Safeguarding and Online Safety
Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) - Mrs Becca Hine
Our Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead(s) (DDSL) - Miss Rachel Harris and Mrs Dawn Beresford
The safety and well-being of our children at Sutton Benger School is of utmost importance to us and we will always act in the best interest of the child. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
What is safeguarding?
Safeguarding can be defined by promoting the health, safety and welfare of all pupils. Safeguarding is the responsibility of all adults, especially those working or volunteering with children. The school aims to help protect the children in its care by working consistently and appropriately with all relevant agencies to reduce risk and promote the welfare of children.
What is child protection?
Child protection is a part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. This refers to the activity which is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or at risk of suffering, significant harm.
Safeguarding at Sutton Benger School
Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mrs Becca Hine and the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads are Miss Rachel Harris and Mrs Dawn Beresford. These staff members have undertaken Advanced Safeguarding and Child Protection training by Wiltshire's Safeguarding Vulnerable People Partnership (SVPP). All other members of school staff are regularly trained and updated in safeguarding and child protection. The Nominated Academy Councillor for Safeguarding is Mr Tony Weedon.
All disclosures from children or concerns from adults are taken seriously, recorded and investigated thoroughly in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE Sept 2023)
We also work in line with other legislation & guidance:
Working Together to Safeguard Children
Other support
More information and guidance on safeguarding, child protection, child abuse or neglect can be found on the following websites:
NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children)
https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre)
Child Line (Call 0800 1111) Childline website
Safeguarding Procedures at the School
We use the NSPCC ‘PANTS Programme’, as part of our PSHE learning, to teach children how to keep themselves safe. When this is due to be taught in your child’s class, you will receive further information about this from the class teacher. We will also provide additional information/links to you so that you can find out more and can reinforce these important messages at home with your children. As with all learning, this will be taught in an age-appropriate and sensitive manner to equip our children with the information they need, without frightening them.
P – Privates are private.
A – Always remember your body belongs to you.
N – No means no.
T – Talk about secrets that upset you.
S – Speak up, someone can help.
More information about Sutton Benger's approach and procedures with regard to Safeguarding and Child Protection can be found in the documents at the bottom of this page.
Staff and Adults in the School
Staff are advised to maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ as far as safeguarding is concerned. They should always act in the best interest of the child.
The school is committed to safer recruitment practices when recruiting new employees to work for the school or when using volunteers. All adults working in the school will have undergone an enhanced DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check. DBS checks are only one element of a wider framework of safer recruitment practices the school undertakes. Ordinary visitors to the school must sign in at the school office, be made aware of the School's safeguarding procedures and be accompanied at all times when on a visit.
ENCOMPASS Partnership
The school is also part of a project that is run jointly between schools and Wiltshire Police. ENCOMPASS is the reporting to schools, by the next school day, when a child or young person has been affected by a domestic incident.
Online Safety
At Sutton Benger Primary School, we recognise the exciting opportunities for play, learning, creativity and social interaction that the internet provides. We also work with our community to develop an awareness of the risks associated with these activities.
Communication between adults and children is at the heart of the four step TEAM approach to online safety advocated by the NSPCC:
1) Talk about staying safe online.
2) Explore the online world together.
3) Agree on what’s OK and what’s not.
4) Manage your families settings and controls.
More information can be found at https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
If you are concerned that something has happened online which has threatened a child’s safety, you can visit the Child Exploitation and Online Protection agency’s website: https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/
As you would protect your child in the real world, you will want to make sure that they are safe whatever they are doing. Like learning to cross the road, online safety skills are skills for life. If your child understands the risks and can make sensible and informed choices online, they can get the most from the internet and stay safe whilst doing so
Below you will find a few links to websites that will help you to reinforce online safety at home.
An easy-to-digest page about safe online gaming from the NSPCC.
Up-to-date online gaming advice for parents available at Internet Matters
https://www.internetmatters.org/advice/online-gaming/
Common Sense Media offers information about an ever-growing range of games, apps, websites, films and even books (including reviews and ratings by parents and children).
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/
Finally, if you need to report online abuse, the police have a page that guides you through all you need to know:
https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/
Further online safety advice
Video services such as YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram and Music.ly are some of the most popular apps and website amongst young people. You may have permitted your child access to some of these services so they can stay in contact with friends and family or because of the creative opportunities they provide.
But there can be risks. It's important that both adults and children understand the dangers involved in using video apps and broadcasting live content - and what to do to keep children safe.
The NSPCC website offers useful guidance on how to keep your child safe online when they use video.
Also, take a look at the short NSPCC Share Aware videos: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/share-aware/
For those of you concerned about children accessing inappropriate YouTube content, you may wish to consider YouTube Kids:
https://kids.youtube.com/