Safeguarding

We, at Dene Academy, are fully committed to ensuring that your child is safe whilst with us. We recognise our responsibility to protect and safeguard the welfare of the children and young people entrusted to our care by establishing a safe environment in which children can learn and develop.

“Leaders have made sure that there are high-quality systems in place to safeguard and protect pupils from harm.” Ofsted 2018

The staff and Governing Body are committed to establishing and maintaining an environment where children feel secure, are encouraged to talk, and are listened to. We ensure that children know that there are adults in the school who they can approach if they are worried and that the principles of confidentiality are made clear to children and young people. The school promotes a positive, supportive and secure ethos, giving pupils a sense of being valued.

We recognise that because of the day to day contact with children, staff in school are well placed to observe the signs of possible abuse and therefore need to be constantly vigilant. The Pastoral Team work closely with other agencies in protecting children from harm and in responding to concerns about possible abuse, including the Police, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Educational  Psychology Service and other agencies/services coming into school  to support individual pupils/groups of pupils.

As well as making every effort to ensure that the school site is safe and secure, there are stringent checks made on all applicants for posts at the school. All staff have been trained in Child Protection: all adults are fully aware of their duty of care and receive regular training and updates.

More information can be found in our Safeguarding Policy on the Policies & Procedures page.

Please note, there is a distinction between:

1. a concern about the quality of an aspect of school provision;
2. a complaint;
3. an allegation against an adult working with children.

In the case of an allegation, it may relate to someone working with children who has:

• behaved in a way that has harmed or may harm a child;
• possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child, or;
• behaved in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to children (‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ March 2015).

Anyone with a concern about a child’s safety and well-being can contact Children’s Social Care to make a referral directly at First Contact on 03000 267979

Appendix A – Universal services and specialist support staff.

Appendix B – Safeguarding and Child Protection training details.