Totternhoe C.E. Academy
With God’s love, we seek adventure with our minds and find a home for our hearts
Safeguarding
Worried about a child?
If you are worried about a child please contact:
Miss L Jesson - Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Miss G Needham - Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)
Mrs A O'Neill - Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)
Mrs R Waters - Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)
Miss L Fox - Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)
Miss K Hobbs - Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)
You can speak directly to them or ANY adult that works in school.
Alternatively, you can contact Central Bedfordshire's Access and Referral Hub directly:
- Central Bedfordshire Access and Referral Hub on 0300 300 8585 (during office hours) office hours: 08.45 until 17.20 Monday to Thursday 08.45 until 16.20 on a Friday
- If you urgently need help outside office hours you can contact Social Care Emergency Duty Team on 0300 300 8123
- Bedfordshire Police on 101, or in an emergency 999
- NSPCC 0808 800 5000
Safeguarding Curriculum Statement
At Totternhoe CE Academy, safeguarding is always at the forefront of all that we do around the care, nurture, teaching and learning of all our children.
Our Trust places an equally high emphasis on safeguarding and child protection.
Safeguarding is taught through different aspects of the curriculum.
Online safety is taught through the Computing curriculum, following a progression of age-appropriate teaching units.
Additional online safety learning is accessed through whole school, key stages and class assemblies, eg. NSPCC Speak Out Stay Safe programme, with additional follow up activities as appropriate. Safer Internet Day assemblies and activities are delivered yearly.
Safeguarding relating to relationships with peers, families and other adults, is delivered through the PSHCE curriculum which is mapped for all year groups. Areas covered include friendships; family and close positive relationships; hurtful behaviour and bullying and safe relationships - on and offline.
Children are taught how to respond to keep themselves safe, using the NSPCC 'Pants are Private' resources, delivered through planned termly assemblies.
Road safety is taught age-appropriately, through practical activities where possible, eg. use of the annual Road Safety Week assemblies and age-related activities and our Y5/6 Junior Road Safety Officers (JRSOs).
The Bikeability Level 1 programme is offered to all Year 4s annually and the Bikeability Level 2 programme is offered to all Year 5/6s annually.
Water safety is taught through our swimming (PE) curriculum which is offered in Key Stage 2.
The safeguarding curriculum is enhanced by occasional visits and visitors, eg. Fire safety and Fire service visit; visits from Police Community Support Officers re: local concerns, keeping safe online, risks from online gaming etc.
Children are taught who are the special people in school responsible for keeping them safe, and posters are clearly displayed around school.
ALL staff build excellent relationships with the children and fully understand their role in safeguarding.
Children are taught and know that they can talk to any adult in school about anything that is concerning them.
Staff follow established procedures for reporting and actioning safeguarding concerns.
If you have any questions about how safeguarding is taught at Totternhoe CE Academy, please contact Miss L Jesson, Deputy Headteacher and DSL, through the School Office.
Operation Encompass
How Safeguarding is Managed on our School Site
Prevent - counter terrotism
If you would like some more information please take a look at the following website:https://actearly.uk/
Child Protection - Safeguarding
Child Protection and Child in Need Procedures
The first priority is your child’s welfare. There may be occasions when our concern about your child means that we have to consult with other agencies even before we contact you. The Bedfordshire Area Child Protection Committee has laid down the procedures we follow.
Child Protection Referral
Section 47 (1) of the Children Act 1989 gives the local authority a duty to investigate when it is suspected or found that a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. The local authority will then make enquiries from other agencies to enable them to decide whether they should take any action to safeguard or promote the child’s welfare.
Child in Need Referral
There may be other circumstances (which are not to do with child protection, but more related to meeting children’s needs) when we feel that you and your family may benefit from some support from other agencies i.e. social services. Before we can do this, we will need to seek your permission. We will then complete documentation relating to a common assessment framework. This will enable the appropriate services to support.
As a school, we have a statutory duty to assist social services department acting on behalf of children in need or enquiring into allegations of child abuse. As well as this statutory duty we have a pastoral responsibility towards our pupils and we recognise that pupils have a fundamental right to be protected from harm. Children cannot learn effectively unless they feel safe and secure. We therefore have a child protection policy, which reflects both our statutory duty and our pastoral responsibilities. If we have a concern that a child has been abused or is at risk of abuse, we have a duty to refer this to social services. In making any referral, the school is not making any judgment for example about individual parents or carers. It is for social services to decide whether there should be an investigation.
Security
As you will appreciate, security is a high priority in all schools. For the safety of the children we operate the following precautions:
The first priority is your child’s welfare. There may be occasions when our concern about your child means that we have to consult with other agencies even before we contact you. The Bedfordshire Area Child Protection Committee has laid down the procedures we follow.
Child Protection Referral
Section 47 (1) of the Children Act 1989 gives the local authority a duty to investigate when it is suspected or found that a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. The local authority will then make enquiries from other agencies to enable them to decide whether they should take any action to safeguard or promote the child’s welfare.
Child in Need Referral
There may be other circumstances (which are not to do with child protection, but more related to meeting children’s needs) when we feel that you and your family may benefit from some support from other agencies i.e. social services. Before we can do this, we will need to seek your permission. We will then complete documentation relating to a common assessment framework. This will enable the appropriate services to support.
As a school, we have a statutory duty to assist social services department acting on behalf of children in need or enquiring into allegations of child abuse. As well as this statutory duty we have a pastoral responsibility towards our pupils and we recognise that pupils have a fundamental right to be protected from harm. Children cannot learn effectively unless they feel safe and secure. We therefore have a child protection policy, which reflects both our statutory duty and our pastoral responsibilities. If we have a concern that a child has been abused or is at risk of abuse, we have a duty to refer this to social services. In making any referral, the school is not making any judgment for example about individual parents or carers. It is for social services to decide whether there should be an investigation.
Security
As you will appreciate, security is a high priority in all schools. For the safety of the children we operate the following precautions:
- Between the hours of 9.00 a.m. and 3.20 p.m. all doors (and gates to the main playground and pre-school) are locked.
- No cars are allowed into the car park between 8:35am and 9:05am.
- Visitors may gain access via the main school entrance and are asked to report to the office and sign in where they are given a visitor’s badge to wear. They are required to sign out on leaving the building. No visitor is allowed to be unaccompanied in school without a full DBS.
- No child will be allowed to leave the school premises with anyone other than a pre-determined person unless notification is given, to the office, by the parent or person in charge of the child, or unless their parent/carer has given them permission to leave school independently (only in Year 5/6).