Safeguarding

At St. Werburgh's C.E. Primary School, keeping children safe is a high priority. We are committed to creating a secure, caring and supportive environment where all pupils can learn, grow and flourish. Every child has the right to feel safe, valued and respected, and we work closely with families, other educational settings and external agencies to support this. A safe environment is essential for enabling Thriving Minds and building Positive Futures, and our schools work together to uphold the highest safeguarding standards.

Our Commitment to Safeguarding

We ensure the safety and wellbeing of all pupils by:

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Prioritising pupil safety and wellbeing.

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Promoting a culture of vigilance and care - safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

3

Following statutory safeguarding guidance.

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Committing to work within the local area - all TMPF Trust schools engage with the Staffordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP).

5

Providing a safe and respectful environment.

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Carrying out robust recruitment checks when appointing all new staff.

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Teaching children how to stay safe.

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Working closely with families and external professionals.

Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) & Deputy DSLs (DDSLs)

Parents and carers are encouraged to contact the DSL/ DDSL, or any member of the school team if they have a safeguarding concern.

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Miss N. Ainsworth (01538 702355 opt1)
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) Mrs H. Bloor (01538 702355 opt1)
TMPF Trust’s Safeguarding Trustee Mr J. Ratcliffe (01538 702355 opt5)

Click to add the safeguarding contacts for this school

If You Are Worried About a Child

If you have any concerns, no matter how small, we encourage you to telephone the school or use the contact details below. Raising a concern early helps keep children safe.

To share concerns about a child with Staffordshire Social Care, contact; Staffordshire Front Door – 0300 1118007 (or the Emergency Duty Team: 0345 604 2886) For further information, visit here. If you think a child is in immediate danger, please call the Police on 999.

You can read our full Safeguarding Policy, Online Safety Policy, Child-on-child Abuse Policy, Prevent policy and related documents on our policies page.

Staying Safe Online

TMPF Trust have provided a range of resources and parents guides to the online world, including the age restrictions on certain platform.

Find out more

Prevent Duty

The Prevent Duty forms an important part of our wider safeguarding responsibilities and is grounded in early intervention and safeguarding.

What is the Prevent Duty?

The Prevent Duty is a legal requirement for schools under Section 26 of the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015. It requires schools to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism” when carrying out their everyday safeguarding functions. Prevent aims to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism and extremism. This includes:

  • Challenging ideology – Many terrorist groups have an ideology and frequently use the internet to air their views.

  • Supporting vulnerable people – Radicalisation is a process, not one event and during that process it is possible to intervene and safeguard the vulnerable. 

  • Working with key sectors – A wide range of agencies are working to help deliver Prevent, including education, health, faith, criminal justice and charities.

Please refer to the Home Office website for additional information on the Prevent Duty.

Further information

If you have any concerns please visit the ACT Early website to find out more about the signs that someone may be vulnerable to radicalisation. www.actearly.uk

If you are concerned about individuals who may be vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism or extremism:

  • Police Prevent team - www.staffordshire.police.uk/prevent or call 01785 232054.

  • Staffordshire Police call 101; If an emergency call 999. 

  • National Police Prevent advice line call 0800 011 3764.

Training staff

All staff receive Prevent and safeguarding training so they can recognise concerns, respond appropriately and act swiftly if needed. This includes understanding how children may become susceptible to harmful influences and how early help can make a difference.

Working in Partnership

We work closely with families and external agencies, including the local authority and the Channel programme when required. Channel provides early, supportive intervention for individuals who may be at risk of radicalisation.

What Prevent is not

Prevent is not about stopping children from having opinions or discussing challenging topics. Healthy debate, curiosity and respectful discussion are fundamental to learning. Prevent simply ensures pupils are protected from being influenced by harmful or extremist views.

If you have concerns

If you ever have a concern about a child’s safety or wellbeing, including worries about exposure to extremist content or messages, please contact your school’s DSL/DDSL, or the Staffordshire Police Prevent Team immediately. Early conversations help keep children safe. For ways to protect children from extremism and radicalisation, visit: www.educateagainsthate.com

If you think there is immediate danger, call 999.

Operation Encompass

Operation Encompass is a national early intervention safeguarding partnership between the police and schools. Its purpose is to ensure that schools are informed, before the start of the next school day, when the police have attended a domestic abuse incident where a child was present or linked. This timely communication helps us provide immediate, sensitive support to children who may need it.

Why Operation Encompass exists

Exposure to domestic abuse is known to cause emotional, physical and psychological harm to children. Operation Encompass ensures that children are recognised as victims in their own right and receive the right help as early as possible.

How Operation Encompass works

When police attend a domestic abuse incident, they send a confidential notification to the school’s nominated contact before the next school day. The information shared is minimal but important as it simply confirms that an incident took place and that a child may need support. Schools are not given detailed information, only what is necessary to keep the child safe and supported. This allows staff to understand that the child may be upset, tired, anxious or distracted, and to respond with care and sensitivity throughout the day.

What this means for children within TMPF Trust

For children involved, Operation Encompass may mean:

  • A quieter welcome at the start of the day.

  • Extra emotional support from trusted adults. 

  • Adjustments to workload or expectations.

  • A safe place to talk if they want to.

All support is delivered discreetly, compassionately and confidentially to protect children’s dignity and wellbeing.

All TMPF Trust schools are proud to be part of the Operation Encompass initiative. www.operationencompass.org

Wellbeing at TMPF Trust

At St. Werburgh's C.E. Primary School, wellbeing is the foundation on which all learning, relationships and opportunities are built. We are committed to nurturing emotionally healthy, resilient and confident children who feel safe, valued and supported across all our schools.

St. Werburgh's C.E. Primary School is guided by the shared values of Trust, Mindful, Peace and Friendship. These values shape our culture, guide our relationships, and inspire the supportive environments we create across all TMPF Trust schools.

At St. Werburgh's C.E. Primary School wellbeing is not an add on, it is central to our development of Thriving Minds and the pathway to Positive Futures.

Four children learning about water safety and two wearing hard hats.

Wellbeing Resources

Children’s wellbeing is nurtured both in school and at home. TMPF Trust have provided kinks to a series of resources offering activities, guidance and interactive tools to support children’s emotional health, resilience and personal development.

Find out more