Safeguarding at St Teresa’s RC Primary School
At St Teresa’s RC Primary School, the safeguarding and welfare of our children is our highest priority. We are committed to ensuring that all pupils feel safe, valued and listened to, and that they are protected from harm both in school and beyond.
We have a strong safeguarding culture and follow robust procedures in line with statutory guidance, including Keeping Children Safe in Education. All staff receive regular safeguarding training and are vigilant to the signs of abuse, neglect and exploitation.
If you are worried about a child
If you have any concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a child, please contact the school and ask to speak to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL):
Mr D Hunter, Acting Deputy Headteacher
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead:
Mrs J Child, Acting Headteacher
If you are worried about the conduct of the safeguarding leads, you may contact our safeguarding governor.
Safeguarding Governor:
Ms K Ayres
If a child is in immediate danger, please contact the police on 999.
If you are unable to contact the school and remain concerned, you may contact the local authority’s safeguarding team directly.
Additional safeguarding guidance
It is the duty of everyone within our school community to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, and at St. Teresa’s we take this responsibility very seriously.
Harm to children is identified in 4 ways:
Physcial harm: When a child is deliberately hurt or injured
Sexual harm: When a child is influenced or forced to take part in a sexual act or look at inappropriate images
Emotional harm: When a child is made to feel frightened, unloved or being encouraged to support extremist ideas that are part of ideology.
Neglect: When a child’s needs are not being met, for example: poor diet, poor hygiene, being left alone, not attending school or not attending appointments.
Any concerns about a child’s safety should be shared immediately with the Designated Safeguarding Lead, including concerns about:
If a child discloses information to you then you must take the following action:
If you are unable to locate the Designated Safeguarding Leads, ask a member of the school office staff to find them and to ask to speak with them immediately about a confidential and urgent matter.
For further guidance, the school’s child protection policy can be found in the office or on the school’s website under the ‘policies’ tab.
If you are concerned about a member of staff, a child’s parent, carer or a volunteer you should report your concern immediately to the Headteacher. If you concern is about the Headteacher you should pass the information to the Chair of the Governing Body.
Unless the concern is related to the school, we must be informed if you refer a concern directly to Trafford’s Safeguarding Team (first Response– 0161 912 5125).
What is Prevent?
The threat we face from terrorism is real, and the Prevent Strategy recognises that we cannot arrest our way out of the problem. Safeguarding and supporting vulnerable people to stop them from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism is at the heart of Prevent.
The focus of Prevent is on the significant threat posed by international terrorism and those in the United Kingdom who are inspired by it. It is also concerned with reducing threats, risks and vulnerabilities posed by domestic extremists such as those from the far right and far left, extreme animal rights activists and those involved in Northern Irish related terrorism.
Prevent is supported by three objectives:
tackle the causes of radicalisation and respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism
safeguard and support those most at risk of radicalisation through early intervention, identifying them and offering support
enable those who have already engaged in terrorism to disengage and rehabilitate
The GOV.UK website provides further information on the Prevent Strategy.
https://www.trafford.gov.uk/residents/community/community-safety/Prevent-strategy/Prevent-strategy.aspx
Operation Encompass