Safeguarding
Ryarsh Primary School recognise our statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everybody’s responsibility and everyone has a role to play. All members of our community (staff, volunteers, governors, leaders, parents/carers, wider family networks visitors and pupils) have an important role in safeguarding children and all have an essential role to play in making our community safe and secure.
Ryarsh Primary School believe that the best interests of children always come first. All children (defined as those up to the age of 18) have a right to be heard and to have their wishes and feelings taken into account and all children regardless of age, gender, ability, culture, sex (gender) race, language, religion or sexual identity or orientation, have equal rights to protection.
Staff working with children at Ryarsh Primary School will maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ where safeguarding is concerned. When concerned about the welfare of a child, staff will always act in the best interests of the child and if any member of our community has a safeguarding concern about any child or adult, they should act and act immediately.
Ryarsh Primary School recognises the importance of providing an ethos and environment within school that will help children to be safe and feel safe. In our school children are respected and encouraged to talk openly. We will ensure children’s wishes and feelings are taken into account when determining what safeguarding action to take and what services to provide.
As a school, we also recognise the importance of adopting a trauma informed approach to safeguarding; we understand there is a need to consider the root cause of children’s behaviour and consider any underlying trauma.
Our core safeguarding principles are:
- Prevention: positive, supportive, safe culture, curriculum and pastoral opportunities for children, safer recruitment procedures.
- Protection: following the agreed procedures, ensuring all staff are trained and supported to recognise and respond appropriately and sensitively to safeguarding concerns.
- Support: adopt a child centred approach and provide support for all pupils, parents/carers and staff, and where appropriate, implement specific interventions for those who may be at risk of harm.
- Collaboration: with both parents where possible, and other agencies to ensure timely, appropriate communications and actions are undertaken when safeguarding concerns arise.
The governors and staff team of the school take their responsibility to this commitment seriously and regularly review the school’s safeguarding policy and procedures to ensure that, as far as is reasonably possible, everything is being done to fulfil their duty of care. Details can be found government guidance provided for schools ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ as well as our Child Protection Policy:
Ryarsh Child Protection Policy 2023
Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023
Should you have any concerns relating to the safety and welfare of a child at the school you should immediately contact the designated safeguarding lead (Mr Childs) or in his absence the deputy designated safeguarding leaders (Mr Harris, Mrs McMulkin or Mrs Morris). Our governor responsible for safeguarding is Mrs Rowland.
