Safeguarding

Our Safeguarding Team consists of:

Mr Frazer Smith (Designated Safeguarding Lead)

Miss Gemma Sharpe (Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead)

Mrs Helen Reader (Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead)

If there are any safeguarding concerns, they can all be contacted during and outside school hours on safeguarding@stpeters.derby.sch.uk

Please note this email address is monitored Mon-Fri during term time and weekly during the holidays.

The Police (101 or 999) or Derby Social Care (01332 641172) will be able to help if you are concerned about the welfare of a child

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding is a term which is broader than ‘child protection’ and relates to the action taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. It includes action against bullying, including cyberbullying and online safety, treating all children equally regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality or beliefs, preventing impairment of health and development, ensuring that all children are effectively cared for, and taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

Child protection relates to system-wide procedures for keeping children safe. This includes staff training and awareness, liaison with other agencies (e.g. Multi-Agency Team, Social Care, the police), safer recruitment (including rigorous vetting and background checks on appointed staff), and protecting children from issues such as domestic violence, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, children missing from education, child sexual exploitation, racism, extremism and so on.

Specifically, child protection focuses mainly on four categories of abuse: physical, sexual, emotional and neglect. Neglect, physical and sexual abuse will also include emotional abuse, but this can be a category on its own. For definitions, see our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.

Safeguarding at St Peter's

The Staff and Governors at St Peter's C of E Junior School recognise that they have a duty to ensure arrangements are in place for Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we will carry this duty through our teaching and learning, pastoral care and extended school activities. All members of the school community (including volunteers and governors) will at all times establish and maintain a safe and stimulating environments; an environment where children feel secure, where children are encouraged to talk to adults they can trust and where children are listened to.

Keeping children safe and protecting them from harm is the most important thing we do as a school. If children are not safe, they cannot flourish, form effective relationships with adults or their peers, or achieve their full potential in life. We therefore take our responsibilities in this area with the utmost seriousness.

Parents should be aware that the school is required to take any reasonable action to ensure the safety of its pupils. 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 Headteacher is obliged to follow the Child Protection Procedures established by the Derby & Derbyshire Safeguarding Children’s Partnership and inform Children’s Social Care of the concern.

Site Security

All staff and visiting adults sign in to school and wear identification tags. The outer doors and gates are locked, and a fob system is in operation for access to the building. The site supervisor conducts perimeter checks every morning, and ensures that the site is secure.

If you are concerned about a child

If you have any concerns about a child, including in relation to any of the areas above (especially the four categories of abuse), you can call Derby Social Care (Initial Response Team) on 01332 641172. Alternatively, you may speak to your child’s teacher or one of the adults named above. All information will be treated confidentially, and we will not reveal your name to any other parent. Staff are trained to pass information on to the DSLs mentioned above, and there are clear forms and procedures within school for doing this. The DSLs will then discuss the issue and decide on what course of action to take, which may include a referral to e.g. social care. Unless we think that this will result in immediate danger to the child in question, we would also at this point liaise with and inform the parents of the child, although any referral to us will remain anonymous.

Useful websites

Further Support:

Online Safety

Mental Health & Wellbeing