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Safeguarding

SAFEGUARDING – KEEPING YOUR CHILDREN SAFE IN SCHOOL

Our primary concern is to ensure all children at Ramsgate Arts feel HAPPY and SAFE with us.  If we can do this, then all of our children will be successful in their learning journey.

Designated Safeguarding Lead: Nicholas Budge

Deputy Safeguarding Leads: Hannah Beech, Vicki Elliott, Emily Hughes

Nominated Ramsgate Arts Governor responsible for Safeguarding /Child Protection: Portia Sharpin.

Viking Academy Trust Safeguarding Governor Lead: JOANNA BRAND

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.

Safeguarding means:

  • Protecting children from maltreatment
  • Preventing impairment of children’s health or development
  • Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
  • Taking action to ensure that all children have the best outcomes

Safeguarding children and child protection guidance and legislation applies to all children up to the age of 18.

Child Protection is part of Safeguarding and promoting welfare. It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm.  

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility

Everyone who works with children has a responsibility for keeping them safe. No single practitioner can have a full picture of a child’s needs and circumstances and, if children and families are to receive the right help at the right time, everyone who comes into contact with them has a role to play in identifying concerns, sharing information and taking prompt action.

Mandatory Reporting of FGM - Procedural information 

From 31 October 2015 it is mandatory for teachers, health and social workers to report to the police if they find, or are told, someone under 18 has undergone FGM. Please click here to obtain more information on the correct procedure to follow. 

Keeping Children Safe in Education - September 2019

Please click here to access the statutory guidance from the Department for Education. The guidance above affirms (page 6) that 'all staff members should be aware of systems within their school or college which support safeguarding and these should be explained to them as part of staff induction. This should include:

It is imperative that all staff (including volunteers) read this guidance (Have to read at least Part 1) and provide consent that they have done so (a register exists to determine this) Schools must have regard to the guidance when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This document contains information on what schools should do and sets out the legal duties with which schools must comply. 

The Prevent Duty 

As part of Ramsgate Arts Primary School's (RAPS) ongoing safeguarding and child protection duties we are fully behind the government's Prevent Strategy.

From 1 July 2015 all schools are subject to a duty under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, in the exercise of their functions, to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”. This duty is known as the Prevent Duty for Schools.

RAPS is committed to safeguarding, and promoting the welfare of all our children and families. We build pupils’ resilience to radicalisation by promoting fundamental British Values and enabling our pupils to challenge extremist views.  Click here to access Educate Against Hate website.

All our staff and governors have completed safeguarding and e-learning training developed by the National Counter Policing Headquarters (NCTPHQ), in conjunction with the College of Policing which includes guidance on how to identify people who may be vulnerable to being drawn into Terrorism, and how to refer them into the Channel process. Channel is a key process within the Prevent strategy for assessing individuals’ vulnerability to being drawn into terrorism. It focuses on early intervention and diverting people away from risk.

Please click here to access departmental advice for schools on the Prevent Duty (DFE). Alternatively you can also refer to (Keeping Children Safe in Education) above for further information as well as our Safeguarding/Child Protection Policy and British Values statement. 

Referrals to Children's Social Care (Front Door Service)

Central Duty Team - 03000 41 61 61

Out of Hours -  03000 41 91 91

social.services@kent.gov.uk

Visit the Kent Safeguarding Children Board website if you're worried about a child (click text).

Procedure for dealing with allegations of abuse against staff/headteacher 

Please click here to access the policy. The policy (in line with statutory guidance from the DFE) is designed to ensure that all staff, students and parents or carers are aware of the procedure for the investigation of allegations of abuse in order that all complaints are dealt with consistently, and as efficiently as possible. 

Day to Day safeguarding: Collection at the end of the school day

Children in Reception, Year 1, Year 2 must be collected from their classroom doors and Year 3 the playground by a known adult. We ask you to please make the class teacher aware if there will be a different adult than usual collecting your child. We will not release a child to an adult we have not been made aware of. Children attending after school club will gather and register in RAPS club. The youngest children will be escorted to the hall for after school club by class based staff.

Year 3 children are taken to the Key Stage Two playground and dismissed to parents there. We appreciate parents and carers waiting on the playground for their children. In particularly inclement weather, children will be dismissed from classrooms.

Children in Years 4, 5 and 6 will be dismissed in the playground but they can be met from the gate with written permission. They may also make their own way home, with written permission from parents. Without this, we will not dismiss children from school at the end of the day and will contact parents. Click here to complete the permission form.

After School Procedure for Uncollected Children/children missing 

Please click here to access the procedure for uncollected children/children missing/absent at the end of the day.

Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

If you have concerns about a member of staff and need to contact the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) you can do so using the following contact number 03000 41 08 88.  The LADO may also be contacted by using the following email address kentchildrenslado@kent.gov.uk.