Our Safeguarding Team
At Ide Hill Church of England Primary, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We expect all those working with children, including staff, volunteers and visitors to share this common commitment.
Every organisation that works with children is required to have someone that takes the lead on safeguarding and child protection. We refer to them as "Designated Safeguarding Leads" or "DSL's". At our school, there are a team of DSL's to ensure that there is always someone available to speak to if you have a concern.
Lead DSL: Miss Alexander (Headteacher)
Lead DSL: Miss Johnson (Co-Headteacher and Willows Class Teacher)
Deputy DSL: Mrs Daniels (Early Years Foundation Stage Leader)
Deputy DSL: Mr Howse (Key Stage 2 Leader and Oaks Class Teacher)
Deputy DSL: Miss Rose (Special Education Needs Co-Ordinator and Beech Class Teacher)
Our nominated Governors for Safeguarding are
Mrs Anne Fletcher (Chair of Governors) and Mrs Hayley Andrews
Kent Education Safeguarding Service Contacts
Integrated Front Door: 03000 411 111
Outside office hours 03000 419 191
Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO): Via the Digital Front Door
What is Safeguarding?
Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.
Safeguarding means:
- protecting children from abuse and maltreatment
- preventing harm to children's health or development
- ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care
- taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.
Safeguarding children and child protection guidance and legislation applies to all children up to the age of 18.
What is Child Protection?
Child Protection is part of Safeguarding and promoting welfare. It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm.
Are you worried about a child?
At Ide Hill CE School we are here at all times to support our children, especially if they ever feel unsafe. We are also here if parents or carers have any concerns and need our help and support.
It is important that all within our community understand our duty of care to safeguard children and our safeguarding procedures. Our Safeguarding Policy can be found here.
If you would like to share a concern, we would like to make it easy. Simply click on the red button below.
NSPCC Whistleblowing Advice Line
The NSPCC has a Whistleblowing Advice Line, which offers free advice and support to professionals with concerns about how child protection issues are being handled in their own or another organisation. This site can be accessed by clicking on the image below.
Prevent
This section is designed to give parents information about the PREVENT duty placed upon schools. Look out for further information which will be shared in newsletters throughout the year. The PREVENT approach at Ide Hill is very much part of our curriculum, culture and processes. We see it as an integral aspect in promoting the safeguarding and well-being of our children. Miss Alexander and Miss Johnson are our PREVENT Leads and coordinate this work as part of their responsibility for Safeguarding. They can be contacted via the school office if you wish to report any concerns.
What is the Prevent strategy?
Prevent is a government strategy designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorist or extremist causes. At Ide Hill, we also consider and believe that this work extends to supporting children's thinking skills so that they grow up without developing extreme views.
The Prevent strategy covers all types of terrorism and extremism, including the extreme right wing, violent Islamist groups and other causes.
How does the Prevent strategy apply to schools?
Since July 2015 all schools (as well as other organisations) have had a duty to safeguard children from radicalisation and extremism.
This means we have a responsibility to protect children from extremist, extreme or violent views in the same way as we protect them from drugs or gang violence. This is part of our wider efforts to safeguard children and protect them from harm.
Importantly, as an educational setting, we can provide a safe place for pupils to discuss these issues so they better understand how to protect themselves. We believe it is important for children to have an environment in which they feel safe to discuss challenging views.
What does this mean in practice?
Many of the things we already do in school to help children become positive, happy members of society also contribute to the Prevent strategy.
These include:
-
Exploring other cultures and religions and promoting diversity
-
Challenging prejudices (behaviour which contradicts any aspect of Equality Law)
-
Developing thinking skills and a strong, positive self-identity
-
Promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, as well as British values such as democracy
-
Promoting our school vision and values of Love, Respect and Responsibility
We will also protect children from the risk of radicalisation, for example by using filters on the internet to make sure they can’t access extremist, extreme or terrorist material, or by vetting visitors who come into school to work with pupils.
Different schools will carry out the Prevent duty in different ways, depending on the age of the children and the needs of the community.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Prevent relate to British values?
Schools have been required to promote British values since 2014, and this will continue to be part of our response to the Prevent strategy.
British values include:
-
Democracy
-
The rule of law
-
Individual liberty and mutual respect
-
Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs
Isn’t my child too young to learn about extremism?
The Prevent strategy is not simply about discussing extremism itself, which may not be appropriate for younger children. It is also about teaching children values such as tolerance and mutual respect.
The school will make sure any discussions are suitable for the age and maturity of the children involved.
Is extremism really a risk in our area?
Extremism can take many forms, including political, religious and misogynistic extremism. Some of these may be a bigger threat in our area than others.
We will give children the skills to protect them from any extremist views they may encounter, now or later in their lives.
KEY TERMS
- Extremism – vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values such as democracy, the rule of law and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs
- Ideology – a set of beliefs
- Terrorism – a violent action against people or property, designed to create fear and advance a political, religious or ideological cause
-
Radicalisation – the process by which a person comes to support extremist behaviour
As part of the government strategy, the school has also created a risk assessment for Prevent which will be reviewed and updated when required.