Safeguarding
Bayards Hill Primary School Safeguarding Team
Mrs A Jones (Acting Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead)
Mrs L Lemon (Assistant Headteacher and Deputy DSL)
Mrs A Flanagan & Miss J Armstrong (Attendance & Pastoral Leads and Deputy DSLs)
Mrs J Ram (Specialist TA and Deputy DSL)
Mrs Linda Earnshaw (Chair of Governors and Safeguarding Governor)
If you have any concerns about a child’s safety or welfare please ask at the office to speak to one of our safeguarding leads.
Alternatively you can call the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 0345 050 7666 or the Emergency Duty Team on 0800833408 and discuss your concerns. If necessary you can do this without giving your name.
You can also report concerns online at: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-you-can-do/report-abuse
NSPCC helpline: Parents and carers can contact the NSPCC helpline whenever they’re worried about a child by calling 0808 800 5000, emailing help@nspcc.org.uk, texting 88858* or contacting us online at nspcc.org.uk/ helpline. The helpline is free, available 24/7 and calls can be made anonymously.
Bayards Hill Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff, volunteers and visitors to share this commitment. We actively listen to all pupils and always take seriously what they tell us. Our aim is for children to enjoy their time as pupils in this school and feel safe and secure in the environment. We work in partnership with all parents, carers and external agencies to help every child achieve their full potential and make a positive contribution to the school community.
In accordance with our responsibilities under section 175/157 of the Education Act 2002 and “Keeping Children Safe in Education“ Sept 2023, we have a Designated Safeguarding Lead for Child Protection, Mrs A Jones who is the Acting Headteacher. Mrs A Jones is supported by the following Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads: Mrs L Lemon (Assistant Headteacher), Mrs A Flanagan & Miss J Armstrong (Attendance & Pastoral Leads) and Mrs J Ram (Specialist TA). Every members of the safeguarding team have received appropriate training for their roles. All staff members in Bayards Hill Primary School receive Child Protection training and updates on a regular basis.
We have safeguarding procedures in place and a Safeguarding Policy in which we adhere to. You can refer to the Safeguarding Policy which is located on the website. The procedures in which we follow have been laid out by the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Board and the Safeguarding Policy has been written in accordance to their guidelines. If you would like more information regarding our procedures, please contact Mrs A. Jones, Designated Safeguarding Lead or one of the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads.
Occasions do arise where we have concerns regarding a child’s welfare. We will always aim to discuss our concerns with parents and carers first however on some occasions we may need to share information and work in partnership with Oxfordshire Children’s Services. On these occasions it may be necessary for Children’s Services (whilst investigating an incident under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989) to speak to a child without parent’s knowledge or permission. The decision to do this would be made in collaboration with Children’s Services and would only be in circumstances where a child may be at immediate risk of significant harm.
At Bayards Hill, to promote a safe environment for pupils, our selection and recruitment policy include all checks on staff and regular volunteers’ suitability, including Criminal Records Bureau checks, as recommended by Oxfordshire County Council in accordance with current legislation.
e-Safety
e-Safety in school
Pupils at Bayards Hill Primary School are taught through ICT and PSHE lessons that personal information should be kept private and that anything that makes them feel unsafe or uncomfortable should be reported to an adult in school as soon as possible.
There are three areas of risk to children online (although the breadth of issues within each may be considerable). They are:
- Content: Illegal, inappropriate or harmful material
- Contact: Harmful online interaction with advertising or individuals
- Conduct: Personal online behaviour which can cause harm
Pupils will need to understand that not everything they see online is ‘true, valid or acceptable’ and that sometimes people are not who they say they are or are not sharing real information. Some key questions to ask are:
- Is this content/website/link/email fake?
- What information am I sharing and with who?
- Is this person who they say they are?
- What’s the reason behind this post/ comment?
- Is this fact or opinion?
- Why am I being sent this?
- Should I share this?
e-Safety at home
- Encourage your child to close down any app, chat, video or images that upset them or make them uncomfortable, and tell you about it.
- Make sure they know that you can never be completely sure who you are talking to when it's being done over the internet.
- Don't allow them to use mobile devices or computers with internet connectivity in a room away from you.
- Insist on knowing usernames and passwords.
- Do not allow them to open social media accounts which usually have an acceptable usage age of 13 (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat etc)
- Regularly check their mobile devices to see what apps have been downloaded and whether these apps have chat functions, video chat or image sharing functions. If they do, you need to monitor them very closely.
