Safeguarding Statement

At Whitchurch Combined School, the health, safety and well-being of every child is our paramount concern. Our aim is for children to enjoy their time as pupils in this school. We want to work in partnership with you to help your child achieve their full potential and make a positive contribution.

To promote a safe environment for pupils, our selection and recruitment policy includes all checks on staff and regular volunteers’ suitability, including checks with the Disclosure and Barring Services, as recommended by Buckinghamshire County Council in line with current legislation.

In accordance with our responsibilities under section 175/157 of the Education Act 2002, and Keeping Children Safe in Education 2018, we have a Designated Safeguarding Lead for Child Protection Mrs R Mobbs, who is the Headteacher, and has received appropriate training for this role. It is their responsibility to ensure all staff in contact with children receives child protection awareness training on a regular basis. We believe safeguarding and promoting our students welfare is everyone’s responsibility, we work together as a team to achieve this. We listen to our pupils and take seriously what they tell us

There are occasions when concern about a child may mean that we have to consult other agencies. Whilst we would always aim to work in partnership with parents, there may be exceptions to this when concerns are raised for the protection of a child.

On very rare occasions Social Care, whilst undertaking an investigation under S47 of the Children Act 1989, may want to speak to a child without parents’ knowledge. This decision would be made by the police and social care, we are required to work collaboratively with partner agencies and would therefore cooperate with direction given. This would however always only be done in situations where a child might be at immediate risk of harm. To gain consent at this point may increase the level of risk to the child or cause evidence of a crime to be lost.

The procedures, which we follow have been laid down by the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board, and the school has adopted a Child Protection Policy in line with this for the safety of all. If you want to know more about our procedures, please speak to the Headteacher, Mrs R Mobbs or your child’s class teacher. The Policy can be found on the website (in the policies area) and a copy can be obtained from the school office.