Chandlers Road, St Albans, Herts, AL4 9RS
Safeguarding
The safety and well-being of our children is at the heart of our vision for all children, and enables our children to fulfil their potential, develop a love for learning and flourish as individuals and proud members of our Skyswood team.
Safeguarding is ‘everybody’s business’ and we have created a positive environment where our children feel safe in the school playground, develop care and respect for each other, and are comfortable to talk to adults should they have any concerns or worries both in and out of school. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play. In order to fulfil their responsibilities effectively, all practitioners ensure that their approach is child-centred. This means that they consider, at all times, what is in the best interests of the child,.
Social and emotional well-being has the highest of profiles within our school and all staff are committed to the well-being and positive emotional development of all children. The school is proud of our close partnerships with parents and families and promote an ‘open-door’ policy where parents are encouraged to come forward and speak to staff should they have any concerns. Our safeguarding policies reflect our commitment to safeguarding; from Safer Recruitment through to our Positive Behaviour Policy, AET Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, our Health and Safety Policy, Online Safety and Whistleblowing Policy . All staff are familiar with Keeping Children Safe in Education and there are robust procedures within the school to immediately address any safeguarding concerns.
An enhanced DBS check is required for all posts prior to commencement and volunteers/students also receive appropriate induction to ensure that everybody at Skyswood is clear about our policies and procedures for safeguarding.
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. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined for the purposes of this guidance as:
- providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge.
- protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online
- preventing the 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
- taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes
In line with the requirements of Keeping Children Safe in education (DfE- September 2024) the Local Governing Body and Senior Leadership Team at Skyswood Primary and Nursery School ensure that everybody working at the school understands their safeguarding responsibilities. All staff and governors are regularly trained with regard to safeguarding, and have a a clear understanding of their duties as set out in Part One and Annex A of Keeping Children Safe in Education.
The Designated Safeguarding Lead at Skyswood is the Head Teacher, Bob Bridle. The Deputy DSL’s are our Assistant Headteachers; Lisa Spiller and Caroline Rich. Robust mechanisms are in place to assist staff to understand and discharge their roles and responsibilities as set out in Part one and Annex A of KCSiE. All staff members, in addition to the Level 1 safeguarding and child protection training, receive regular safeguarding updates through staff meetings, briefings, e-mails and e-bulletins to provide them with the relevant skills and knowledge to safeguard our children. The Senior Leadership Team deliver regular updates provided by the Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Board (HSCB). Staff will immediately share any safeguarding concerns with the DSL or Deputy DSL and all safeguarding or behavioural concerns are recorded through CPOMS and immediately addressed.
The school carry out regular filtering and monitoring checks, including an Annual Filtering & Monitoring Report. This is carried out in collaboration with our AET IT team, the Skyswood Senior Leadership Team and our Safeguarding Governor, Mrs Sarah White. Safeguarding is a standard item on all Local Governing Board meetings (half-termly) and the governors take a pro-active role in shaping policies and monitoring safeguarding throughout the school.
Children are clear about the importance of speaking to a trusted adult should they have any worries or concerns. The school have also identified eight Anti-Bullying Ambassadors within KS2 who have received the Diana Award Anti-Bullying training (November 2024).
Positive behaviour is modelled from the moment our children arrive in early years. Our staff are mindful that our children arrive in school with a wide range of pre-school and broader life experiences and are quick to identify any children or families who may benefit from additional support. We work closely with external agencies, such as St Albans Plus, who can provide the school with professional advice and services such as mentoring, counselling or family support.
Our Year 6 Play Leaders support younger children during lunch breaks and are excellent role models for our younger children.
Our caring ethos is consolidated through our P.S.H.E curriculum, assemblies, and regular opportunities for children to work together collaboratively, including talk partners, group activities, buddy reading and wider school responsibilities, such as our School Council. Online safety is a key part of our PSHE curriculum throughout the school and we use the Project Evolve Online Safety resources to support our delivery of online safety.
Pupil voice is of great importance to everybody at Skyswood Nursery and Primary School. Each class is seen as a School Council in itself. All children get the opportunity to discuss ideas and make a positive contribution to the ethos and development of our school. School Council representatives meet every month with the head teacher. Classes organise pre-School Council meetings to ensure every child’s voice is heard, and post-School Council meetings where the class representatives feed back on key initiatives and projects within the school.
Teachers are aware of the significance of their day-to-day feedback to all children and understand that positive self-esteem enables children to feel safe, take risks, apply a growth mindset to their learning and recognise the importance of care and respect for all. Great emphasis is placed on ‘effort’ and our growth mindset philosophy. Praise and rewards are sensitively and carefully judged to ensure that all children feel equally valued. Our support staff are a major strength within the school and our children are comfortably and positive when working alongside teaching assistants or learning support assistants. Support staff play a strategic role within the school and we have established a stigma-free learning environment where our most vulnerable children receive the appropriate level of support but all children benefit from opportunities of working alongside support staff.
The school have a no-tolerance approach to any form of prejudice or bullying and our commitment to providing a fully inclusive learning environment is clearly evident throughout the school. Our key values of kindness, curiosity, respect and resilience under-pin our curriculum and help to shape the positive ethos that exists within the school.
Support Services
We liaise with outside agencies, for example, the School Doctor and Nurse, the Speech Therapist, the Dentist, the Educational Welfare Officer, the Police and Social Services for the benefit of the children.
Child Protection
The school works in partnership with parents to support children in every way possible. However, the Children Act 1989 places a clear responsibility on schools to ensure that they work together with other agencies to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children. Our school is part of Operation Encompass where we work in partnership with Hertfordshire Constabulary to ensure children affected by domestic abuse are appropriately supported (OE Safeguarding Statement can be accessed at the bottom of this page). If concerns are raised within the school or a child or parent reports a situation involving possible abuse, we would not be able to guarantee confidentiality. It would have to be referred on to the Child Protection Team at Hertfordshire County Council. This is in line with Government and Hertfordshire policy.
Advice for Parents Handout Sheet
Herts for Learning Instagram Guidance
Operation-Encompass-Safeguarding-Statement-1
