Building a Safeguarding Culture

Posted August 12th, 2021.

Our Commitment To Safeguarding

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play. In order to fulfil this responsibility effectively, all practitioners should make sure their approach is child-centred. This means that they should consider, at all times, what is in the best interests of the child. No single practitioner can have a full picture of a child’s needs and circumstances. If children and families are to receive the right help at the right time, everyone who comes into contact with them has a role to play in identifying concerns, sharing information and taking prompt action. St Christopher’s is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We have a number of policies and procedures in place that contribute to our safeguarding commitment, including our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy which can be viewed in the Policies section of our website.

Designated Safeguarding Leads

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is Vicky Stephens.

Our Deputy DSL is Amy Woodward.

Our SGC member with a safeguarding responsibility is Jenni Wheldon.

All members of the safeguarding team can be contacted via the school office.

Safeguarding in practice

We actively undertake our safeguarding commitment in a number of practical ways – these include:

Our staff

are DBS checked as part of the recruitment procedures in place
are made aware of our safeguarding policies & procedures during their induction
attend annual safeguarding update training
have photographic ID and use key code entry

Our children

actively engage with a PSHE curriculum that teaches them how to look after themselves and to keep safe and identifies safe adults, beyond the family, to confide in at times of distress or danger
are taught on-line safety as part of EYFS curriculum

Site safety

All external gates remain closed, and secured, during the school day
All children are collected from school at the end of the day by an adult. Please inform school if someone, other than their parent, is collecting them from school
Please inform us if a child is absent from school. We will phone home, on the first day, if we have an unexplained absence
We ask all visitors to sign in and be accompanied by a member of staff whilst in school. Visitors are provided with safeguarding information on arrival and a copy can be found below.
Personal mobile phones and recording devices are not permitted in the classrooms while children are present.
Some visiting professionals do not always need to be accompanied by staff, if we have confirmed with their employer that they are DBS checked
Accidents in school are reported to parents and the EYFS Leader via our accident form
Many staff hold a Paediatric First Aid Certificate and provide first aid support in school

Visitors Safeguarding Leaflet Download

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