About Us

• Welcome Letter

• Aims & Values
• Disability Equality Scheme
• Exam Results
• Ofsted Inspection
• Online Prospectus
• Term Dates 2008/2009

School Policies

• Anti-Bullying Policy
• Bad Weather Policy
• Child Protection Policy
• Drug policy
• Internet Use Policy
• No Smoking Policy
• Teaching and Learning Policy
• Whole School Confidentiality Policy
• Whole School Food Policy
• Whole School Packed Lunch Policy

Child Protection Policy

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Reviewed by Gov Body: TLP Cttee 12 May 2008
Approved or to amend: A staff prevention section to be added
Review date: Next meeting of Inclusion Cttee then 2009

The King Edward VI School believes that students have a fundamental right to be protected from harm and that they cannot learn unless they feel secure. We also believe that all staff working in school have a right to personal support and guidance concerning the protection of students. The school fully recognises its responsibilities for child protection. This policy applies to staff, school improvement staff and other agencies who work in our school.


Our school aims to provide an environment in which;

• Students feel secure and happy
• Their views and opinions are valued
• Students are encouraged to talk and know they will be listened to

Our school manages this by ensuring that students are supported by adults throughout their time in our school.

• We provide support and guidance to students so that they have a range of appropriate adults whom they feel confident to approach if they are experiencing difficulties.
• Each year group has a Year Leader/Assistant Year Leader and form tutors who know students very well.
• We have a Student Support Area with a range of services for students to access support and feel secure. Students are encouraged to talk if they are worried.
• We develop partnerships/working relationships with parents/carers so that they have an understanding of the school’s statutory responsibility to ensure the welfare and safety of all students, which might include referrals to Social Services in suspected child abuse cases.
• We have employed a Home School Link Worker to develop positive relationships with students/parents/carers and provide information for them.
• We practice safe recruitment in checking suitability of staff and volunteers to work with students.
• We develop positive inter-agency links with Social and Health Services to ensure effective and appropriate referrals.
• We have established a Youth Strategy, which is composed of professionals from education, the Education Welfare Service, Educational Psychological Service, Police, Health and Social Services.
• We ensure that our curriculum provides opportunities to students to help them to express feelings, be assertive, raise self-esteem, be safe, develop an awareness of potential risks to health and well-being, and understand that they have an entitlement to say ‘no’ on occasions which make them feel uncomfortable. This is particularly promoted via our PLC and Learning Focus programme.
• All staff, teaching and non-teaching, and where appropriate, other helpers and volunteers, receive guidance and training in child protection issues in order to ensure their vigilance in recognising abuse and appropriate procedures for dealing with it. This is done on an annual basis to all staff at the start of the academic year at staff meetings or when appropriate at other times. eg. NQT staff in induction brief guidance is in the staff planner.
• Our designated members of staff with responsibility for Child Protection issues with working knowledge of Northumberland Child Protection Committee procedures for reporting and handling child abuse cases are Mr Ramsay and Mrs Reeman. All staff and governors can name the designated personnel. The designated Governor is John Cowell.
• The school ensures that the designated staff are appropriately trained and encouraged to have positive working relationships with Social and Health Services to ensure effective inter-agency approach. (Mrs Reeman was trained in February 2005) Ms Gilholm has also attended courses.
• The designated persons are enabled to participate fully in child protection conferences and understand procedures for reporting after conferences. The designated teacher’s role is to ensure that locally established procedures are followed, and to act as a channel of communicating to the school staff, teaching and non-teaching, or students themselves about individual students.

All staff will be familiar with the white booklet “The role for schools in implementing the NCPC procedures”. Copies are available from the designated person.

All staff will know where to access the NCPC handbook “Procedures for the management of Cases of Child Abuse”. (A copy is kept by Ms Gilholm in the Student Support Area)

All staff will be aware of Appendix C17 of the LMS Manual of Personnel Practice and Procedure, which deals with procedures for allegations against members of school staff (copies of which are in the General Office and the HR Manager’s Office).

Headteachers and designated staff will be familiar with DfEE circular 10/95 “Protecting Children From Abuse”. The following categories of abuse are recognised for the purposes of the child protection register:

• Neglect: persistent or severe failure to provide for a child an adequate standard of physical and/or emotional care, or failure to protect a child from any kind of danger, resulting in the significant impairment of the child’s health or development, including failure to thrive;
• Physical injury: physical injury which has been inflicted or knowingly not prevented, including deliberate poisoning, suffocation and Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy;
• Sexual abuse: The involvement of dependent, developmentally immature children and adolescents in sexual activities which they do not fully comprehend, to which they are unable to give informed consent, or which violate the sexual taboos of family roles.
• Emotional abuse: The severe adverse effect on the emotional, physical or behavioural development of a child, or on the child’s health, including failure to thrive, as a result of persistent or severe emotional ill-treatment or rejection.

