Safeguarding
Safeguarding children and young people is everyone’s responsibility.
All staff at Grimes Dyke Primary School and its governors are fully committed to safeguarding its pupils and vulnerable families. This includes focusing on children’s overall well-being and safety, helping children to be ‘happy, healthy, safe and ready to learn’, enabling children to have the best outcomes. The school follows closely the Leeds model policy for Child Protection and Health and Safety. All those who work in school are expected to follow all relevant policies and guidelines printed below:
Grimes Dyke Child Protection Policy 2022
The Governing Board keep these policies under regular review. They ensure the Head Teacher provides termly updates on safeguarding as part of the report to Governors. The Governing Board has appointed Stuart Bailey as a named Governor for Child Protection and Looked After Children.
All staff, governors and volunteers are all trained in Child Protection procedures at a minimum of every three years. Our school has a Safeguarding Team which consists of Louise Hill, Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead, who works alongside designated staff Yvette Chapman, Amy Taylor and Vicki Metcalf. This safeguarding team receive child protection training at least every two years. Other staff compliment our safeguarding expertise; Carolyn Farrell leads on online safety and Angela Gilmartin leads on risk assessments, recruitment procedures and staff training records.
The school has a legal responsibility to act on concerns and collate information to pass on to the relevant agencies if requested. In school, we use an electronic system for recording matters relating to safeguarding, SEN, Attendance and significant behaviours (of children and parents). This system is called CPOMs - Safeguarding and Child Protection Software for Schools and ensures our staff team communicate sensitively, efficiently and accurately around important topics. Staff are proactive in documenting concerns appropriately and our Safeguarding Team deals with such concerns promptly with children and parents. As a school, we are not afraid to have the difficult conversations with parents, managed in a sensitive way, as long as it means the children are safe and happy. We also like to think that parents and the wider community are more than comfortable in reporting concerns to us, should the matter arise.
On this day and age, pupils’ online safety is extremely important and pupils at Grimes Dyke Primary School are made aware of how to keep safe when using games and the internet including social media. We provide plenty of advice and tips on our Jotter app and in newsletters on how to support your children online, on the internet – even whilst gaming! See our useful links page for more information.
As part of all our safeguarding roles in school, we have a duty of care to ensure that our children and young people are supported after any incidents of domestic violence and abuse. The domestic violence and abuse school notification project which we are part of, has been designed to provide confidential notification to schools on any incidents of domestic violence and abuse which occur within a child’s household that might have an impact on a child whilst they are in school. After an incident has been reported, someone from the Safeguarding Team is usually notified the same or following day. See School notification project for domestic violence and abuse
We also have a duty to safeguard children from radicalisation and extremism. This means we have a responsibility to protect children from extremist and violent views the same way we protect them from drugs or violence. See our One Minute Guide to Prevent
We are committed to helping all our families especially when they need support for whatever reason. Our main aim is the protection and safeguarding of our children and young people.
In January 2023, school had a safeguarding audit from the local Authority. We’re very proud to say the feedback was really positive and some of our practice and evidence was described as ‘exemplary’!
"The audit was conducted via a face to face visit, evidence was presented by the headteacher, business manager and the safeguarding team. On arrival my ID was checked & I was given visitors leaflets and a cause for concern form to complete should I have any concerns about children whilst on site. The visit included talking to staff who were clear that they receive regular updates and training, staff were able to explain the process for allegations. Children spoken to said they felt safe in school and could talk to any member of staff if they were worried or upset. Children were able to tell me some things about what they have learnt e.g. online safety. I spent some time in the dining hall, behaviour was excellent and staff were engaging and interacting with children, on the KS1 playground children were engaged in the many activities provided for them. School have worked hard to engage parents/carers post lockdown through activities such as the winter wonderland walk. It is clear that school take safeguarding of children seriously and work hard to support vulnerable children and families. There are a small number of actions identified & I am confident that these will be addressed in a timely manner."
Carole Cooper - Child Protection Training and Support Officer for Leeds City Council