Safeguarding at Wyndham

Wyndham Primary School is committed to safeguarding and safer recruitment, for all its pupils. We have four trained designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) in school. Please see below. Our DSLs provide support to staff members to carry out their safeguarding duties and liaise with other services as and when necessary. We invest in Clennell Education Solutions consultancy who provide support, training and external scrutiny of our safeguarding policy and procedures. Our Governor with responsibility for Safeguarding is Mrs Todd.  

• DSL Lead - Miss Coulter - Deputy Head teacher
• DSL Deputy -  Miss Chisholm - Executive Headteacher
• DSL Deputy - Lizzie Tetley - Attendance and Welfare Officer
• DSL Deputy- Mr Clayton - KS1 Lead

All staff at Wyndham Primary School understand our responsibility to protect and safeguard the welfare of the children entrusted in our care, and establishing a safe environment in which children can learn, develop and flourish. We fully understand that promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility and have clear systems in place to ensure our procedures are highly effective. All policies and procedures in reference to Safeguarding and Child Protection are reviewed annually. We support all of our pupils by addressing safeguarding and child protection in the curriculum, pastoral activities and in the management of the school, and by empowering and enabling staff to be vigilant for vulnerable students through regular, ongoing training and the dissemination of information. We also involve our pupils in regular assemblies with visiting agencies and workshops which will enable them to stay safe online, in school and at home. 

We are aware of our responsibilities to closely monitor the progress, achievement and emotional well-being of our Looked After Children.  We also have clear policies and procedures for children missing or at risk of becoming missing from education.  

There is a strong culture of safeguarding throughout the school.  In addition to regular safeguarding updates as part of daily school life, all staff members have annual safeguarding and child protection training and are aware of the referral process they should follow if they have a concern about a child’s welfare.  We have a thorough Safeguarding Induction for all new staff and volunteers. Everyone working within our school, whatever their role, is acutely aware that issues to do with the protection of children are of the highest possible importance. Trust underpins everything that we do in school. The parents of our pupils entrust the care of their children to us and together we are all responsible for their well-being.  

In relation to safeguarding, Wyndham Primary School aims to: 

• Prevent the impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development, 

• Protect children from maltreatment 

• Ensure that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care 

• Take action to enable all children to have the best outcomes. 

Our DSL Lead and the School Business Manager receive annual safer recruitment training. 

Child Protection

In cases where the school has reason to be concerned that a child may be subject to ill- treatment, neglect or other forms of abuse, the Designated Safeguarding Lead may report this concern to Children’s Services and/or other appropriate agencies. 

Please remember that when the school refers a concern about a child to Children’s Services, it is not accusing the parents of abuse but requesting that further investigation takes place to establish whether a child is at risk. 

Concerns About a Child 

If you are concerned about the safety or welfare of a child, please speak to a Designated Safeguarding Lead in school. 

You can also contact Newcastle Children's Social Care on: 

Telephone: 0191 277 2500 

Emergency Duty Team: 0191 278 7878 

In an emergency please contact the police on 999. 

You could also seek advice from NSPCC. 

Telephone: 0808 800 5000 

Text: 88858 (This service is free and they will try to text you back within three hours.) 

Email: help@nspcc.org.uk 

When reporting a concern please remember to: 

• Provide as much information as you can about the child and the concerns you have. 

• If you have any details that can help to identify the child, such as their name or address, please share them too. 

• If you’re requesting information, please tell us what you want it for. 

Children's Safeguarding

Pupil voice 

At Wyndham we believe our children play a vital role in Safeguarding at school and it is important to give them opportunities to share their voice. We have created a child friendly policy with our children that is displayed in every classroom. 

We also provide children with a Safeguarding questionnaire to share their thoughts and any concerns about safeguarding in school  

Safeguarding in our curriculum 

We offer a secure and encouraging environment where children feel safe and their spiritual, moral and cultural development is enhanced through the delivery of our whole school curriculum, including our PSHE/RE curriculum, core values, work with external agencies, charities and the local community.  Please see the document below and the curriculum section of our website for further information. 

Mental Health and Well-being 

As a healthy school we promote the health and well-being of all our pupils in school. We fully understand the role we must help children to succeed and support them to be resilient and mentally healthy. We are aware that children can experience a range of events both happy and sad throughout their time at school. Staff at school are sensitive and skilled at working with children who may have experienced adverse childhood experiences. 

At Wyndham Primary school we have a range of support that children and families can access. We aim to work closely with parents, carers and other professionals to ensure we provide timely interventions to meet mental health needs.  

Our Welfare Officer runs a nurture club at lunchtime where children who are dysregulated or having a tricky day can come and unwind, chat and play in a small group. We also have a school counsellor that works with a small group of children weekly, we have a waiting list in school. If you would like more information about this please contact Lizzie Tetley (Welfare officer).  

Internet Safety

Talking to your child is one of the best ways to keep them safe. 

The Internet and use of technology is an essential element in 21st century life for education, business and social interaction. At Wyndham we are committed to using technology to enhance and enrich the teaching and learning experience throughout the school. In doing this we aim to educate pupils in the benefits of using technology but also to understand its weaknesses and potential danger. We understand that in today’s digital age, ensuring the online safety of our children is more crucial than ever. The internet offers incredible opportunities for learning and growth, but it can also present risks. By prioritising online safety, we can create a secure environment where children can explore, learn, and connect without fear. Our commitment to safeguarding children online helps protect their well-being and fosters a positive, enriching digital experience. 

To help educate both parents and children in this regard we will post news articles and resources that we think useful. The Childs net website is another great Safeguarding resource worth bookmarking.  

Operation Encompass

Wyndham Primary School takes part in Operation Encompass – This means that information from the police/social care regarding domestic incidents is shared with school. Therefore we can ensure that children are readily supported in school.  

The school lead for Operation Encompass is Lizzie Tetley (Attendance and Welfare Officer). 

To find out more about Operation Encompass, click the link below. 

Safer Recruitment

Wyndham Primary School is fully committed in ensuring that staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children and young people. It is a vital part of creating a safe and positive environment and making a commitment to keep children safe from harm. We adopt and follow the following: 

• safeguarding and protecting all children and young people by implementing robust safer recruitment practices.
• identifying and rejecting applicants who are unsuitable to work with children and young people.
• responding to concerns about the suitability of applicants during the recruitment process.
• responding to concerns about the suitability of employees and volunteers once they have begun their role.
• ensuring all new staff and volunteers participate in an comprehensive induction which includes child protection and safeguarding.
• providing staff with a list of the supporting procedures and policies that link to safeguarding.
• a lanyard system is in place to help children and staff distinguish employees from visitors and also to identify safe adults in school.

Photographs and Consent

We recognise that parents may wish to record events such as school plays, sports days etc. to celebrate their child’s achievements. Unfortunately, we do ask that parents do not take photographs/videos at school events as these images often include more than your own child.

We do however, endeavour where possible to provide opportunities for parents to take photographs of their own child after an event.

We will obtain consent from Parents/Carers to confirm for the use of all imagery of pupils around school and on school media platforms. If you wish to amend you consent please complete the form below and return the the school office.