(Section 2.2 Northumberland Child Protection Committee Procedures)

The designated teacher will ensure that all staff, through training and discussion, are familiar with the above categories including signs and symptoms for recognising possible abuse, and understand and can carry out the detailed procedures outlined in the white booklet for reporting concerns.

• Report any suspicious injury dialogue no matter how small to the designated teacher
• Never mention to parents what a student has disclosed before reporting to the designated person and social services
• Never investigate further or take action beyond that agreed in the procedures established by the NCPC

Although bullying is a form of abuse, bullying behaviour is not usually reportable through Child Protection procedures in the same way as Child Abuse. Our school has a separate policy on bullying.


If the designated person is offsite, staff should report any concerns to Ms Gilholm or the relevant Learning Co-ordinator or Year Leader.

If allegations or suspicions are made against a member of staff, these must be reported to the headteacher who must consult with the relevant Education Officer in the Education Support Division at County Hall (currently Ian Harbottle) and follow the procedures outlined in Appendix C17 of LMS Manual.

In the case where the headteacher or designated person is suspected, the staff member should report to the second designated person or the deputy headteacher, or the most senior teacher present who must consult with the relevant Education Officer and follow the procedures outlined in Appendix C17 of LMS Manual. Child Protection work necessarily involves the handling of confidential information and all staff will receive training in dealing with such information. How to deal with disclosure and subsequent confidentiality will be included in staff training, (Day 1 or staff meeting) and in Staff Planner. Staff who receive information about children/pupils and their families in the course of their work will share that information only within professional contexts, where appropriate.


The designated teacher will maintain records relating to Child Protection issues in school in liaison with Ms Gilholm (HSLW). Initial referral form (attached) will be used and other records including working notes of discussions and concerns raised both by staff and children/students, as well as records of child protection conferences and other meetings. All records are held confidentially in a secure location, separate from the main student files, and locked and shared only on a strictly need to know basis. (Ms Gilholm’s office) The designated persons will determine what information is required by relevant staff. The name of student and details will only be known by staff who work with that student. (Detailed guidance G44/98 “Child Protection Records and Other Material Held in School”)


The school recognises that involvement in such situations may be particularly difficult and stressful for staff, and will take steps to ensure that appropriate support and guidance is made available to all staff including the designated teacher. This will be organised by the Deputy Headteacher, Mr Wilkinson.


Staff training must be carried out annually. School Improvement Staff must be involved in training with effect from 2005. This policy will be reviewed annually.


Diane Houghton (01670 533640) is the Designated LEA Officer responsible for co-ordinating child protection policy and practice and is a representative on Northumberland Child Protection Committee. In exceptional circumstances if a headteacher or designated teacher feels that there are issues, which they have not been able to resolve with other agencies, these could be referred to the LEA Officer. Other members of staff who have reported concerns to the designated teacher, which have not been acted upon may discuss this with the LEA Officer.

• Contact Caroline Wishart (01670 533905) or Derek Gittins (01670 533986) of the Integrated Transport Unit IMMEDIATELY
  
  The staff in the Integrated Transport Unit will contact the Transport Provider AND the Child Protection Unit
• Ensure you have dates, times and details of the alleged incident

The information should be faxed or emailed to the staff identified above

The staff of the Integrated Transport Unit will make the necessary arrangements to remove the driver or escort from the Route in question until further investigations have been made.

The Child Protection Unit will contact the School and where necessary contact the Police.


This form should be completed by the designated person responsible for child protection on the basis of information readily available and should not be delayed on the basis of incomplete information.

Child(ren)’s surname …………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Child(ren)’s forename(s) and date(s) of birth ………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Present Location ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Parent/Guardian’s Surname ………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Parent/Guardian’s Forenames ……………………………………………………………………………………………

Address …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………… Tel. No ………………………………………………….

GP’s Name ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Address ………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………… Tel. No ………………………………………………….

Professional agencies known to be involved with the family:

(contact name, address and telephone number)

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Reason for referral:

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Action already taken:

Referred in writing/by telephone to ………………………………………………… on …………………………….

Parents advised of referral? Yes/No

Child/Young Person advised of referral Yes/No

Name of School/College …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Name of Designated Person ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Signature …………………………………………………………………………………………………… Date …………………………