Our priority at Stannington First School is to keep our pupils, staff and school community safe. We foster a school culture of safeguarding. Staff get to know our pupils well and are aware of the importance of recognising any concerns early. Record keeping is effective, we use a secure online tool called CPOMS. Our school works closely with other agencies as required.
All of our staff and governors have undertaken both safeguarding and child protection training and this is reviewed every school year. In addition, we have three members of staff who have received further safeguarding training.These staff are our Designated Safeguarding Leads. It is a legal requirement that schools should have a named school Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
In our school we have three members of staff who have received the training to be Designated Safeguarding Leads
They are:
- Mrs Alexandra Palmer - Head Teacher
- Mrs Angela Harker - School Business Manager
- Mr Stephen Tunesi - Deputy Headteacher
You can contact the DSL by calling the school 01670 789276 or alternatively by
emailing: [email protected]
The DSL follows the guidance laid down in:
DfE document Keeping Children Safe in Education and the Inter agency Procedures produced by the Northumberland Strategic Safeguarding Partnership.
At Stannington First School we teach pupils how to keep themselves safe in the following ways:
- Our PSHE curriculum includes statutory, age appropriate, teaching about relationships, sex and health education. As part of this curriculum, our pupils are taught about healthy and unhealthy relationships and who they can talk to if they are worried or have a concern. This curriculum is progressive, building over time
- Pupils learn about risks and how to manage them including the risks they may face online and how they can keep themselves safe online
- Our school curriculum includes building pupils' resilience over time and promoting positive mental health
- Pupils are also taught about road safety including safety as a pedestrian plus water safety
- This information is also shared with parents and carers through our regular newsletters and via the school website and class welcome meetings
For further information and guidance about
Child Expoloitation and Keeping Children Safe Online - click here.
What is Operation Encompass?
The purpose of Operation Encompass is to safeguard and support children and young people who have been involved in a domestic abuse incident. Following an incident at home, children will often arrive at school distressed, upset and unprepared for the day.
Northumberland County Council, the police and nominated Key Adults in school will be working together to make sure that school staff are made aware of an incident early enough to support pupils in school.
Operation Encompass in Northumberland
Operation Encompass was initially launched in Plymouth in February 2011 to address a shortcoming in the early sharing of information with schools. Since then several pilots have been set up across the UK, including Gateshead, South Tyneside and North Tyneside, and has proved to be very successful in providing appropriate support in a timely manner. Pilots across the UK have reported positive outcomes for many children and young people. Northumberland County Council, Northumbria Police and all schools in will be taking part in the scheme, to help provide additional new support which will benefit children and young people in Northumberland and improve multi-agency sharing of information.
How does it work?
Schools across Northumberland will nominate two members of staff who will be known as Key Adults. All Key Adults will attend specific training to the role in preparation for Operation Encompass. Each morning a police officer will review all domestic abuse incidents that occur outside of school but which might have had an impact on a child or young person attending school the following day. Where children were present, witnessed or involved in a domestic abuse incident and aged between 4 and 16 years old, the officer will send this information to Children’s Social Care. Staff from Children’s Social Care will send this information in a secure format to the identified Key Adult. The Key Adult will check their emails every day and the staff in contact with those pupils will then be in an informed position to support them in a way that is right for the child.
This information will be shared on school days during school term and, when incidents occur on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or over a holiday period, the police will contact Children’s Social Care the following Monday.
Operation Endeavour is an innovative project in which schools and colleges in Northumberland are participating, and which is run in partnership with Northumberland County Council and Northumbria Police.
Operation Endeavour which commenced in November 2018, aims to support children and young people who go missing from home. Children who go missing from home are at risk of significant harm and they may be vulnerable to sexual exploitation, violent crime, gang exploitation, or to drug and alcohol misuse. As a result, following any report of a child going missing to the Police, the Police will make contact with Children’s Social Care who will then communicate relevant and necessary information to nominated school staff.
Each school has members of staff (key adults) who have been fully trained in liaising with the Police and Children’s Social Care when required, and will ensure that the necessary support is made available to the child or young person following their return. We believe that this project demonstrates our school’s commitment to working in partnership to safeguard and protect children, and to providing the best possible care and support for our pupils.
