Safeguarding

Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy

Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024

Safeguarding and Child Protection in Schools

At Our Lady of Grace we are committed to safeguarding all of our children. Schools play an essential role in protecting children from abuse and have regular contact with children and young people so are in a strong position to identify signs of abuse and neglect.

We safeguard children by:

• creating a safe environment through robust safeguarding practices
• ensuring that adults who work in the school, including volunteers, don't pose a risk to children
• making sure staff are trained, know how to respond to concerns and keep-up-to-date with policy and practice
• teaching children and young people about staying safe
• maintaining an environment where children feel confident to approach any member of staff if they have a worry/problem.

If you have any safeguarding concerns please contact the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) during normal school hours via phone (020 8858 2262) or email: (sao@ourladyofgraceschool.co.uk).

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is: Mr Sean Small, Headteacher

Our Deputy Safeguarding Lead is: Miss Tham Huynh, Acting Deputy Headteacher

 

 

Internet Safety Workshop for Parents - January 2024

As part of our commitment to E-safety throughout the school, we held an Internet Safety and Safeguarding Workshop for parents run by Ken Palmer, Safeguarding Co-ordinator on 16th January 2024

The session covered some of the dangers that children face online and gave parents ideas and ways to keep their children safe.

Parents can visit www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents for further information and advice on supporting your child to be safe online. 

Please click on the links below for more information:

Safeguarding & Child Protection in Education

Internet Safety Worksop Presentation

 

NSPCC - Speak Out, Stay Safe

Katie Fudge and her mascot Buddy, delivered their Speak Out, Stay Safe programme to the children in an assembly as well as a workshop for Years 5 & 6.

This child-friendly, interactive programme gave the children information about how to keep themselves safe from harm and how to get help if they have any worries.

  

 

Safeguarding Audit 

An external advisor carried out a safeguarding audit at the beginning of September and judged that Safegurding within Our Lady of Grace is effective.

The report stated that:

'The Safeguarding Audit confirmed that the recommendations from the previous audit had been implemented. From discussions with staff, with governors and with pupils and from documentation available before and during the visit, it is the opinion of the external advisor that the School has effective systems for Safeguarding staff and pupils in the School.'

 

Governor Visit - Safeguarding 

Caroline Malley - The Governing Body takes seriously its responsibility under section 1751 of the Education Act 2002 to safeguard and promote the welfare of children; and to work together with other agencies to ensure adequate arrangements within our school to identify, assess and support those children who may be in danger of harm.

We recognise that all adults, including temporary staff, volunteers and governors, have a responsibility to protect our pupils from harm and that the child’s welfare is our paramount concern.

To this effect we have stringent Safeguarding and Child Protection policies in place that are regularly reviewed and tested to make sure they are robust and fit for purpose. 

For example, we have recently updated our Safeguarding Procedures to ensure that any incidents reported to staff are recorded in a way that makes it clear what follow-up action has been taken. 

 

Safeguarding Audit 

A safeguarding audit was requested by school leaders to evaluate the effectiveness of the school policies and procedures in safeguarding staff and students in the school. The school website was accessed prior to the visit and during the audit, policies and other documentation were scrutinised. Discussions with the Headteacher, Inclusion Manager, Business Manger and administrative staff were held.  A tour of the school took place with the premises manager and discussions were held with pupils selected at random.

From the information available during the audit; discussions and through scrutiny of documentation it is the opinion of the external adviser that there are effective systems for safeguarding staff and pupils in the school. 

 

Internet Safety Workshop for Parents

We held an ‘Internet Safety’ workshop for parents which was run by Ken Palmer, Safeguarding Co-ordinator for Schools.

The session covered some of the dangers that children face online and gave parents ideas and ways to keep their children safe.

What our parent’s thought:

“I found the workshop very educating. Well done!”

“I have confidence now to talk to him openly about the risk he may be exposed to.”