Safeguarding at Dishforth CE Primary School and Nursery

Everyone at Dishforth CE Primary School and Nursery is is committed to ensuring the welfare and safety of all children in our school. Safeguarding is the responsibility of all staff and adults working within or on behalf of the school.

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding is (as defined by Keeping Children Safe In Education 2024):

• providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems
  emerge
• protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the
  home, including online
• preventing the impairment of children’s mental and physical health or
  development
• ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of
  safe and effective care
• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes

We will always take a considered, child centred and sensitive approach in order that we can protect and support all of our pupils.

We recognise our responsibility to  promote the welfare of all our pupils by protecting them from physical, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect and bullying. We recognise that we have a duty to protect children from harm both offline and online.

How we teach children about Safeguarding

We teach children how to keep themselves safe in school through our PSHE curriculum. This ia a new scheme of learning introduced in September 2024 called ‘1decision’. 

This incorporates subtle activities throughoutthe programme to help adults in school recognise areas of concern at the earliest opportunity. There are regular safeguarding activity worksheets and themed sessions which help children understand how to keep themselves safe and what to do if they have a worry. Children learn about online safety through their Computing lessons and other links to Safeguarding are explored across the curriculm and in school life wherever possible.

We also develop ongoing opportunities for curriculum enrichment e.g. through inviting visitors such as the Police or Emergency services into school to lead sessions with the children. Safeguarding issues are also discussed and shared with children as part of Collective Worship. When leaving school for trips or visits, risks and safety instrcutions are shared in an age apporpriate was with children.

What to do if you are worried about a child

If you are worried about a child or have a question about Safeguarding then please come and talk to one of us .

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead:

Sarah Chaplin (Senior teacher)

If you are worried you can also find useful information about what to do on the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Website.

This website has information about how to make a referral and what to do in an emergency.

Click the link below to visit the website.

Key Safeguarding Documents

For other key policies see our policies page under the ‘About Us’ tab.

Filtering and Monitoring

To fulfill our duty to provide a safe working environment online in school we use the Local Authority recommended provider, Smoothwall. Use the links below to find out more.

Smoothwall- Filter

Smoothwall-Monitor

Operation Encompass

Operation Encompass is a police and education early information safeguarding partnership enabling schools to offer immediate support to children experiencing domestic abuse.

Operation Encompass ensures that there is a simple telephone call or notification to a school’s trained Designated Safeguarding Lead /Officer (known as key Adult) prior to the start of the next school day after an incident of police attended domestic abuse where there are children related to either of the adult parties involved. 

Information is shared with the DSL prior to the start of the next school day after officers have attended a domestic abuse incident. This sharing of information enables appropriate support to be given, dependent upon the needs and wishes of the child.