St Matthew's CofE Primary SchoolSafeguarding
“Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility”
Our designated safeguarding officers are:
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| Mr Stephen Murphy, Headteacher | Mrs Rachel McDonald, Deputy Headteacher | Mrs Alison Holmes, SENCO |
At St Matthew's Church of England Primary School, we know there can be no greater importance to parents and carers than the safety of their children. It is a priority that our safeguarding procedures keep our children safe.
We have a team of staff responsible for keeping children safe and supporting those most vulnerable to harm and neglect. Our Designated Safeguarding Leads are Mr Stephen Murphy (Headteacher), Mrs Rachel McDonald (Deputy Headteacher) and Mrs Alison Holmes (SENCO). Mr Alan Hodgkinson is the nominated governor for safeguarding and Mr Stephen Murphy is our e-safety lead. Our safeguarding team pays particular attention to the meticulous and systematic implementation of policies and routines.
Safeguarding involves every member of the community. If you are concerned about a child’s welfare, please record your concern and report it to one of the safeguarding team as soon as possible. Please do not conduct your own investigation.
If your concerns relate to a member or staff, please report this directly to the Headteacher or Chair of Governors.
Sometimes, we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child. If a suspicion of abuse is recorded, parents and carers will be informed at the same time that the record is made.
School policies are in place to ensure that there is a consistent approach to practices throughout the school. Please see our safeguarding policy below. All policies and guidance applies to all staff and volunteers working in the school. The governing body monitors the school’s adherence to policies and procedures and reviews the school’s policies.
The school has a firmly embedded Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. The policy gives details as to the procedures to identifying and reporting suspected abuse. A high priority is given to staff training in safeguarding and weekly staff meetings have a standard agenda item for safeguarding. A Single Central Record listing of every adult who comes in to contact with children in our school and the safety checks that have taken place to ensure everyone is safe to work with children. This is checked by the headteacher and safeguarding governor.
Our curriculum is used to promote safeguarding by teaching pupils how to stay safe, how to protect themselves from harm and how to take responsibility for their own and other’s safety.