At Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School, we adopt a child centred and coordinated approach to safeguarding as outlined in Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024 and our school policy.
Child Protection Policy 2024-25
Keeping Children safe in Education
https://www.google.com/search?q=keeping+children+safe+in+education+2024&rlz=1C1GCEA_enGB1114GB1114&oq=keepinf+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCQgBEAAYChiABDIGCAAQRRg5MgkIARAAGAoYgAQyDwgCEC4YChiDARixAxiABDIJCAMQABgKGIAEMgwIBBAuGAoYsQMYgAQyDAgFEC4YChixAxiABDIJCAYQABgKGIAEMg8IBxAuGAoYgwEYsQMYgAQyDAgIEC4YChixAxiABDIJCAkQABgKGIAE0gEKMTA2ODlqMGoxNagCCLACAQ&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
1. School and our staff are an important part of the wider safeguarding system for children. This system is described in statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children.
2. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families have a role to play. In order to fulfil this responsibility effectively, all practitioners make sure their approach is child-centred. This means that they consider, at all times, what is in the best interests of the child.
3. 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.
4. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:
• protecting children from maltreatment;
• preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development;
• ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
Our Designated Safeguarding Leads are: Mrs Mousley (headteacher) and Mrs Murphy (deputy headteacher). Our Deputy Safeguarding Lead is Mr O’Keefe and our Safeguarding Link Governor is Mr George MacKenzie
Talk to the NSPCC Campaign
For advice and support about a child or to report a concern about a child, talk to the NSPCC. You don’t have to say who you are and the call is free. Call 08088005000
Cells – it’s up to you September 2023
Year 6 pupils were involved in a full day of activities including learning about: bullying, preventing criminality, county lines, criminal exploitation, the age of criminal responsibility and life inside a prison.
Safer Internet Day February 2024
The children worked in classes hearing messages about internet safety, the importance of keeping passwords safe and other relevant messages connected with key messages about keeping safe when using the internet.
GANGS (Get Away ‘N’ Get Safe) programme
In October 2023 Y6 children in year6 participated in the GANGS (Get Away ‘N’ Get Safe) programme. The GANGS programme is an intensive 5 session educational, preventative and diversionary programme which aims to educate young people on the dangers of the gang lifestyle for the individual, their families and the wider community. The content covers issues such as joint enterprise, consequences, retaliation, victims and criminal exploitation.
The GANGS programme empowers young people to make informed decisions about their current or future associates and lifestyle, thus reducing the potential risks of gang related behaviour.
The programme used presentations, role play, music and videos to engage the children whilst continually sending out the message, “Get Away ‘N’ Get Safe”.
Operation Encompass
“In conjunction with Merseyside Police, Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School is involved in an initiative called Operation Encompass. The purpose of Operation Encompass is to safeguard and support children and young people who have been involved in, heard or witnessed a domestic abuse incident. Following such an incident, children will often arrive at school distressed, upset, worried and unprepared. Operation Encompass aims to ensure that appropriate school staff (called Key Adults) are made aware early enough to support children and young people in a way that means they feel safe and included.
At Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School our Key Adult for Operation Encompass is Mrs Mousley – Headteacher
This is a valuable initiative that means we can continue to support and help children and families within our school community when they need it the most.
School has a dedicated email address where operation encompass notifications are sent, this email account is monitored daily.
You can find our more by visiting www.operationencompass.org or by contacting our Key Adult.”
Tackle Child Abuse
You may be aware of information published by the DfE regarding the ‘Tackle Child Abuse’ campaign. It revisits the key message that safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility. The campaign is regularly being aired on local radio stations.
Pleas follow the link to view the DFE publication
https://tacklechildabuse.campaign.gov.uk/
NSPCC ‘Speak Out Stay Safe’Talk
NSPCC have a very good website which gives lots of help, support and advice on how to keep your child safe on line. Their parental brochure ‘A parents’ guide to being Share Aware’ is particularly good.
Talk to your child;
- It gives practical subjects to talk to your child about:’personal information’, information about usernames, what photos and images are ok to share, information you share with friends online.
- It gives advice on things to do; check out the sites your child accesses, over time go over safety points with your child checking to see if they still understand safety aspects.
Getting the family involved
- Find out which sites are suitable and who can use them
- Set limits on when your child can and can’t use the internet eg Meal times, bedtime etc
- Use parental controls
- Do your children need to ask permission to download APPS/games?
- Regularly review what your child is playing/accessing
Safety starts with Parents
Parents can help their child by simply setting a good example online, your child does notice how parents act and follow your lead.
- Things to do; use parental controls, talk to your child about how to report things on websites and how to block people and content.
- Call O2 and NSPCC helpline on 08088005002 for advice and support
Below are a more links to some very useful information regarding e-safety for parents, carers and children.
Think U Know – containing internet safety advice for those aged from 5 to 16, along with parents and teachers, this site is produced by CEOP (the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre).
Kidsmart – An award-winning internet safety programme for children.
Know IT All – lots of useful advice for keeping yourselves and your children safe on the Internet.
Bullying UK – Information and advice about bullying for children, parents and schools.
Kidscape – An organisation which helps to prevent bullying and child abuse.
Childline – ChildLine is the free helpline for children and young people in the UK.
BBC Stay Safe – Test your Internet safety knowledge with Hacker and help the Horrible Histories gang stay safe online.
Net Smartz Kids– Click on the image opposite to visit the Net Smartz Kids website for lots of e-safety activities.
Childnet International – website to “help make the Internet a great and safe place for children”.
Useful Links for Parents
The internet for many parents can be a daunting place but to our children it is a necessity of life. Access to the internet has never been so vast and continues to spread with the increasing popularity of tablets devices and access through mobile phones. To support you in protecting your child on line there are some useful links below to sites with tips and guidance:
CEOP (Child On-Line Protection) Parents and Carers Area
This site offers advice and guidance for all types of online behaviours be it on line gaming, social networking, sharing and much more. Your children will be familiar with the child version of this site as it used in school you could perhaps ask them to help you with navigating through it.
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/
A Parents’ Guide to Facebook
Would you know whether your son/ daughters profile is set to public or private? Would you know how to check? Do you know what POS stands for when children are online chatting (Parent Over Shoulder)? Do you know what Phishing is? Facebook is very popular amongst young people (and many adults) this guide is produced annually to keep parents up to date with tips for keeping their children safe when using Facebook and informing them of the latest trends for Facebook usage.
http://www.connectsafely.org/pdfs/fbparents.pdf
Share, Take Care: tips for parents
This short guide will help you to make sure your teen stays safe and happy online.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/parents-safety