Safeguarding children is defined as:

The actions we take to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm are everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and families has a role to play.

Our approach is child-centred.

‘Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility.  Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play. In order to fulfil this responsibility effectively, all practitioners should make sure their approach is child-centred.  This means that they should consider, at all times, what is in the best interests of the child.’

(KCSiE, Part 1.2)

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:

• 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 enable all children to have the best outcomes

Safeguarding is not just about protecting children from deliberate harm. It also relates to broader aspects of care and education including but not limited to:

• Pupils’ health and safety and well-being, including their mental health

• Meeting the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities

• The use of reasonable force

• Meeting the needs of children with medical conditions

• Providing first aid

• Educational visits

• Intimate care and emotional wellbeing

• Online safety and associated issues

• Appropriate arrangements to ensure school security, taking into account the local context

Safeguarding can involve a range of potential issues such as:

• Neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse and emotional abuse

• Bullying, including online bullying (by text message, on social networking sites, etc) and prejudice based bullying

• Racist, disability and homophobic or transphobic abuse

• Gender based violence/violence against women and girls

• Extremist behaviour and/or radicalisation

• Child sexual exploitation and trafficking

• The impact of new technologies, including ‘sexting’ and accessing pornography

• Teenage relationship abuse

• Substance misuse

• Issues which may be specific to a local area or population, for example gang activity and youth violence

• Particular issues affecting children including domestic violence, female genital mutilation and honour based violence and forced marriage

Our approach

We take a whole school approach to safeguarding. This means ensuring safeguarding and child protection are at the forefront and underpin all relevant aspects of process and policy development. Ultimately, all systems, processes and policies operate with the best interests of the child at heart.

‘Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined … 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 circumstance consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

(KCSiE 1.3)

As such, our school vision, all policies, risk assessment procedures and systems seek to protect and nurture a high level of safety for our children at school and within their community. Our values and work are underpinned by our advocacy of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Our School Mission – ‘Growing Lifelong Learners’

Safeguarding Outside of School Hours

Please remember that if you feel you need to report a safeguarding concern, you can contact the Manchester Safeguarding Partnership by calling 0161 234 5001 or emailing mcsreply@manchester.gov.uk

If you need urgent advice or support, call 111/999.