Safeguarding Our Children

Attendance

Why is attendance a safeguarding matter?

Our aim is simply to keep children safe; chasing attendance is not a matter of pointless bureaucracy. 

Persistent absenteeism and sudden changes in patterns of attendance are a key indication that something is wrong.  This is why attendance is closely monitored, and  systems are in place to deal with issues quickly and sensitively, in order to keep children safe.  Our procedures are rigorous and  absences will always be questioned.

Our staff are also trained to spot changes in attendance patterns. Knowing who is absent, and why, is fundamental to effective safeguarding.

Holiday Form

Child protection is the term used to describe the actions of certain organisations such as Children’s Services, the police and Health organisations, in their efforts to make sure children are safe from abuse and neglect.

Child abuse can be physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation and grooming.

Child neglect is a failure to meet a child’s basic physical and / or emotional needs. Failing to make sure a child is well cared for and looked after.

Child abuse can have major long term effects on all aspects of a child’s health, development, self image, self esteem and wellbeing.

All those who come into contact with children and families in their everyday work, including people who do not have a specific role in relation to child protection, have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

Child Protection and Safeguarding

Personal, Social, Health and Relationships Education at Frenchwood Primary School 

From September 2020 it becomes statutory to teach Relationships Education. Our Personal, Social, Health and Relationships Education policy is built upon our core values of fairness, respect, collaboration, courage, tolerance and determination.

