Safeguarding Team and External Reviews

Children's well-being and safety are key priorities in this school. We want children to be happy and healthy and to feel safe. Our senior team, pastoral team and SENCO are 'front of house' offering a warm welcome as you arrive every morning from 8.30am until 9am and to say goodbye to families from 3.15pm.  You may be concerned about your child or another child you know. You may just want us to be aware of something that's happened out of school or in school. If you want to talk, just say hello and we are here to help! No question is too small. Our job is to listen and help. 

We have a large pastoral and safeguarding team in school. If you are concerned about the wellbeing of a child there are a number of ways of reporting your concerns.

1. To our designated safeguarding lead (DSL) Mandy Fenech or our designated safeguarding deputies (DSD) Vanessa Langley / Liz Pediani / Dominique Roach / Kate Ellison / Lizzee Stocks / Michelle Keens / Harriet Bailey. Speak to us directly or call the office during school hours on 0114 2398163
2. Contact the Safeguarding Hub on 0114 2734855
3. Contact the NSPCC for an anonymous referral on 0808 800 5000

External Safeguarding and Attendance Reviews

Report on Safeguarding and Attendance 2024

The review examined the provision which the school makes for Young Carers as part of its safeguarding duty and its commitment to ensuring the needs of all pupils are met.

Evidence was gathered from discussions with senior staff including those with designated safeguarding responsibilities and meetings with young carers and with their parents/ guardians.

• Currently four pupils have been identified as Young Carers although the school believes there are more who provide care within their families on a regular or intermittent basis. The school has an effective process for identifying Young Carers and its core value of giving pupils a voice ensures that they can speak out about their lives and the issues they face. 

• The processes which the school has in place for identifying need, analysing issues and providing appropriate and effective support are well established and work well. The constant checking to ensure that these are working well ensures that resources are targeted effectively and to good effect.

• Young Carers are provided with access to after school clubs and other activities within the school and they participate fully in activities external to the school such as school trips and events. A recent example was the arrangement of a theatre visit for a Young Carer and her family.

• The designated safeguarding lead has made referrals to external agencies and two of the pupils have an allocated a support worker with the other two on the waiting list. The school reports that accessing external support is becoming increasingly difficult with implications for the school’s resources and finances. They are developing a positive relationship with the support worker and work unstintingly to ensure that the needs of each child are met.

• The pupils interviewed were clearly aware that their caring duties and responsibilities impacted on their lives and gave as an example the lack of time to play with friends or do other things. Nevertheless, there was no sense of resentment rather a willingness to help and concern for their parents/guardians.

• The parents were very appreciative of the help and support provided by the school and their access to the external support service. They expressed concerns about the support from other external agencies  and the long waiting times for CAHMS support. They were realistic in their assessment of the impact that caring duties were having on their child and saw the school as a haven for their child where they “could be like all the others.”

• Provision for Young Carers both within the school and externally is good and the school makes every effort to ensure their needs are met in line with its commitment to all vulnerable pupils. 

• Further steps could include ensuring that all staff in the school share a common definition of what constitutes a Young Carer and a continuation of the very effective conversations to enable them to identify ‘intermittent young carers.’ Consideration could be given to setting up a support group of young carers, both those accessing external support and those who are ‘school identified’ and possibly of bringing the parents/guardians of these children together to provide mutual support to each other.

 External Safeguarding and Attendance Review

Report on Safeguarding and Attendance 2023

Summary Statement

The school has developed a framework and approach within which all of its actions to address the needs of children and the Arbourthorne community take place.  This holistic approach to health, well-being and education result in outstanding practice across the board.  The children are enthusiastic learners and the staff, in addition to displaying good levels of teaching competence, are enthusiastic and committed.

Executive Summary

• Evidence presented in the review indicates that safeguarding practice and procedure is outstanding.  
• Staff can clearly articulate the school’s approach and philosophy.  
• The Headteacher has high levels of leadership skills, which she deploys to excellent effect in enabling staff to manage those aspects of the school for which they are responsible.  
• In the current economic and social climate, it is greatly encouraging to see the team tackle difficult issues with rigour, energy and a clear sense of the intended outcomes.  
• The school is keenly aware of the rise in domestic violence and staff have a very good understanding of the potential impact of DV on families and children.  
• The Leadership Team have set ambitious targets for pupil attendance and the importance of good attendance is regularly re-enforced.  
• All pupils are constantly reminded of the importance of the need to attend school every day.  

