Our Safeguarding Culture

Our Commitment to Safeguarding

Minera VA School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We have a number of policies and procedures in place that contribute to our safeguarding commitment, including our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy which can be viewed in the Policies section of our website.

Designated Safeguarding Leads

Safeguarding in Practice

We actively undertake our safeguarding commitment in a number of practical ways – these include:

Our staff

• are DBS checked as part of the recruitment procedures in place

• are made aware of our safeguarding policies & procedures during their induction

• attend annual safeguarding update professional learning and DSL professional learning for those in scope

• attend regular PREVENT professional learning

• have photographic ID and use appropriate sign in and out mechanisms
  
  

Our children

• actively engage with a Health and Wellbeing focussed curriculum that teaches them how to look after themselves and to keep safe and identifies safe adults, beyond the family, to confide in at times of distress or danger

• are taught on-line safety as part of the digital curriculum and this is continually referred back to in the teaching of digital skills
  
  

Site safety

• We have a main single entry-point into school, via the main school office

• All external gates remain closed, and secured, during the school day

• All children are collected from school at the end of the day by an adult. (Unless in year 6 and written consent has been provided). Please inform school if someone, other than their parent/carer, is collecting them from school

• Please inform us if a child is absent from school. We will phone home, on the first day, if we have an unexplained absence

• We ask all visitors to sign in and be accompanied by a member of staff whilst in school

• Some visiting professionals do not always need to be accompanied by staff, if we have confirmed with their employer or the Local Authority that they are DBS checked

• Accidents in school are reported to parents/carers and the Headteacher via our accident form and more serious incidents using the IRIS Reporting System

• Many staff hold a Paediatric First Aid Certificate and provide first aid support in school

Resources for parents/carers and children

• Online Safety - https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk

• Staying Safe from Harm - https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/underwear-rule

• Child Line Resources - https://www.childline.org.uk

• Bullying - https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect/bullying-and-cyberbullying