Safeguarding Statement
Thomas A Becket Junior School is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. This commitment is guided by clear whole school policy and practice, which applies to all staff and volunteers working within or on behalf of the school. We recognise that all working within our school environment have a full and active part to play in protecting our pupils.
In order to fulfil this commitment we:
- Establish and maintain an environment in which children feel safe, secure, valued and respected, and are confident to talk openly and that they will be listened to
- Provide suitable support and guidance so that children have a range of appropriate adults who they feel confident to approach if they have worries or difficulties
- Ensure that all staff and volunteers have been appropriately checked, with regard to their suitability to work with children using safer recruitment procedures
- Implement and review procedures for identifying and reporting cases, or suspected cases, of abuse
- Support children, where concerns have been identified, in accordance with an agreed child protection plan or alternative professional multi-agency plan
- Provide learning opportunities, including within the PSHE curriculum, for children to develop increasing self- awareness, self-esteem, assertiveness and decision making so that they have a range of skills, strategies and contacts to ensure their own protection and understand the importance of protecting others
We recognise because of their day-to-day contact with children, school staff are ideally placed to observe and report the outward signs of abuse.
All staff receive appropriate child protection training which is updated regularly. Within school we have an appropriately trained designated member of staff for child protection, referred to as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), who takes the lead on all child protection matters. We also have other trained members of staff known as Designated Members of Staff (DMS) to provide cover in case of absence.
Staff refer any concerns to the DSL.
Our designated child protection members of staff are as follows:
| Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): | Sandie Saunders (Assistant Headteacher) |
| Designated Member of Staff (DMS): | Becky Linford (Headteacher) Zoe Borley (Assistant Headteacher) Karen Wise (Assistant Headteacher) Kristie Lyne (SENCO) |
We follow the guidance set out in West Sussex Inter-Agency procedures and take full account of any changes in local or national guidance.
A copy of our Child Protection Policy is available on the school website and also available for viewing in reception.
If you have any safeguarding concerns you can email them to the secure email address which is dsl@tabjunior.org.uk