At St Pius X Catholic Primary School, we regard the safeguarding of children as our main priority. We believe that we all have the right to be happy, to be safe and to learn. We all have the responsibility to make this happen.

To view our policies in relation to safeguarding, please visit our policies page using the link below.

We will ensure that

• The welfare of the child remains paramount.
• All children whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious beliefs and/ or sexual identity have the right to be protected from harm.
• All suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly.
• All staff and volunteers working at our school have a responsibility to report concerns to the Designated Leads for Safeguarding: Mrs Joanne Cruise and Deputy DSL’s  Miss Grogan and Miss Crilly.

Areas of safeguarding

• Staff & Visitors – ensuring they are vetted, informed & trained.
• Children’s Behaviour – promoting safer & happier behaviours & lifestyles.
• Parents & Carers- promoting links & supporting families.
• Premises -keeping them safe, pleasant & fit for purpose.
• Curriculum -providing positive, life affirming learning experiences.
• Outside School- ensuring safer activities and environments outside school.

Staff Recruitment

We follow strict procedures to ensure that everyone who works with our children are vetted, keeping our children as safe as possible.

Staff Training

• Staff are trained in child protection issues and they are aware of the procedures to follow.
• Staff are encouraged to be vigilant in order to maintain the safety of our children.
• All staff & volunteers are given an induction, provided with details of who the Safeguarding Leads are and are directed to the document ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education 2020’

Child Protection with Safeguarding Policy

• All staff have an up-to-date understanding of safeguarding children issues and are able to implement the safeguarding children policy and procedure appropriately. Policies are in line with current guidance and procedures. Staff are able to respond appropriately to any:
• Significant changes in children’s behaviour;
• Deterioration in their general well-being;
• Unexplained bruising, marks or signs of possible abuse;
• Signs of neglect;
• Comments children make which give cause for concern. All staff are aware of the need to maintain privacy and confidentiality.

Information Sharing

• Emergency contact numbers;
• The child’s special dietary requirements, preferences or food allergies the child may have;
• The child’s special health requirements;
• Information about who has legal contact with the child; and who has parental responsibility for the child. Written parental permission is requested, at the time of the child’s admission to the provision, to the seeking of any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment in the future. Parents & Carers must tell us of any changes to these details.
• We take confidentiality very seriously. Any information which we hold is treated as confidential and shared on a ‘need-to-know’ basis.

Reporting Concerns or Complaints

Further to the above procedures, we have in place a concerns and complaints policy. This enables children, staff and carers to report anything they feel is of concern.

Concerns should be raised as outlined in the BWCET Complaint’s Policy

Review of Policy and Practice

In order to ensure that best practice is maintained, our policies are reviewed at least regularly to incorporate the latest statutory guidance emerge.