Safeguarding
At Cotwall End Primary School, we are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all our pupils. As a maintained school, safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do, guided by our core values of self-belief, kindness, bravery, happiness, wisdom, and honesty.
Keeping Our Pupils Safe
We have a robust safeguarding policy in place that outlines the steps we take to protect our pupils from harm. This includes:
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Regular staff training on recognising and responding to signs of abuse or neglect
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Rigorous recruitment procedures to ensure all staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children
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Secure site access and visitor management systems
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Comprehensive risk assessments for all school activities and trips
Empowering Our Pupils
To help our pupils feel safe and supported, we have created a child-friendly version of our safeguarding policy. This engaging resource explains, in simple terms, what our pupils should do if they ever feel worried or unsafe. By educating our children, we aim to empower them to speak up and seek help when needed.
Working with Families
We understand that safeguarding is a shared responsibility, and we work closely with parents and carers to ensure our pupils are protected. We encourage open communication and welcome any concerns you may have. Our designated safeguarding lead, [name], is always available to discuss safeguarding matters and provide support.
Continuous Improvement
At Cotwall End Primary School, we are committed to continuously improving our safeguarding practises. We regularly review our policies and procedures, incorporating feedback from pupils, staff, and the wider community. By doing so, we strive to maintain the highest standards of care and create a safe, nurturing environment where our children can thrive.
If you have any questions or concerns about safeguarding at our school, please don't hesitate to contact us. We are here to support you and your child every step of the way.
We have three specific areas of Safeguarding within our school. Each area has one or more lead. The reason for having more than one is to ensure at all times we have a lead in school if there is a specific safeguarding issue.
Designated Safeguarding Leads:
Claire Williams (Headteacher)
Gemma Wilkes (Deputy Headteacher)
Sarah Mason (Assistant Headteacher)
Designated Teacher for Looked After Children:
Claire Williams (Headteacher)
Gemma Wilkes (Deputy Headteacher)
Designated Teacher with responsibility for the Prevent Duty:
Claire Williams (Headteacher)
Information on Dudley Safeguarding in Education can be found here: https://dudleysafeguarding.org.uk/
Internet Safety - We are very aware of the issues surrounding social media at the moment and the problems that can arise because of these.
We have focus classes throughout the year reminding the children of Internet Safety and encourage them to ask any questions and talk to us about their concerns.
Internet Safety is also taught through IT lessons in class. Please read the following documents and websites for further information on how you can help your child with online safety at home.
For further information on e-safety, please click here
OPERATION ENCOMPASS
Children can witness and be adversely affected by domestic abuse and/or violence at home where it occurs between family members. In some cases, a child may blame themselves for the abuse or may have had to leave the family home as a result.
Types of domestic abuse include intimate partner violence, abuse by family members, teenage relationship abuse (abuse in intimate personal relationships between children) and child/adolescent to parent violence and abuse. It can be physical, sexual, financial, psychological or emotional. It can also include ill treatment that isn’t physical, as well as witnessing the ill treatment of others. This can be particularly relevant, for example, in relation to the impact on children of all forms of domestic abuse, including where they see, hear or experience its effects.
Anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexuality or background, and domestic abuse can take place inside or outside of the home. Children who witness domestic abuse are also victims.
Exposure to domestic abuse and/or violence can have a serious, long-lasting emotional and psychological impact on children, and can affect their health, wellbeing, development and ability to learn.
If police are called to an incident of domestic abuse and any children in the household have experienced the incident, the police will inform the key adult in school (usually the designated safeguarding lead) before the child or children arrive at school the following day. West Midlands Police Forces are part of Operation Encompass.
Our Designated Safeguarding Lead will provide support according to the child’s needs and update records about their circumstances.