Saint Francis Catholic Voluntary Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Appropriate safeguarding is a prerequisite to the effective development and well-being of children and is therefore an underlying principle in all that we do.

Safeguarding out of hours or emergency

If you are concerned that a child is an immediate danger you should ring the police.

If you are concerned about the safety or well-being of a child during the school holidays, please contact Duty and Advice on 0116 305 0005

Designated Safeguarding Leads

Mrs Gosia Brown – Head

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)

Mrs Becky Byrne

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)

Mr Aaron Sim

Designated Safeguarding Lead DSL

Mrs Tina Culley

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)

Mrs Leigh Freckingham

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)

Key Aspects of the DSL role include:

• Making sure all staff are aware how to raise safeguarding concerns
• Ensuring all staff understand the symptoms of child abuse and neglect
• Referring any concerns to social care
• Monitoring children who are the subject of Child Protection Plans
• Maintaining accurate and secure child protection records

The school has a statutory responsibility to share any concerns it might have about a child in need of protection with other agencies and in particular Police, Health and Children’s Services.

Schools are not able to investigate concerns but have a legal duty to refer them. In most instances, the school will be able to inform the parents/carers of the need to make a referral. However, sometimes the school is advised by Children’s Social Care or Police that the parent/carer cannot be informed whilst they investigate the matter.

We understand the anxiety parents/carers understandably feel when they are not told about any concerns from the outset, but the school will follow legislation that aims to act in the best interests of the child.

Children at Saint Francis Catholic Primary School regularly use the Internet as part of their learning. Technology enhances learning, and we want to ensure that our children get the most from it, by encouraging safe and responsible online behaviour.

Get Advice for your Child online

Thinkuknow is an education programme from the National Crime Agency’s CEOP Command. It is underpinned by the latest intelligence about offending.Thinkuknow aims to ensure that everyone has access to this practical information – children, young people, their parents and carers and the professionals who work with them.Get advice for you child on the Thinkuknow website – the programme provides educational resources, including films, cartoons and lesson plans, to help professionals raise young people’s awareness.

Here are some resources to help you and your children stay safer online.

Newsround

Kidsmart

Childnet

CEOP

Better internet for kids

think-u-know

St Francis Safeguarding Policy

St Francis Catholic Primary School fully recognises the contribution it can make to protect children and support pupils in school.

The aim of the policy is to safeguard and promote our pupils’ welfare, safety and health by fostering an honest, open, caring and supportive climate. The pupils’ welfare is of paramount importance.

STA Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

eSafety

Children at Saint Francis Catholic Primary School regularly use the Internet as part of their learning. Technology enhances learning, and we want to ensure that our children get the most from it, by encouraging safe and responsible online behaviour.

In school, we use a filtering system to prevent our children from accessing inappropriate sites. As part of the New Computing Curriculum we also have regular ‘e-safety’ lessons and activities to remind children of the importance of keeping themselves safe online.

At home, sometimes children can be given unsupervised access to the Internet. This, potentially, allows them to access all kinds of society (both good and bad) and bring them virtually into their homes. How to keep your children safe online Talk to your child about what they are doing online and, if possible, set up your computer in a shared area at home so that you know what sites your child is visiting online.

Social media

Facebook/ bebo /Myspace Many of social networking sites have a minimum age limit of 13, so our pupils should NOT be using them.

Keeping children safe in education

This is a guidance document from the Department for Education issued under Section 175 of the Education Act 2002, the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 and the Non-Maintained Special Schools (England) Regulations 2015.

“Schools and colleges must have regard to it when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This means that they should comply with it unless exceptional circumstances arise.”

Department for Education – Keeping Children Safe in Education