Statutory Elements	Our children will learn:
Familiar People Who Care for Me	That families are important for children growing up because they can give love, security and stability.   The characteristics of healthy family life, commitment to each other, protection and care for children and other family members, the importance of spending time together and sharing each other’s lives. Families are all different & diverse and can include many types of parent.   That others’ families, either in school or in the wider world, sometimes look different from their family, but that they should respect those differences and know that other children’s families are also characterised by love and care. That stable, caring relationships, which may be of different types, are at the heart of happy families, and are important for children’s security as they grow up.   That marriage between the opposite & same gender represents a formal and legally recognised commitment of two people to each other which is intended to be lifelong. How to recognise if family relationships are making them feel unhappy or unsafe, and how to seek help or advice from others if needed.
Caring Friendships	How important friendships are in making us feel happy and secure, and how people choose and make friends.   The characteristics of friendships, including mutual respect, truthfulness, trustworthiness, loyalty, kindness, generosity, trust, sharing interests and experiences and support with problems and difficulties. That healthy friendships are positive and welcoming towards others, and do not make others feel lonely or excluded because they might be different to you.   That most friendships have ups and downs, and that these can often be worked through so that the friendship is repaired or even strengthened, and that resorting to violence is never right.   How to recognise who to trust and who not to trust, how to judge when a friendship is making them feel unhappy or uncomfortable, managing conflict, how to manage these situations and how to seek help or advice from others, if needed.
Respectful Relationships	The importance of respecting others, even when they are very different from them (for example, physically, in character, personality or backgrounds), or make different choices or have different preferences or beliefs.   Practical steps they can take in a range of different contexts to improve or support respectful relationships. The conventions of courtesy and manners.   The importance of self-respect and how this links to their own happiness.   That in school and in wider society they can expect to be treated with respect by others, and that in turn they should show due respect to others, including those in positions of authority. About different types of bullying (including cyberbullying), the impact of bullying, responsibilities of bystanders (primarily reporting bullying to an adult) and how to get help.   What a stereotype is, and how stereotypes can be unfair, negative or destructive.   The importance of permission-seeking and giving in relationships with friends, peers and adults.
Online Relationships	That people sometimes behave differently online, including by pretending to be someone they are not.   That the same principles apply to online relationships as to face-to- face relationships, including the importance of respect for others online including when we are anonymous. The rules and principles for keeping safe online, how to recognise risks, harmful content and contact, and how to report them.   How to critically consider their online friendships and sources of information including awareness of the risks associated with people they have never met. How information and data is shared and used online.
Being Safe	What sorts of boundaries are appropriate in friendships with peers and others (including in a digital context).   About the concept of privacy and the implications of it for both children and adults; including that it is not always right to keep secrets if they relate to being safe.   That each person’s body belongs to them, and the differences between appropriate and inappropriate or unsafe physical, and other, contact.   How to respond safely and appropriately to adults they may encounter (in all contexts, including online) whom they do not know. How to recognise and report feelings of being unsafe or feeling bad about any adult.   How to ask for advice or help for themselves or others, and to keep trying until they are heard. How to report concerns or abuse, and the vocabulary and confidence needed to do so.   Where to get advice e.g. family, school and/or other sources.
Mental Well-Being	That mental wellbeing is a normal part of daily life, in the same way as physical health.   That there is a normal range of emotions (e.g. happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, nervousness) and scale of emotions that all humans experience in relation to different experiences and situations. how to recognise and talk about their emotions, including having a varied vocabulary of words to use when talking about their own and others’ feelings.   How to judge whether what they are feeling and how they are behaving is appropriate and proportionate.   The benefits of physical exercise, time outdoors, community participation, voluntary and service-based activity on mental wellbeing and happiness. Simple self-care techniques, including the importance of rest, time spent with friends and family and the benefits of hobbies and interests.   Isolation and loneliness can affect children and that it is very important for children to discuss their feelings with an adult and seek support. That bullying (including cyberbullying) has a negative and often lasting impact on mental wellbeing.   Where and how to seek support (including recognising the triggers for seeking support), including whom in school they should speak to if they are worried about their own or someone else’s mental wellbeing or ability to control their emotions (including issues arising online).   It is common for people to experience mental ill health. For many people who do, the problems can be resolved if the right support is made available, especially if accessed early enough.
Internet Safety and Harms	That for most people the internet is an integral part of life and has many benefits. About the benefits of rationing time spent online, the risks of excessive time spent on electronic devices and the impact of positive and negative content online on their own and others’ mental and physical wellbeing.   How to consider the effect of their online actions on others and know how to recognise and display respectful behaviour online and the importance of keeping personal information private. Why social media, some computer games and online gaming, for example, are age restricted.   That the internet can also be a negative place where online abuse, trolling, bullying and harassment can take place, which can have a negative impact on mental health. How to be a discerning consumer of information online including understanding that information, including that from search engines, is ranked, selected and targeted. Where and how to report concerns and get support with issues online.
Physical Health and Fitness	The characteristics and mental and physical benefits of an active lifestyle.   The importance of building regular exercise into daily and weekly routines and how to achieve this; for example walking or cycling to school, a daily active mile or other forms of regular, vigorous exercise. The risks associated with an inactive lifestyle (including obesity).   How and when to seek support including which adults to speak to in school if they are worried about their health. What constitutes a healthy diet (including understanding calories and other nutritional content).
Healthy Eating	The principles of planning and preparing a range of healthy meals.   The characteristics of a poor diet and risks associated with unhealthy eating (including, for example, obesity and tooth decay) and other behaviours (e.g. the impact of alcohol on diet or health).
Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco	The facts about legal and illegal harmful substances and associated risks, including smoking, alcohol use and drug-taking.
Health and Prevention	How to recognise early signs of physical illness, such as weight loss, or unexplained changes to the body.   About safe and unsafe exposure to the sun, and how to reduce the risk of sun damage, including skin cancer.   The importance of sufficient good quality sleep for good health and that a lack of sleep can affect weight, mood and ability to learn. About dental health and the benefits of good oral hygiene and dental flossing, including regular check-ups at the dentist.   About personal hygiene and germs including bacteria, viruses, how they are spread and treated, and the importance of handwashing. The facts and science relating to allergies, immunisation and vaccination.
Basic First Aid	How to make a clear and efficient call to emergency services if necessary.   Concepts of basic first-aid, for example dealing with common injuries, including head injuries.
Changing Body	Key facts about puberty and the changing adolescent body, particularly from age 9 through to age 11, including physical and emotional changes. About menstrual wellbeing including the key facts about the menstrual cycle.

Responsibility for health and safety

Lancashire Local Authority draws up a health and safety policy that is adopted and implemented by our governing body. All staff deal with day-to-day enforcement of the health and safety policy.

This applies while your child is in the charge of school staff - whether they are on or off the school site, during the school day and outside normal school hours.

