Safeguarding
At Whitehall safeguarding isresponsibility
If you have any safeguarding concerns please contact us and our Safeguarding team will assist where they can.
Mr Kilkenny
Designated Safeguarding Lead
Mrs Mason
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead / SENCo
Mrs Ware
Parent Support Adviser
The Academy Councillor for Safeguarding at our school is Skerntian Keri
Safeguarding is about ensuring that everyone is safe from harm – safe from bullying, safe from people who could abuse, safe from discrimination or harassment – and that we all feel safe in our environment.
This school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
If you are ever concerned about the safety or well‐being of someone at our school please talk to our Designated Safeguarding Lead s (DSLs) listed at the top of the page. If she isn’t available then speak to your child’s class teacher, TA or any other member of staff who will then pass it on to the DSL.
The school has a Safeguarding Policy and procedures in place.
Parents and carers are welcome to read the Policy on request. (A copy is also available to view on our website under the heading Policies and Statements.)
Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child’s welfare. We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with his/her parents/carers first unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child’s welfare. If a member of staff is concerned about a child’s welfare, they will record their concern, and any observations or conversation heard, and report to one of the DSLs as soon as possible the same day.
If a member of staff has concerns which relate to the actions or behaviour of another member of staff (which could suggest that s/he is unsuitable to work with children) then this will be reported to one of the DSLs in confidence, who will refer the matter to the Headteacher (or the Chair of Academy Council if the concern relates to the Headteacher) who will consider what action to take.
If you suspect that a child or young person is being, or is at risk of being significantly harmed as a result of abuse or neglect, you must report this immediately to the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH):
- During office hours (Monday – Thursday, 8.45am – 5.15pm Friday, 8.45am – 4.45pm) call Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub: 0300 555 2866
- Out of office hours (evenings, weekends and bank holidays) Emergency Response Team Telephone: 0300 555 2922
Online Safety
At Whitehall we want to encourage our pupils to use the Internet as much as is possible whilst in school but at all times safely. Parents, pupils and staff must sign an appropriate usage form to ensure that they understand the risks and sanctions relating to misuse of the Internet in and beyond the school.
As a parent/carer if you need any advice or help with Internet safety then please speak to any teacher or have a look on our website’s Online Safety page in the Parent section. Online Safety
Staff know of any misuse, either by a teacher, staff member, volunteer or child, the issue must be reported to the Headteacher without delay.
The Headteacher has overall responsibility for Internet safety and will work with our IT provider and Walsall online safeguarding team if the need arises.
The school will ensure that:
- All Internet use is monitored by the local authority using ‘Smoothwall’ to alert us of any person accessing inappropriate sites or information.
- The school uses Southwest Grid for Learning to ensure that our filtering and monitoring systems are working. The DSL runs regular checks on different computers within school. A record of this is placed within our Single Central Record.
- Pupils will be encouraged to discuss openly their use of technology and anything which makes them feel uncomfortable. If this results in child protection concerns, then staff will inform the DSL and enter it on our My Concerns system.
- Every effort is made to encourage pupils not to give out their personal details, phone numbers, school, home addresses, computer passwords etc.
- Pupils adhere to the school’s acceptable user agreement when in school
- Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, in school and when using the Internet
- Training is provided to all teaching and class based support staff on online safety
- The DSL and the Computing Lead regularly attend training updates delivered by the Local Authority.
Operation Encompass
At Whitehall Nursery & Infant School we are working in partnership with West Midlands Police and Walsall Children’s Services to identify and provide appropriate support to pupils who have experienced domestic violence in their household; this scheme is called Operation Encompass. In order to achieve this, Walsall’s Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub having received notification from the Police will use appropriate systems to establish the relevant education provider of the child and pass this information to the Op Encompass administrator who will share police information of all domestic incidents where one of our pupils has been present with the Designated Safeguarding Lead(s).
On receipt of any information, the Designated Safeguarding Lead will decide on the appropriate support the child requires, this could be silent or overt. All information sharing and resulting actions will be undertaken in accordance with the Joint Agency Protocol for Domestic Abuse – Notifications to Schools’. We will record this information and store this information in accordance with the record keeping procedures outlined in this policy.
Prevent Radicalisation
What is the Prevent strategy?
Prevent is a government strategy designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorist or extremist causes.
The Prevent strategy covers all types of terrorism and extremism, including political and religious extremism.
How does the Prevent strategy apply to schools?
From July 2015 all schools (as well as other organisations) have a duty to safeguard children from radicalisation and extremism.