External Safeguarding and Attendance Review

Report on Safeguarding and Attendance 2022

 Summary Statement

 ''Arbourthorne Community Primary School continues to deliver a high standard of safeguarding practice with the holistic and rigorous approach noted in previous reports still very evident. The senior managers are vigilant in responding to emerging safeguarding issues and in ensuring that children are safe in school and, in as far as is possible, out of school. Staff receive appropriate training and guidance. The views of pupils are treated seriously and with respect and have an impact on practice.

Attendance is viewed as an integral part of safeguarding and all staff are aware of their responsibility to improve pupils attendance.''

Executive Summary

1. Peer on peer abuse has moved to the top of the school’s safeguarding agenda
2. There is a high level of staff awareness of this and other safeguarding issues
3. The school has a consistent and effective ‘problem solving’ approach to safeguarding
4. Pupils are listened to; their views are treated with respect, and they are encouraged to make the right choices.
5. Staff are well trained and provided with regular information on safeguarding issues.
6. Parents are involved and supported and challenged on an individual basis where necessary.
7. Relationships with the support services are good and referrals are made where appropriate and pursued with vigour.
8. The Headteacher provides strong and sensitive leadership in safeguarding and attendance which enables the senior and pastoral teams to work effectively in these areas.
9. The rigorous attention given to improving attendance has been maintained following the return to school after the pandemic with a strong focus on reducing the level of persistent absence.
10. All members of staff are regarded as ‘attendance champions’ and the focus is on incentives rather than enforcement.
11. The attendance consultant provides good support and helps staff to maintain a consistent focus on improving attendance.''

Safeguarding Review

External Review of Safeguarding – Arbourthorne Community Primary School 2021

Summary

• Robust policies and procedures for safeguarding are in place. 

• Safeguarding is an integral part of the work of the school and practice is exceptional. 

•  The safeguarding team is extremely effective and they work well with all staff, particularly the pastoral team. Work with families continues to be outstanding. 

• Staff  receive regular training and there is a high level of awareness and understanding of safeguarding issues.

• Pupils have a good understanding of safeguarding issues and in particular the actions taken to address bullying and online safety.

• Knowledge of the local community and the needs of parents/carers is excellent.

• The holistic approach to safeguarding and the commitment to meeting the needs of both pupils and families is a key strength of the school.

• Excellent teamwork and ensuring that all voices are heard are central to safeguarding practice

Online Safety

Arbourthorne Community Primary School is proud to have been awarded certified school status in 2021 for the work it has completed to ensure that colleagues, governors, parents and children have access to the most up to date online safeguarding training.  All parents are given access to the National Online Safety website and have completed modules which educate them in topics such as cyber-bullying, protecting personal data, understanding apps that your child may use, understanding social media and its risks and benefits through a suite of comprehensive training.  This has never been more important than through the lockdown period when we provided all families with access to new devices and the internet, some having this for the first time in their home.  It has been paramount that our families are able to understand how to use the internet as safely as possible, to ensure sites are filtered and to know what to do in the event of a safeguarding issue. 

"I had no idea what my child could see on their internet.  Thank you for showing me how to add filters and monitor my daughter's use of the internet.  I have completed training which has really helped me and I now feel I keep her much safer than before."  Parent of a pupil. 

We have a large safeguarding and pastoral team, who ensure they are readily available at the start and the end of the day to be a familiar face for parents and children, to answer all questions big or small, and to support parents in all aspects of safeguarding including the use of technology.  Please see Mandy Fenech, Safeguarding Officer, for a reminder of your password. 

If you would like to talk to a member of staff in school about your child's use of the internet please ask to talk to the following people:

For support with a concern about safety: Mandy Fenech - Safeguarding Officer.

For support with good habits and behaviours children need to have when using technology: Lizzee Stocks - Pastoral Team 

For recommended websites and online tools to support your child's learning: Your child's class teacher.

For further support on broadband parental controls, please click on the link below. 

https://www.gocompare.com/broadband/parental-controls/