Child Protection and Safeguarding at Boarshaw Primary
The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) at our school is Abigail Facchin. Our link Safeguarding Governor is Mary Fashanu.
Our Safeguarding Statement
Our Commitment
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Safeguarding children and promoting their welfare at all times.
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Creating a strong and positive safeguarding culture where everyone understands their responsibility to keep children safe.
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Promoting professional curiosity, ensuring that concerns are noticed, questioned and followed up rather than overlooked.
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Maintaining safer working practices and clear professional boundaries.
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Remaining vigilant to changes in children's behaviour, presentation, attendance, relationships and circumstances.
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Considering contextual risks, recognising that children may experience risks both within and outside of school.
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Promoting online safety and helping children to understand and manage risks in the digital world.
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Ensuring that safeguarding concerns are shared promptly with the appropriate member of staff and, where necessary, with external agencies.
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Providing appropriate safeguarding training and induction for staff, volunteers and those working within our school.
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Ensuring that leaders and governors maintain strong safeguarding accountability and continually evaluate the effectiveness of our safeguarding arrangements.
Safer Recruitment
We are committed to robust safer recruitment practices. Safeguarding is considered throughout the recruitment and selection process, from advertising and shortlisting through to interview, appointment and ongoing employment.
We take appropriate steps to ensure that adults working with children are suitable to do so. This includes carrying out the required pre-employment checks, including appropriate Enhanced DBS and barred list checks, verification of identity, references and other checks relevant to the role.
Those involved in recruitment are appropriately trained in safer recruitment, and safeguarding is considered as part of every appointment decision.
We recognise that DBS checks are an important safeguard but are only one part of a wider safer recruitment process.
Visitors and Contractors
The safety of our pupils remains our priority whenever visitors, volunteers, professionals or contractors enter our school.
All visitors are required to report to the school office on arrival, follow our safeguarding procedures and wear the appropriate visitor identification. Visitors will be asked to provide identification where appropriate and will be supervised or escorted when required.
Professional visitors, such as social workers, educational psychologists and other agencies working with children, will be subject to appropriate identification and safeguarding checks. Where a visitor is attending in a professional capacity, we will seek assurance that the appropriate checks have been completed by their employer.
Contractors and external workers are expected to comply with our safeguarding procedures. Where their work brings them into contact with children, we will ensure that appropriate checks, risk assessments and supervision arrangements are in place.
Parents, carers and other visitors attending school events will also be expected to follow our safeguarding expectations. We use professional judgement to determine when visitors need to be accompanied or supervised.
A Culture of Vigilance
We understand that safeguarding is an ongoing responsibility. No concern is too small to be noticed, discussed or reported.
We encourage all members of our school community to speak up if something does not feel right. Staff are expected to maintain professional curiosity and to recognise that safeguarding concerns may present themselves in many different ways.
We will listen to children and take their views seriously. We will respond to concerns sensitively, promptly and appropriately, always putting the child's welfare at the center of our decision-making.
Our safeguarding culture is strengthened through:
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Professional curiosity
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Ongoing vigilance
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Safer working practices
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Contextual risk assessment
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Online safety awareness
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Effective communication and information sharing
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Strong leadership and accountability
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Continuous safeguarding training and development
Every Moment Matters
At Boarshaw Primary we believe that Every Moment Matters.
Every welcome at the school gate. Every conversation with a child. Every concern that is listened to. Every question that is asked. Every decision made to keep a child safe.
We recognise that safeguarding happens in these moments every day.
Together, we are committed to ensuring that every child is safe, valued, heard and able to thrive.
This statement should be read alongside the school's Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, Staff Code of Conduct, Visitor Policy and other relevant safeguarding procedures. It will be reviewed regularly to ensure continued alignment with statutory guidance and best practice.
The school safeguarding team
To contact a member of the school's safeguarding team, please email;
DSL - Abiagil Facchin - afacchin@boarshawprimary.co.uk
DDSL - Jackie Harland - head@boarshawprimary.co.uk
DDSL - Sadia Riaz - sriaz@boarshawprimary.co.uk
During school holidays - safeguarding@boarshawprimary.co.uk
Deputy DSL’s in school are Jackie Harland and Sadia Riaz. If a child is worried about something and needs an adult to talk to, these are the people to go to. However all staff at Boarshaw Primary have had the appropriate level of safeguarding training and a pupil can speak to whoever they feel comfortable talking to.
All staff, whether paid or voluntary, have a crucial role to play in shaping the lives of children and young people. They have a unique opportunity to interact with children in ways that are both affirming and inspiring. All staff are in a position of trust and have a duty to keep children and young people safe and to protect them from neglect and physical and emotional harm. This duty is in part exercised through the development of respectful, caring and professional relationships between staff and pupils. All staff are familiar with local child protection arrangements and understand their responsibilities in order to safeguard and protect children and young people. All staff will immediately report any concerns regarding child welfare Mrs Facchin, the safeguarding lead.
In November, all the children took part in NSPCC 'speak out, stay safe' programme.
Named Teacher for C4C pupils is Abigail Facchin.
Our E-safety Lead is Abigail Facchin. Further detail and links about E-safety can be found on our webpage.
Our Child Protection and Safeguarding policy and other documents can be found here;
Keeping Children safe in education can be found here.
In addition to this as a school we also provide Early Help to our families.The Guide for Families document outlines what Early Help is, why a family might need or want Early Help and the types of support which would then be provided.
Information for Parents and Pupils
We have developed a dedicated Safeguarding curriculum, you can look at this below. Please look at the parent guide which explains the half termly focus, including parent training sessions delivered by school staff.
Spotlight on Safeguarding Newsletters
October Newsletter
November Newsletter
December Newsletter