Safeguarding at St. Edward's

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility

Our policies are available to read under the School Policy section of the website and we also have a safeguarding noticeboard as you enter the school site. We follow our school's Safeguarding Policy and Keeping Children Safe in Education.

All staff are trained at the very least annually and periodically throughout the calendar year, to ensure that this remains a high priority for the school as a whole. A rolling 2 year training plan ensures that all areas of safeguarding training are covered for staff. Some specific staff are trained in Pediatric first aid, whilst the rest of the staff have basic first aid training. Staff receive 'medical needs' training annually and Positive handling training through 'Team Teach' every 3 years.

We have staff who are trained at a higher level for safeguarding. They are called Designated Senior Leads (DSLs). Our school DSLs are: Mrs Kennett, Miss Costello, Miss McTiernan, Mrs Kendrick, Miss Sankey and Miss Atkins are DSLs. Trevina Edwards (Family Support Worker)  also has this training. Our Safeguarding Governors are Mary Daniels and Gerard Masterson.

Staff follow 'Guidance for safer working practice for those working with children and young people in education settings'. Some staff and governors have undertaken 'Safer recruitment training' which ensures that all new staff who are employed at the school are thoroughly vetted before they arrive. All school volunteers and students have an induction so that they are aware of the expectations and also relevant employment checks are made to ensure that everyone is safe. A Single Central Register is kept up to date for all staff employed at St Edward's and this is externally validated.

Staff receive ongoing Health and safety training and the site supervisor ensures that all statutory checks are kept up-to-date so that the building and surrounding site is kept safe for us all. The Governors ensure that all safeguarding checks and training are in place.

Attendance and Punctuality concerns will be raised with parents if there are particular patterns of absence or if a child's attendance is currently below 90%. You will be invited to an online or face to face meeting with Trevina and/ or Mrs Kennett. Please be mindful that the DFE are focusing heavily upon the importance of attendance at school and we have already managed to issue fixed term penalties to a small number of families to date.

Safeguarding Paws

As an embedded practice, pupils are expected to be able to choose 5 staff members they feel that they can talk to in school. These adults are then named on each child's 'safeguarding paw' to ensure that if they are worried about something, they feel that they could find someone on that day to talk it through or report a concern.

Safeguarding in the Curriculum is found in many ways:

• Assemblies are used to promote healthy lifestyles; school mission; Gospel virtues; Catholic ethos and will often be an opportunity to address any issues arising locally or nationally
• (R.S.E) Relationships and Sex Education which is taught in line with the Catholic curriculum
• Implementation of the Behaviour Policy and Anti-Bullying Policy
• Outside speakers presenting to the children eg Loudmouth Theatre- Anti-Bullying theme
• NSPCC-Speak Our Stay Safe; PANTS campaign
• Online Safety eg Safer Internet Day; Anti- Bullying Week
• P.C.S.O link with the school
• WOW campaign (Safer Streets)-keeping children safe to/from school whilst promoting walking, cycling or scooting to school.
• Bikeability in Y3-6 to ensure that all pupils can cycle confidently and safely on our streets
• Science, P.E, D.T, Computing, R.E and P.S.H.E support the promotion of healthy eating and health lifestyles
• Pastoral programmes support safeguarding through the family Support worker, TAs with counselling training, Nurture group and the Dog Mentoring programme

Safeguarding for Parents

We understand that post-Covid, life's challenges are becoming increasing more difficult with the rise in Mental ill health and financial constraints, which are affecting us all. 

Family Support Worker

Trevina Edwards is our excellent Family Support Worker, based in school on Monday-Wednesday. Please make an appointment to see her about any concerns you may have about behaviour of your child, attendance and punctuality mental health, financial or housing worries. Trevina will try her best to signpost you or begin early help for you or your family. Trevina works with you.

School staff communication

A member of school staff is on the playground every morning to take messages and an SLT member  is also on duty. All teachers dismiss their classes at the end of the school day. If you would like to have a quick conversation with the teacher, we ask that you stay behind to ensure that teachers have safely handed over pupils to parents. Please call the school office or email enquiry@stedward.bham.sch.uk or teacher@stedward.bham.sch.uk to book a longer appointment with the class teacher. Mrs Kennett has the head@stedward.bham.sch.uk by way of feedback...positive comments are always welcome.

Operation Encompass

Operation Encompass is a national police and education early intervention safeguarding partnership which supports children and young people who experience Domestic Violence and Abuse and which is in place in every police force in England and Wales. Witnessing or even hearing domestic abuse is distressing for a child or young person. They may see the abuse, hear it from another room, see a parent’s injuries or distress afterwards or can be physically hurt trying to stop the abuse.

Children were recognised as victims of domestic abuse in their own right in the Domestic Abuse Act (2021).

The domestic violence and abuse school notification project 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.

The project will ensure that a member of the school staff is trained to allow them to use the information that has been shared, in confidence, and ensure that the school is able to make provision and allowances for possible difficulties experienced by children, or their families, who have been involved in or witnessed a domestic violence or abuse incident.

The Operation Encompass information is stored in line with all other confidential safeguarding and child protection information.

As a staff we have  discussed how we can support our children who are experiencing Domestic Violence and Abuse on a day-to-day basis and particularly following the Operation Encompass notification. We have used the Operation Encompass Handbooks to inform our thinking.

We are aware that we must do nothing that puts the child/ren or the non-abusing adult at risk.

We have  used the Operation Encompass Key Adult Responsibilities checklist to ensure that all appropriate actions have been taken by the school.

Operation Encompass