our staff are expected to act as role models at all times. All members of staff – teaching and non teaching alike – have been recruited following safer recruitment procedures. Their application forms are carefully scrutinised, and any education or employment gaps are queried. References and all necessary DBS checks are undertaken as a matter of course and we keep an up-to-date single central record which is reviewed regularly by both the headteacher and safeguarding governor, Mrs Haworth.

When a new member of staff (or Governor) joins our school, they sign a staff Code of Conduct which clarifies our expectations regarding safeguarding and child protection procedures. We also ensure that they have read part one of the Government's guidelines on Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022 and the guidance for safer working practice. Our safeguarding and child protection policy clearly sets out the school and our staff’s responsibilities towards ensuring that all children are kept safe and protected from harm. All our staff and governors undertake regular safeguarding and child protection training.

First Aid and Medical Needs

In addition to safeguarding and child protection training, a number of our teaching assistants, ASC and Breakfast club staff and lunchtime supervisors have first aid and paediatric first aid qualifications.

Volunteers and Visitors

We also make sure that any volunteer or visitor to school – which includes staff who may be running after school clubs – visits the School Office to sign in and read the school information sheets on Safeguarding and Health and Safety. Volunteers and visitors are not left unsupervised with children at any time unless they are regular volunteers who have completed a DBS check.

Site Safety

Ensuring that the school site is safe and risk assessed is the combined responsibility of our headteacher, School Business Manager and caretaker. This is overseen and monitored regularly by our health and safety governor. We have a comprehensive Health and Safety policy to ensure that our premises are safe for all. This includes undertaking risk assessments for all school activities and trips, as well as for aspects of the site.

Our Safeguarding Governor is Mrs Liz Haworth.

Gilded Hollins has achieved a safeguarding award in recognition of our commitment to safeguarding all the children in our care. Please click on the link below to read a detailed report. 

Gilded Hollins Community Primary School

If you suspect that a child / young person is being abused:

• Immediately tell the Designated / Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead or Headteacher;

• Record the known facts and give them to the above person.
   

If a child or young person tells you he / she is being abused:

• Allow him/her to speak without interruption, accepting what is said;

• Advise him/her that you will offer support, but that you MUST pass information on to the Designated / Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead or Headteacher;

• Immediately tell the Designated / Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead or Headteacher;

• Record the facts as you know them, including the account given to you by the young person and give a copy to the Designated / Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead or Headteacher.

If you receive an allegation about any adult or about yourself:

• Immediately tell the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Headteacher;

• Record the facts as you know them and give a copy to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Headteacher.

You must refer.  You must NOT investigate.