- Check their browser history.
- Install child security software to limit search functions and filter out some inappropriate material.
- Teach your child to look for the privacy settings on every app and website that they install/make an account on. Their privacy settings should be locked down as tightly as possible- especially ensure that any functions which show your child's location or allow strangers to contact them, are switched off.
Safeguarding Advice
The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) is:
Jo Lloyd - Designated Officer (LADO)
Tel: 01865 810603
Mobile: 07584 581180
Donna Crozier - Assistant Designated Officer
Tel: 01865 816382
Mobile: 07901 331799
donna.crozier@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Sandra Pasquet - Assistant Designated Officer
Tel: 01865 323457
Mobile: 07785 453264
Sandra.pasquet@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Hannah Holland - Assistant Designated Officer
Tel: 01865 32 3032
Mobile: 07867 467822
hannah.holland@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Becky Langstone & Sophie Kendall - Education Safeguarding Officers
Tel: 01865 810603
ESAT.Safeguardingchildren@oxfordshire.gov.uk
If you cannot contact Jo, Donna, Sandra or Hannah in the first instance, please contact the Safeguarding Team on 01865 810603 or email the LADO team: lado.safeguardingchildren@oxfordshire.gov.uk
OSCB - Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Board
This is a resource for keeping young people safe with information about what to do if you are worried about a child. The following link provides a wealth of information and support for parents and carers.http://www.oscb.org.uk/
Alternatively you can contact the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub directly (MASH)
MASH is a multi-agency team which identifies risks to vulnerable adults and children. They seek to enable the sharing of information so that risks to children can be identified at an early stage. It is a link between universal services such as schools and GPs and statutory services such as police and social care.
If you have a concern about a child, please call MASH on 0845 050 7666.
Safeguarding tips for parents/carers
Online Safety - 'Think you know' Protecting your child from abuse online
Safer Internet Use - There is guidance here for keeping your family safe when using the internet
NSPCC Preventing abuse - helping you keep children safe
The Underwear rule - Talk pants and keep your child safe
Thinkuknow - Protecting your children from abuse online
Sexual Harassment / Sexual Violence
Sexual Harassment/Sexual Violence and Harmful Sexual Behaviours
Sexual violence and sexual harassment can occur between two children of any age and sex from primary through to secondary stage and into colleges. It can occur through a group of children sexually assaulting or sexually harassing a single child or group of children. Sexual violence and sexual harassment exist on a continuum and may overlap; they can occur online and face to face (both physically and verbally) and are never acceptable. As set out in Part one of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), all staff working with children are advised to maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’.
Sexual harassment creates an atmosphere that, if not challenged, can normalise inappropriate behaviours and provide an environment that may lead to sexual violence.
Identifying Peer-on-peer abuse and sexual harassment
Peer-on-peer abuse and sexual harassment can take a number of forms, it is unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, which can include:
- Sexual comments about another's body
- Unwanted physical contact
- Interfering with clothing
- Comments about another's sexual experience
- Sexual "jokes" or taunting including innuendo
- Raring someone's attractiveness
- Jokes about rape or sexual abuse
- Sexual name-calling
- Sexual gestures
- Online sexual harassment
- Use of mobile phones to share images or take photos without permission
Responding to incidents of peer on peer abuse and sexual harassment
We follow the guidance outlined by the Departmnet for Education document 'Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment between children in schools and colleges'.
At Bayards Hill Primary School we never pass an incident off as "banter", "part of growing up" or "having a laugh" even if the victim says that they don't mind. We recognise the gendered nature of peer-on-peer abuse (that girls are more likely to be victims and boys more likely to be perpetrators), but that all forms are unacceptable and will be taken seriously. We understand that child perpretators of sexual harassment are likely to have experienced or witnessed harm or inappropriate behaviour themselves and may need support beyond the school's Behaviour Policy.
- All incidents of peer-on-peer sexual harassment are treated as a safeguarding concern and safeguarding procedures will be followed
- Any incidents of unwanted touching under clothes (even if over underwear) will be reported to MASH and the police
- All incidents of peer-on-peer abuse and sexual harassment, inline with our Behaviour Policy, Anti-bullying Policy and Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy are reported through CPOMS or paper safeguarding concerns forms
- All pupils are raught about consent inline with the National Curriculum
- Staff receive additional training regarding sexual harassment and sexual violence
