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Prioritising pupil safety and wellbeing.
Safeguarding
At Waterhouses C.E. Primary Academy, 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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Promoting a culture of vigilance and care - safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
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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).
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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)
Mrs J. Hulme (01538 308356)
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)
Mrs R. Linton & Mr M. Evans (01538 308356)
TMPF Trust’s Safeguarding Trustee
Mr J. Ratcliffe (01538 702355 opt5)
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.
Prevent Duty
The Prevent Duty forms an important part of our wider safeguarding responsibilities and is grounded in early intervention and safeguarding.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 Waterhouses C.E. Primary Academy, 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.
Waterhouses C.E. Primary Academy 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 Waterhouses C.E. Primary Academy wellbeing is not an add on, it is central to our development of Thriving Minds and the pathway to Positive Futures.
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.