We have clear procedures in place to safeguard pupils at our school. These can be found in our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.
If you have any safeguarding concerns related to pupil at our school please report them to the Designated Safeguarding Lead, Gemma Fricker or Safeguarding Governor, Lizzie Smith via the school office.
Our Safeguarding Team
Partnerships
We work with the Keeping Bristol Safe Partnership to ensure we have an up-to-date knowledge of local and national safeguarding issues. Their website has useful information for parents and children.
When appropriate we work with Families in Focus, CAMHS and North Star Outreach
Self-esteem, healthy relationships and respecting difference
As part of our safeguarding procedures we support children to develop protective factors through our PSHE curriculum. Details can be found here.
Our school curriculum aims to instill school and British values and support pupils to become global citizens who show respect and tolerance for others.
The Prevent Strategy
Prevent is a government strategy designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorist or extremist causes. The Prevent strategy covers all types of terrorism and extremism, including the extreme right wing, violent Islamic groups and other causes.
How Prevent strategy applies to schools?
From July 2015 all schools (as well as other organisations) have a duty to safeguard children from radicalisation and extremism.
This means we have a responsibility to protect children from extremist and violent views.
Importantly, we can provide a safe place for pupils to discuss these issues so they better understand how to protect themselves.
What does this mean in practice?
The Prevent strategy is not just about discussing extremism itself, which may not be appropriate for younger children. It is also about teaching children values such as tolerance and mutual respect. We make sure any discussions are suitable for the age and maturity of the children involved.
Many of the things we already do in school to help children become positive, happy members of society also contribute to the Prevent strategy.
These include:
- Exploring other cultures and religions and promoting diversity
- Challenging prejudices and racist comments
- Developing critical thinking skills and a strong, positive self-identity
- Promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, including British values: respect and tolerance, individual liberty democracy and law and order.
- We will also protect children from the risk of radicalisation, for example by using filters on the internet to make sure they can’t access extremist and terrorist material, or by careful consideration around visitors who come into school to work with children.
How can parents support children and young people to stay safe?
- Keep communication open, listen to your child and talk to them about their interests
- Encourage positivity towards local groups that you can trust
- Talk to them about what they see on TV or on the internet,
- Allow and encourage debate and questions about the world
- Allow and encourage debate about the media and does it show a true reflection
- Manage E-Safety at home
We also have information about spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and British values on our curriculum page.