SAFEGUARDING

At our school, our values of Love, Serve, and Grow guide everything we do, with a shared commitment to keeping our children safe at the heart of our mission.

Staff and Governors believe that our school should be a calm, safe, and nurturing environment where every child can flourish academically, personally, and spiritually. We aim to create a space where children feel confident to express themselves and are supported by the wisdom and love of God.

We recognise that every member of staff has a vital role in protecting pupils from harm. As a school community, we embrace both our legal and moral responsibility to ensure that every child receives the highest level of care and is safeguarded from any form of harm, fostering a culture of humility, gentleness, and compassion in all that we do.

The staff are knowledgeable about what issues may be of particular concern

• staff are fully trained

• lines of communication are clear

All staff, governors and volunteers have read, understood and agreed to comply with the statutory guidance – Keeping Children Safe in Education.

At St. Michael’s we take notice of and adhere to all the national and local policies and guidance in regard to Safeguarding Children and Young People.

If you have concerns about a child, please contact the school safeguarding team: Tel no: 0208 874 7786

Email: dsl@stmichaels.wandsworth.sch.uk

If you have immediate concerns about the safety of a child, please contact Wandsworth MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub) Tel no: 0208 871 6000 

Website: https://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/make_a_referral_to_the_multi_agency_safeguarding_hub

In an emergency contact the Police by calling 999.

You could also call the NSPCC Freephone Child Protection Helpline on 0808 800 5000.

Designated Safeguarding Lead

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is responsible for safeguarding and child protection.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead is: Angela Harris - Headteacher

The Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads are: Gemma Jennings - Acting Deputy Headteacher and Hayley Bostock - Assistant Headteacher

The Designated Safeguarding Governor is: John Whitehouse - Co-Chair

The key role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead is to:

• manage referrals from school staff or any others from outside the school;

• work with external agencies and professionals on matter of safety and safeguarding;

• undertake training;

• raise awareness of safeguarding and child protection amongst the staff and parents; and

• ensure that child protection information is transferred to the pupil’s new school;

• be aware of pupils who have a social worker;

• help promote educational outcomes by sharing the information about the welfare, safeguarding and child protection issues with teachers and school and college leadership staff.

Looked after Children (LAC) & Internationally Adopted Previously Looked After Children (IAPLAC) 

At St. Michael’s we are fully committed to the well-being of all our pupils.  We do recognise that children who are designated as “Looked After Children (LAC)” including the  "Internationally Adopted Previously Looked After Children" (IAPLAC) due to their social circumstances may require additional support.  We have designated members of staff and Governors who oversee and support this area.

The Designated Teacher for LAC/IAPLAC at St. Michael’s CE School is Mrs Jenny Constable (SENCo)

The Designated Governor Safeguarding and LAC/IAPLAC Lead at St. Michael’s CE School is Mr John Whitehouse (Co-Chair of the Board of Governors) . 

The designated LAC/IAPLAC Leads must:

• Promote a culture of high expectations and aspirations for how Looked After Children (LAC) including the Internationally Adopted Previously Looked After Children (IAPLAC) and learn;

• Ensure the young person has a voice in setting their learning targets;

• Be a source of advice for staff about differentiated teaching strategies appropriate for individual children;

• Ensuring that the pastoral support is in place to support learning and development;

• Have lead responsibility for the development and implementation of the child’s personal education plan (PEP).  Ensure interventions are in place to raise attainment and progress;

•  Monitor the use and impact of Pupil Premium Grant (PPG) focused on raising attainment and use of wider enrichment eg after school clubs;

• Working in partnership with the parents to ensure the children are developed nurtured and supported.

1st of the Month Monitoring

There are a series of 1st of the month checks which take place to ensure school compliance. They are as follows:

• Monthly ’Safeguarding Single Central Record (SCR) Check:  The SCR is reviewed and monitored on a monthly basis and kept up to date daily as/when a visiting person arrives or a new application for clearance is approved. This monitoring by members of the SLT involves checking those who have been uploaded onto the register as well as those who need to be reviewed to ensure compliance of all safer recruitment and Disclosure Barring Service checks. 

• Monthly Pupil Voice: Each month the Phase Leaders ask a random sample a question relating to safeguarding. Please refer to the link to get an overview of their responses.

• Monthy Staff Monitoring: Each month a safeguarding question is presented in phase meetings for discussion. Results, discussions and reflections are reported back to the Senior Leadership Team each month.

• Reporting to Governors: All Staff monthly safeguarding discussion questions are reported to governors and Safeguarding is a minuted discussion point where questions and challenges are presented to the Headteacher.

Children Missing in Education

At St. Michael’s CE School we have a due regard to ensure that we are aware of when children are not attending school and are potentially deemed ‘missing from education’. Knowing where children are during school hours is an extremely important aspect of safeguarding. Missing school can be an indicator of abuse and neglect and may also raise concerns about others safeguarding issues, including the criminal exploitation of children.

We will always follow up with parents/carers when pupils are not at school. This means we need to have a least two up to date contacts numbers for parents/carers as well as two additional non parent/carers points of contacts. We ask that parents remember to update the school as soon as possible if the numbers change.

Safer Recruitment

The Leadership and Board of Governors of the school ensure that we have robust safer recruitment procedures in place. All aspects of safer recruitment are followed when appointing staff and Governors to any post / role at our school preventing the risk of allegations about adults who may be a risk to children working in our school.  Any issues that are identified prior to start are acted upon following the advice from our HR consultants and the Local Authority. 

The Senior Leadership Team, School Business Manager and two governors have received Safer Recruitment Training.

E-Safety

Whether on a computer at school, a laptop at home, a games console or mobile phone, children and young people are increasingly accessing the internet whenever they can and wherever they are. As you would protect your child in the real world, you will want to make sure that they are safe whatever they are doing. Like learning to cross the road, online safety skills are skills for life. If your child understands the risks and can make sensible and informed choices online, they can get the most from the internet and stay safe.

...so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God... Colossians 1:10