Safeguarding
Overton CE Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, volunteers and members of the wider school community to share this commitment of responsibility. Our children know they can talk about their worries to an adult they trust, and they report that they feel safe at school. Parents/carers report that their children feel safe at school. This is because we have children's safety and well-being as a key priority and have strong safeguarding procedures.
All staff and volunteers are given clear guidance and training on how to behave and work with children. They are highly vigilant and report any concerns they have about a child's well-being/welfare swiftly. We will talk with parents if concerns have been noted and will keep them informed should we feel it is necessary for us to report these concerns to another agency unless the child is at immediate risk.
Should you have any concerns relating to the safety and welfare of a child either inside or outside of school you should immediately contact one of our Designated Safeguarding Leaders (DSLs):
Mrs Wyeth, Head Teacher (Lead DSL)
Mr Glew, Deputy Head Teacher (Deputy DSL)
Mrs McDevitt Inclusion Manager (Deputy DSL)
Our school's Lead Safeguarding Governor is Mrs Beth Gough.
No single person can have a full picture of a child's needs and circumstances. If children and families are to receive the right help at the right time, everyone who comes into contact with them has a role to play in identifying concerns, sharing information and taking prompt action - this includes members of the public. You can also contact Hampshire Children's Services by calling or emailing:
Phone 0300 555 1384
Email childrens.services@hants.gov.uk
Should you have any concerns in terms of Safeguarding relating to the behaviour of a member of staff, you should immediately contact the Headteacher. If the allegation concerns the Head Teacher, you should contact: Mr Mitchell, Chair of Governors, via school, who will arrange for him to call you as soon as possible.
Should you feel that your concerns have not been dealt with appropriately by the school/Chair of Governors, you should contact: Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), which can be found on the following website.
https://www.hants.gov.uk/socialcareandhealth/childrenandfamilies/safeguardingchildren/allegations
We have safe computer access, with secure filtering (via Agile ICT) and we train children and staff in internet safety. We also provide guidance to parents on online safety. (see our online safety section on this website).
Our safeguarding procedures are monitored by Hampshire County Council. Overton CE Primary School and the Governing Body fully recognises its responsibility 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 are suffering harm. We also follow safer recruitment practices when appointing new staff and volunteers. Our staff and governors regularly undertake training in this area to ensure the welfare and safety of our children remains paramount.
For full details of our safeguarding arrangements please refer to the Safeguarding policy which can be found on the right-hand side of this page. This policy explains how the school deals with child protection concerns, including allegations about the behaviour of members of staff.
All schools must follow:
- The law
- Statutory guidance from the Department of Education and Skills - Keeping Children Safe in Education
- Local multi-agency child protection procedures
The school has adopted the definition of the term 'Safeguarding' used in the Children Act 2004.