The school recognises the importance of providing an ethos and environment that will help children to feel safe, secure and respected, encourage them to talk openly and enable them to feel confident that they will be listened to.

The school will endeavour to support the welfare and safety of all pupils through:

maintaining children’s overall wellbeing as our paramount concern;

ensuring the content of the curriculum includes social and emotional aspects of learning;

developing and implementing procedures for tackling bullying, (including cyber bullying) racist abuse, harassment and discrimination and ensuring these are included in the curriculum;

ensuring that all aspects of child protection are included in the curriculum to help children stay safe to understand what constitutes a healthy relationship both online and offline and to recognise when they don’t feel safe;

the provision of suitable support and guidance so that pupils have a range of appropriate adults to approach if they are in difficulty;

promote a positive, supportive, neutral and secure environment where pupils can develop a sense of being valued and heard and where opposing issues and ideologies can be discussed in a controlled manner;

working with parents to build an understanding of the school’s responsibility to ensure the welfare of all children including the need for referral to other agencies in some situations;

ensuring all staff (and where appropriate, other adults) can recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse through ongoing training and support and are aware of the school’s procedures for reporting concerns, lines of communication and whistleblowing procedures;

promoting their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and, within this, the concept and inclusion of fundamental British values;

ensuring that staff and other adults are aware of the Designated Safeguarding Lead;

provision of training for staff/ governors which will be updated regularly and inclusion of child protection and other safeguarding issues in the induction of new staff and other adults/ governors;

ensuring we practice safe recruitment in checking the suitability of staff, governors and other adults including volunteers to work with children;

monitoring children who have been identified as having welfare or protection concerns, particularly those who are identified as ‘carers’ and those looked after and previously looked after by the Local Authority;

having arrangements in place to support children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) having regard to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice and have identified a member of staff to work as Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO);

develop effective and supportive liaison with other agencies;

implementation of documented safguarding and health and safety Policies and procedures including the organisation and arrangements for maintaining the health, safety and welfare of all those involved with the school including pupils.

Our Designated Safeguarding lead is Mrs Claire McKie (Level 1,2,3 Safeguarding trained)

Our Designated Safeguarding deputy is Mrs Nicola Robinson (Level 1,2,3 Safeguarding trained)

All of our staff receive Level 1 Face to face Safeguarding training annually.

Our Safeguarding Governor is Mr John Taylor who undergoes regular Safeguarding training.

Further information: https://www.cumbriasafeguardingchildren.co.uk

Our school is part of the ‘Speak out stay safe’ NSPCC campaign.