Safeguarding
Safeguarding at RAPS
If Parents and Carers have any safeguarding concerns please contact one of the school’s Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) during term time between 8:00 and 4:00, by calling the main school office (01843 597695). Outside of these times, if you are concerned a child is at risk, please contact Integrated Children's Services on 03000 411111 (office hours) or 03000 419191 (out of office hours). If a child is in danger, you should call 999.
Outside of term times, DSLs can be contacted by email - addresses listed below.
Advice for Parents from The Department for Education - 25th June - "Advice to Parents and Carers on Keeping Children Safe from Abuse and Harm":
SAFEGUARDING – KEEPING YOUR CHILDREN SAFE IN SCHOOL
Our primary concern is to ensure all children at Ramsgate Arts Primary School 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 Leads: Vicki Elliott
(victoria.elliott@ramsgateartsprimaryschool.co.uk) and
Nicholas Budge (headofschool@ramsgateartsprimaryschool.co.uk
Deputy Safeguarding Leads:
Danny Holliday (danny.holliday@ramsgateartsprimaryschool.co.uk)
Emily Hughes (emily.hughes@ramsgateartsprimaryschool.co.uk)
Nominated Ramsgate Arts Governor responsible for Safeguarding /Child Protection: Joanna Brand (joanna.brand@vikingacademytrust.com)
Viking Academy Trust Safeguarding Leaders: Governor Lead: Joanna Brand.
Trust Staff Lead: Lisa Blatchford (hrd@vikingacademytrust.com)
CLICK HERE FOR CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
CLICK HERE FOR BEHAVIOUR POLICY
CLICK HERE FOR ANTI-BULLYING POLICY
CLICK HERE FOR MOBILE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL MEDIA USE POLICY
CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE SAFETY POLICY
CLICK HERE FOR ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
CLICK HERE FOR IMAGE USE POLICY
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.
What is Safeguarding?
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 2023
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:
- The child protection policy
- The Whistle-blowing policy
- The Behaviour policy
- Anti-Bullying policy
- Acceptable Use policy
- Actions for children missing in education
- The Staff Code of Conduct
- The role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead
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 11 11
Out of Hours - 03000 41 91 91
social.services@kent.gov.uk
Visit the Kent Safeguarding Children Multi Partnership 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.
Further Resources
- Safeguarding in Education - HLT Resource page
- Safeguarding children and young people (GOV.UK)
- Safeguarding Children (NSPCC)
Parent Guides for Online Safety - Click Here!
Day to Day safeguarding: Collection at the end of the school day
Children in Reception, Year 1, 2 and 3 must be collected from their classroom doors or 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 the school hall. 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.