Learning Safely

Getting out of the classroom from time to time – whether it’s a week away on an educational visit or an hour-long science lesson in the school grounds – is a valuable learning experience.

Getting out of the classroom can mean pupils and staff facing hazards not present in the classroom - traffic, for example. Risk can never be eliminated entirely, but can be reduced to an acceptable level by good safety management. This enables visits to take place even where potential additional hazards exist.  All our trips are carefully planned and have specific risk assessments in place.  These are monitored by the local authority using an online system called EVOLVE.

Mrs Sazida Desai is our safeguarding governor.

Safeguarding governors are integral liaisons between a school and a governing body. They’re crucial for a number of reasons, including being responsible for:

• Ensuring a school has an effective safeguarding policy in place.
• Ensuring safer recruitment practices are put in place.
• The creation and foreseeing over of abuse allegation procedures.
• Maintaining a good working relationship between the school they represent, local government bodies and any external organisations, such as charities or child welfare institutions.
• Promoting safeguarding children training for all school staff and making sure this training is of a high calibre and up-to-date.
• Ensuring all school policies are focused on the children, considers all possible safeguarding issues and are reviewed on a regular basis.
• Ensuring that all governors complete safeguarding training.

STATUTORY DUTIES

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 places duties on EMPLOYERS to safeguard, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees (Section 2) and the health and safety of persons not employed but who may be affected by work activities such as pupils and visitors (Section 3).  Employers also have additional duties under other health and safety legislation such as the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations.

Note:     In certain categories of school the employer is the Governing Body.

Persons who have CONTROL OF PREMISES have duties to take reasonable measures to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that premises and equipment are safe for people using them who are not their employees, eg pupils and visitors (Section 4).

Note:     Governing Bodies are likely to have duties under Section 4 depending upon the degree of control they have.

EMPLOYEES have duties to take reasonable care to ensure that they work in ways which are safe without risk to health both to themselves and other staff, pupils and visitors.  They must also co-operate so that employers can comply with their statutory duties (Section 7).

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

A Governing Body has important powers and duties in controlling school premises and running schools.  However, the Authority remains technically the employer of staff (except Aided and Foundation Schools).  Therefore, both Governors and the Authority continue to have statutory responsibility for health and safety.  In view of this it is particularly important that Governing Bodies, the Authority and individual employees work together to establish health and safety objectives and to ensure that each is aware of their own responsibilities, with the aim of running their school without risk to health and safety.

AUTHORITY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Authority fulfils its responsibilities in the following ways:

• The issue of a HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY.
• The issue of codes of practice, including a School Safety Manual, as appropriate.
• The provision of a comprehensive support and advice service.
• The provision of a comprehensive training programme.
• The provision of a monitoring system for schools.
• The provision of a safety audit service.

GOVERNORS RESPONSIBILITIES

The Governing Body will ensure that:

• The Authority's HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY and codes of practice are fully implemented and, to ensure compliance, are monitored on a regular basis in accordance with the Authority's Monitoring Scheme;
• The school produces its own safety policy to supplement the Authority's policy, and that the policy is regularly reviewed.  (In Aided and Foundation Schools the Governing Body is under the duty to maintain a Health and Safety policy but may find it helpful to base their policy on the Authority's);
• A Health and Safety Committee is established or health and safety is included in the terms of reference of an existing Committee, or an individual on the Governing Body is designated with specific health and safety responsibilities.

The Governing Body is required to pay particular attention to the provision and maintenance of:

• The safety of plant equipment, buildings and safe systems of work.
• Safety arrangements for the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances.
• Appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision to assist all staff and pupils to avoid hazards and contribute positively to their own health and safety whilst on school premises.
• A safe workplace and safe access and egress.
• A healthy working environment.
• Procedures for fire evacuation, first aid cover and other emergency situations.
• Suitable and sufficient risk assessment as appropriate.
• Adequate welfare facilities and suitable protective clothing and equipment.
• Arrangements for the safe introduction of new plant, machinery, substances and procedures.

The online world offers amazing opportunities but also brings elements of potential risk and for Parents & Carers, making sense of the online world can appear to be an enormous challenge.  Unlike previous generations, the online environment is an integral part of children’s lives and therefore we can no longer consider their wellbeing or safety without also considering their relationship to technology.  However, staying safe online is fundamentally about behaviours rather than the technology itself and if approached from this perspective, we can begin to gain confidence to support our children.

