Safeguarding and E-Safety

 

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

St Gregory’s Catholic Science College strives to educate all its pupils within an environment where the Catholic traditions of learning, truth, justice, respect and community are promoted. Consequently, the overall aim of this policy is to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children in our care (in situations where child abuse is suspected, our paramount responsibility is to the child).

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined for the purposes of the KCSIE 2024 guidance as:

• 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

This will be achieved by:

• Continuing to develop awareness in all staff of the need for Child Protection (particular care should be taken with children with SEND) and their responsibilities in identifying abuse.
• Ensuring that all staff are aware of referral procedures within the school (Child Protection is everyone’s responsibility and any member of staff can, if necessary, make a referral to social care – via the local authority website).
• Ensuring that all staff are aware that both mental and physical health are relevant to the safeguarding and welfare of children.
• Monitoring children who have been identified as ‘at risk’ (this includes those at risk of sexual exploitation and those children who have a social worker).
• Ensuring that outside agencies are involved where appropriate.
• Ensuring that key concepts of Safeguarding (including child on child abuse and online safety) are integrated within the curriculum especially via Relationships, Sex and Health Education and PSHE.
• Creating an environment where children feel secure, have their viewpoints valued, are encouraged to talk and are listened to.
• Creating an environment where everyone assumes that sexual harassment and abuse (including online abuse) are happening in school (even where there are no specific reports).

 

PLEASE NOTE

Should a member of staff suspect that a pupil has been or is at risk of being abused, they will adhere to the guidance set out by the Brent local multi agency safeguarding partners.

N.B. this does not mean that a parent/carer is being accused of wrong doing.

If you would like a copy of the School’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, please contact the school.

If you have a Child Protection concern, please contact Miss S McCarthy, Deputy Headteacher at the school.

Support for victims of domestic abuse

Silent Solution

At St Gregory’s we promote and encourage the safe and responsible use of computers and the internet. Students sign an Acceptable Use Policy agreement form when they join the school. E-safety is embedded in the curriculum and is part of the PSHE programme. You will find regular e-safety articles in the school newsletters.

We hope that parents/carers will help their children to use technology safely at home. Many devices are now online including mobile phones and games consoles. It is important that children learn how to show respect and responsibility online, protect themselves from any unsuitable material or risks that they may encounter and know how to report a problem if they are worried about something.

 

HomeSafe Family Challenge

St Gregory’s has worked closely with The Parent Zone on the HomeSafe Family Challenge.

It is an opportunity for you to learn more about how your children use technology and the internet. Please click on the links at the bottom of the page to open the information leaflets which give advice on helping your family to stay safe.

 

Useful websites

The information on the following websites will help you and your children to stay safe online.

Internet matters - for support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online

London Grid for Learning - for support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online

Net-aware - for support for parents and careers from the NSPCC

Parent info - for support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online

 

Social networking safety

Help and advice to manage your account settings to ensure privacy and to report any problems.

Facebook:     https://www.facebook.com/help/safety

Instagram:   https://help.instagram.com/

Twitter:        https://support.twitter.com/articles/76036-safety-keeping-your-account-secure

Youtube:      http://www.youtube.com/yt/policyandsafety/?rd=1

 

Set up parental controls offered by your home internet provider

http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/parents-and-carers/parental-controls

 

CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) – Help and advice for parents/carers and young people. Make a report to CEOP.

http://ceop.police.uk/

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/

 

Get Safe Online - Advice for adults and young people on a range of topics including protecting your computer, scam emails, online shopping, banking, identity theft, safeguarding children.

https://www.getsafeonline.org/

 

UK Safer Internet Centre - Help and advice for parents/carers and young people.

https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/

 

The Parent Zone – Help and advice for parents/carers.

https://parentzone.org.uk/parents

 

For information, advice and guidance on a range of Apps that your child/children may be using or have access to, please read the factsheets below from National Online Safety.

 

If you have any e-safety concerns please contact the school’s E-Safety Officer, Miss McCarthy.

The school’s E-Safety Policy is available on request from the school.