School Safeguarding Team
If you want to know more about our procedures, please speak to one of the following:
Mrs Deborah Meredith – Executive Headteacher, Designated Safeguarding Lead
Mrs Victoria Abraham – Head of School, Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Miss Ashleigh Martin – Assistant Headteacher, Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
You can also contact the Safeguarding Team via email at safeguarding@gamesley.victoriousmat.org
Cause for Concern
Our first priority is of course your child’s welfare and school is required to take any reasonable action to ensure the safety of its pupils. However, there may be occasions when we have reason to be concerned that a child may be subject to ill-treatment, neglect or other forms of abuse. We will ensure that our concerns about a child are discussed with their parents/carers first, unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child’s welfare. In this case school is obliged to follow the Child Protection procedures established by the Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (DDSCP) and inform Children’s Social Care of the concern.
If you would like further information about keeping your child safe, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) has lots of advice and guidance.
If you or anyone you know is worried about Child Exploitation, Online Protection or anything related to Online safety please click the link below which will take you to the CEOP reporting website: https://www.ceop.police.uk/Ceop-Report
Our School is part of Operation Encompass
Operation Encompass provides early intervention and support for children involved in domestic abuse incidents. The program requires police to notify schools about such incidents, ensuring that children receive timely support. Additionally, training is offered to educational staff to help them recognise and support children affected by domestic abuse. For more information, you can visit the Derbyshire Constabulary website or the Operation Encompass website.
Safety on the Web
Gamesley Primary School encourages parents and children to visit the CEOP website (Child Exploitation & Online Protection) to build knowledge of how to stay safe online. This website has lots of fun activities from which children can gain vital information on staying safe.
Please click the link below to go straight to this site:
What we recommend and teach the children about Personal Security Guidelines
Pupils should:
- Never reveal personal information, either their own or others, such as home addresses, telephone numbers and personal email addresses etc.
- Not use photographs of themselves on their web pages unless the parent/guardian has given permission to do so.
- Never meet people in person that they have contacted on the internet without a parent/guardian’s permission.
- Notify their teacher whenever they come across information or messages that are dangerous, inappropriate, or make them feel uncomfortable.
- Be aware that the author of an email or web page may not be the person they claim to be.
Pupils are responsible for appropriate behaviour on the school’s computer network just as they are in the classroom or in the school playground. Communications on the network are often public in nature. General school rules and the Behaviour Policy apply and it is expected that users will comply with the guidelines of this policy.
Throughout each year children are taught a series of Online Safety lessons that build their knowledge of how to stay safe online.
Parental Support
Pupils could potentially have unfiltered, unsupervised internet access at home. All parents should be aware of the concerns and benefits of school internet use. The links below include lots of information that will help you to keep your children safe online:
- Are aware of our responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and child protection
- Know the procedures that should be followed if we have a cause for concern
- Know where to go to find additional information regarding safeguarding
- Are aware of the key indicators relating to child abuse
- Fully support the school’s commitment to safeguarding and child protection.
Safeguarding is not just about protecting children from deliberate harm. It presents schools with a wide range of issues that they need to be prepared for.