Child Protection & Safeguarding

Child Protection is protecting children from identified risks which focuses on abuse at home and the wider concepts of bullying and abuse through new technologies. All staff have regular Child Protection training and the school has a designated person/s responsible for child protection. Parents/carers should know that the law (Children Act 1989) requires all school staff to pass on information which gives rise to a concern about a child’s welfare, including risk from neglect, physical, emotional or sexual abuse. The staff will seek, in general to discuss any concerns with the parent/carer and where possible seek their consent to a referral to Social Care. This will only be done where such discussion will not place the child at increased risk of significant harm. Schools will seek advice from Social Care when they have reasonable cause to suspect a child may be suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm. Occasionally concerns are passed on which are later shown to be unfounded. Parents/ Carers will appreciate that the designated person for child protection was carrying out their responsibilities in accordance with the law and acting in the best interests of all children.

Safeguarding is an umbrella term and covers many more aspects than just child protection.

Child Protection is protecting children from identified risks – originally focused on abuse at home now a wider concept to include bullying, abuse through new technologies etc

Safeguarding extends child protection to include preventing harm and promoting the well being of children.

Safeguarding is:

Safeguarding extends child protection to include preventing harm and promoting the well being of children by

Protecting children from maltreatment
Preventing impairment of a child’s health or development
Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provisions of safe and effective care
Create opportunities to enable children to have optimum life chances in adulthood.

School Policy

At Wolverton School we recognise our responsibility under Section 175 of the Education Act 2002 and the requirements of the “Safeguarding Children in Education DfES/0027/2004 to have arrangements in place to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

Through their day-to-day contact with pupils and direct work with families, staff at the school have a crucial role to play in noticing indicators of possible abuse or neglect and referring them to the appropriate agency, normally the appropriate Children’s Team (Social Care).

This Policy sets out how the school’s Governing Body discharges its statutory responsibilities relating to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children who are pupils at the school.

There are four main elements to our Policy:

PREVENTION - through the teaching and pastoral support offered to pupils and the creation and maintenance of a whole school protective ethos.
PROCEDURES - for identifying and reporting cases, or suspected cases, of abuse.
SUPPORT TO PUPILS - who may have been abused.
PREVENTING UNSUITABLE PEOPLE WORKING WITH CHILDREN

Our Policy applies to all staff and volunteers working in the school. Teaching assistants, mid-day supervisors, administrators as well as teachers can be the first point of disclosure for a child.

All our staff and governors have read keeping Children Safe in Education.

Click here to read our Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy, August 2023

Protective Behaviours

Protective Behaviours is a practical and down to earth approach to personal safety. It is a process which encourages self-empowerment and brings with it the skills to avoid being victimised.

Our staff are trained in Protective Behaviours and the children learn through a scheme of work called 'Taking Care'. Taking Care is incorporated into a Protective Behaviours week every year. The scheme originated in America and we currently use the Warwickshire programme designed by Ann Seal (WCC). The programme aims to give children age appropriate strategies for talking about their feelings and in particular their own personal safety and well-being.

We all have the right to feel safe all the time.

Warwickshire Safeguarding Children Board

The Warwickshire Safeguarding Children Board (WSCB) has been established to make the county an even safer place for children and can be found at : Warwickshire Safeguarding Children Board

Contact No. 01926 742525 / 742601

The Board has a number of duties:

To ensure that sound arrangements are in place to protect children in Warwickshire.
To safeguard children by contributing to the prevention of harm and the promotion of the welfare of children in Warwickshire.
To achieve these objectives by promoting inter-agency cooperation and collaboration.

The Warwickshire Safeguarding Children Board (WSCB) is an interagency forum for agreeing how the different services and professional groups should cooperate to safeguard children, and make sure that local arrangements work effectively to bring about good outcomes for children in Warwickshire. It replaced the Warwickshire Area Child Protection Committee.

Designated Child Protection Officers

Mrs Marjorie Dean
Mrs Jane Thirlaway