The illustration below provides some useful tips for Parents and Carers when discussing the online environment with children.  

 

Help for parents
This page also contains a variety of links to useful resources which can be used to develop knowledge and confidence to support children and young people.

We have a variety of policies that help to keep our children safe.  The most important ones are:

• Anti-bullying

• Attendance

• Behaviour / Self-regulation

• Child Protection and Safeguarding

• Code of conduct - Community

• Code of Conduct - Staff

• Health and First Aid

• Equality

• SEND

Special Needs

• Hub of Hope
  Sometimes we all need help to get us through difficult times, or help us to feel that we are not alone with our worries. This website finds support services that are close to home.

• Wellbeing

• Lancashire Prevent Partnership
  Resources to promote tolerance and prevent extremism and radicalisation

PARENT GUIDE
TO ADDRESSING CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES

WHAT' S THE ISSUE

Children today are growing up in an information age. With so many sources of information readily available (but not always accurate!) it can be overwhelming for young people to make sense of the world around them. These simple tips are designed to
Help parents think about how best to support children in developing their knowledge and understanding of issues they care about.

Thinking about making sense of current affairs, as well as sensitive and controversial issues, is a key part of children's education and development. Children are interested in understanding society and its changes, but they need support and guidance from trusted and respected adults in order to do so.
 

KEY THEMES:
WHEN ADDRESSING A CONTROVERSIAL OR SENSITIVE ISSUE: CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

1.  ADDRESS THE EMOTION- FEELINGS FIRST

2. WHAT DO WE KNOW? WHAT EVIDENCE IS THERE?
3.  WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO ABOUT IT?

Theme #1 Emotion
EMOTION

Social and political issues often create strong feelings and emotions in ourselves and in our communities. We all have emotional reactions to sensitive social and political stories and the techniques the media use to report on these issues often serve to heighten these emotions.
Children pick up on feelings of anger, anxiety or enthusiasm.
It can be useful to address these emotions and why we might feel this way before we start exploring the issues themselves. A good place to start when supporting children in this process is to get an understanding about how your child feels about a particular issue. Are they feeling confused, hopeful, anxious etc.? (See Step-by step guide for tips on how to do this)
REMEMBER!

1. ADDRESS THE EMOTION- FEELINGS FIRST

2. WHAT DO WE KNOW? WHAT EVIDENCE IS THERE?
3. WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO ABOUT IT?
 
Theme #2 Evidence
EVIDENCE
When talking with your children it is important to start from where they are at, in terms of knowledge and understanding. What do they know, think or understand about an issue? It is not important that as a parent you are an expert yourself (very few people are!) Instead, it is important to support children to think critically about the stories we see and hear. This could involve:
 
Theme #3 Empowerment
EMPOWERMENT
We are often concerned or feel strongly about big issues in society, but we can also feel powerless and 'out of control'. As adults, we can help children understand that we can make a difference to issues we care about. This could include considering the following questions:
 

Tackling the Issue A Step by Step Guide

1.    Choose a news story:

This could be not that they young person is interested in, or one that you would like to discuss with them.
Ask them how they feel about the story- one way to do this is with emotion cards like the one opposite.

2.    Research it together:

This could be from a source they have found or it could be one you have chosen (or even better both)
Consider these questions when looking at the sources:

-    Who wrote the information?

-    Are they reliable and what evidence do they have?

-    When was it written? Is the information up to date?

-    Why was it written? Is there an agenda? Is the author biased?

-    Where else can you check the information?

3.    Talk about it:

Share what you have found and discuss your reaction to it. Engaging in this process and showing that you are willing is crucial! Have either of you changed your views on the story?
How? Why?
Take time to discuss what your "next steps" could be

The empowerment section could offer some initial ideas for you to explore with your child. 

Useful Links

The following sites can provide useful information and guidance for exploring sensitive issues and news stories:
@Snopes.com @Fullfact.com 
@BBCNewsround @NSPCC
@Educateagainsthate 
@lancashirepreventpartnership.org