This means we have a responsibility to protect children from extremist and violent views, in the same way we protect them from drugs or gang violence.
Importantly, we can provide a safe place for pupils to discuss these issues so that they better understand how to protect themselves.
What we do in school to prevent radicalisation?
Many of the things we already do in school to help children become positive, happy members of society also contribute to the Prevent strategy.
These include:
- Exploring other cultures and religions and promoting diversity
- Challenging prejudices and racist comments
- Developing critical thinking skills and a strong, positive self-identity
- Promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, as well as British values such as democracy
We will also protect children from the risk of radicalisation, for example by using filters on the internet to make sure they can’t access extremist and terrorist material, or by vetting visitors who come into school to work with pupils.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Prevent relate to British values?
Schools have been required to promote British values since 2014, and this will continue to be part of our response to the Prevent strategy.
British values include:
- Democracy
- The rule of law
- Individual liberty and mutual respect
- Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs
Isn’t my child too young to learn about extremism?
The Prevent strategy is not just about discussing extremism itself, which may not be appropriate for younger children. It is also about teaching children values such as tolerance and mutual respect.
The school will make sure any discussions are suitable for the age and maturity of the children involved.
Is extremism really a risk in our area?
Extremism can take many forms, including political, religious and ideological extremism. Some of these may be a bigger threat in our area than others.
Extremism is when someone has views that lead them to act dangerously and violently. Radicalisation is the process someone goes through to become extreme.
Examples of extremist groups include:
- The far right (e.g., English Defence League (EDL); Britain First; British National Party (BNP))
- ISIS (also known as IS, ISIL, Daesh)
- Al Qaeda (the terrorist group responsible for flying passenger planes into the World Trade Center in New York in 2001)
It is terrible if someone we know is radicalised, but by working together we can reduce the chances of people we know becoming radicalised. Parents can have a positive effect in preventing radicalisation, particularly for their own children. Find out more on the Educate Against Hate website, and by following the links below:
No Mobile Phone School
Whitehall Nursery and Infant School seeks to establish a safe and secure working environment for its employees, pupils and visitors.
We have created a safe environment where mobile phones are not used. This is to help us do the following:
- Demonstrate the school’s commitment to promoting the safety of pupils and staff.
- To educate pupils, staff, parents and visitors about the safeguarding dangers of using mobile phones in schools.
- To protect individuals from the dangers of unauthorised mobile phone use to obtain video or photographic images in school.
- To minimise the potential risk to children and allegations against staff.
Parents know not to use mobile phones on the school premises and to place them in class baskets when coming in for ‘stay and learn’ or ‘stay and play’ sessions. Also, not to use them during assemblies or performances.
For visitors, when you sign in we ask you to leave your mobile phone in the designated cupboard in the school office. Should you have an emergency or work related issue, you can return to the office to access your phone, in that safe place.
Exceptions
- The Head Teacher and the Senior Ledership Team(SLT); who are the primary contacts for the Local Authority in an emergency.
- The Head Teacher, or in his absence a member of SLT, is able to authorise the use of mobile phones in school by visitors who need their phones in order to successfully carry out their work e.g. visiting dance and drama specialist, SEND support etc. However, this will not be common practise and all visitors will be encouraged to leave their phones in the office.
- Members of Social Services, visiting in response to ongoing referrals, may use their Mobile Phones in the Inclusion office but if the child is present they must have a member of the SLT or school inclusion team present.
Failure to comply with this provisions will be dealt with through Safeguarding Procedures or Disciplinary Procedures as appropriate.
Please read the Mobile Phone Policy for further and more detailed information.
Passwords For Pickup
We have a password system in school for the collection of children. This is to ensure the safety and safeguarding of our children throughout school and at the end of the school day.
If anyone other than the parent/carer, or named person is collecting a child from school, we will require them to first inform school of who will be collecting their child. Parent/carers will need to give the password – that we have on the school system- to the adult who is collecting. That adult will then need to give the password to the teacher before we will allow the child to go with them.
Please make sure you tell your child’s class teacher or Mrs Manhota (in the office).
If the person collecting does not have the password or school has not been informed beforehand, we will NOT release your child.
We appreciate that grandparents, extended family members and neighbours will help and collect children, but they may not necessarily be known to teachers and staff members who are dismissing children at the end of the day or after a school club.
The password system will ensure that staff are releasing the children to adults who have been given permission to collect by parents or carers.
If you are a parent or carer, and you have not given a password for your child to the office, please do so as soon as possible.