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LA Adapted
Model Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy Notes
Table of Contents 1 Definitions 2 Introduction 3 Roles and Responsibilities 4 Types of Abuse 5 Responding to signs of abuse 6 Record-keeping 7 Photography and Images 8 Early Help Assessment 9 Staff Training 10 Safer Recruitment 11 Allegations of abuse against staff 12 Promoting safeguarding and welfare in the curriculum 13 Children Looked After 14 Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) or physical health needs 15 Use of reasonable force 16 Work Experience 17 Children staying with Host families (See Annex D KCSIE) 18 Summary Appendix A Appendix B – Further Safeguarding information
1 Definitions
1.1 ‘Safeguarding’ is defined in Keeping Children Safe in Education (2025) as;
1.2 ‘Child Protection’ is the intervention that occurs when children have been significantly harmed or are at risk of significant harm. 1.3 ‘Child’ refers to everyone under the age of 18. 1.4 ‘Parent’ refers to birth parents and other adults in a parenting role for example adoptive parents, stepparents and foster carers. 1.5 ‘Staff’ or ‘members of staff’ refers to all teaching, non-teaching, support, supply, peripatetic, contract staff, governors, volunteers and trustees working in or on behalf of Stoke Primary School. 1.6 Within this policy, we use the term ‘victim’, although it is recognised that not everyone considers themselves to be a victim or would want to be described in this way. We also recognise the importance of not using the terminology of ‘perpetrator’ in relation to children in cases where the behaviour can be harmful to both parties. The appropriate use of terminology will be determined on a case-by-case basis. 2 Introduction2.1 We recognise that safeguarding, child protection, and promoting the welfare of children is an essential part of our duty of care to all students. As such, all staff and governors have a responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn. We understand that safeguarding, child protection and promoting the welfare of all children is everyone’s responsibility and that everyone has a role to play in protecting children. We recognise that our school is part of a wider safeguarding system for children and work closely with other agencies to promote the welfare of children. We maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ and will consider what is in the best interests of each child in line and upholding the Human Rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010. 2.2 The purpose of this policy is to;
2.3 Stoke Primary School is committed to the following principles;
2.4 Safeguarding aims 2.4.1 The safeguarding aims of Stoke Primary School, in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2025) are to;
2.5 This policy adheres to the following documents; 2.6 We continue to work closely with the Local Authority and the Coventry Safeguarding Children Partnership to safeguard children across the city. 2.7 Please note that there are a number of other documents (statutory and non-statutory) that inform our policy and practice. A list of these can be found in Annex B of Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2025). 2.8 This policy should be read in conjunction with the following policies; Behaviour Policy, Attendance Policy, Anti-Bullying, Online Safety Policy. Links to these policies can be found in Appendix A. 2.9 Scope 2.9.1 This policy applies to all teaching, non-teaching, support, supply, peripatetic, contract staff, governors, volunteers and trustees working in or on behalf of Stoke Primary School. All references in this document to ‘staff’ or ‘members of staff’ should be interpreted as relating to the aforementioned unless otherwise stated. 2.9.2 Rather than duplicating content from Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2025) in this policy, it should be understood that Stoke Primary School will always refer to this document as the benchmark for all safeguarding practice. 3 Roles and Responsibilities3.1 The Role of the Governing Body 3.1.1 Governing bodies have a strategic leadership responsibility for our safeguarding arrangements. We have a senior board level lead role carried out by Mrs Pam Timms. Part 2 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2025) sets out the responsibilities of governing bodies. As part of these overarching responsibilities the Governing Body will;
3.2. The Role of the Headteacher 3.2.1 The headteacher will;
3.3 The Role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead 3.3.1 The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for Stoke Primary School is Matthew Ascroft. Our Deputy Designated Safeguard Lead (DDSL) in the DSL’s absence is Ms Fenlon, Mrs Rowland, Mrs Morris, Miss Parker, Mrs Fox. The Designated Safeguarding Lead will;
3.3.2 Further details on the role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead can be found in Annex C of Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2025). 3.4 The Role & Responsibilities of all Staff within School 3.4.1 School staff play a particularly important role because they are in a position to identify concerns early in order to provide help for children. All staff in Stoke Primary School;
3.5 Multi-Agency Working 3.5.1 The school is committed to multi-agency working and operates under Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) and local safeguarding arrangements. 3.5.2 The school will work with Children’s Services the Police, Health services, local Early Help practitioners and other relevant agencies to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. 3.5.3 We work closely with our local Family Hub to ensure children receive appropriate, co-ordinated Early Help Assessments. Our family hub is the Harmony Hub in Hillfields 3.5.4 The Coventry Safeguarding Children Partnership (CSCP) have designated that schools and colleges are a named ‘relevant agency’. As such, the school is under a statutory duty to co-operate with published CSCP arrangements. 4 Types of abuse, Neglect and Exploitation4.1 As outlined above, all staff will be trained in indicators of abuse, exploitation and neglect and should be able to recognise signs of these. We recognise that abuse, exploitation and neglect along with other safeguarding issues are complex and often multidimensional and therefore don’t fall solely under one category. Types of abuse or harm can take many forms including directly inflicting harm on a child or failing to protect a child from harm online as well as face to face both inside and outside of the school/college, including the multi-faceted occurrence of factors causing emotional harm. In many cases abuse and other risks will take place concurrently both online and offline. The four main types of abuse that staff are trained to recognise are;
4.2 Types of abuse (Taken from Keeping Children Safe in Education, 2023)
4.3 Indicators of abuse can be found in Appendix B. 4.4 If a child is in immediate danger or at risk of harm, a referral will be made to children’s services (through the MASH) and any member of staff can make this referral. A Designated or Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead should be available at all times, but in exceptional circumstances the member of staff should speak to a member of the Senior Leadership Team or seek advice directly from Children’s Service and then take appropriate action. The Designated Safeguarding Lead should be made aware as soon as possible. 4.5 Staff, parents and the wider community should report any concerns that they have about the welfare of children, however minor or seemingly insignificant. Staff should not assume that someone else will report concerns. 4.6 The school recognises that any child can be the victim of abuse and may benefit from early help. However, the school will be particularly vigilant to potential need for early help if a child;
4.7 Stoke Primary School recognises that abuse can take many different forms. Staff will also receive training on the following issues and action will be taken if Stoke Primary School believes that a child is at risk of or is the victim of;
4.8 Stoke Primary School will also take action to protect;
4.8.1 There are other familial issues that can have a detrimental impact on children. We work with other agencies in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (2024) to support children and families in the following circumstances;
4.9 Children potentially at greater risk of harm 4.9.1 Stoke Primary School recognises that some children need a social worker due to abuse, neglect or complex family circumstances and that abuse and trauma can leave children vulnerable to further harm, as well as educational disadvantage. 4.9.2 The Designated Safeguarding Lead will hold information relating to social workers working with children in the school. 4.9.3 This information will inform decisions about safeguarding and promoting welfare (including the provision of pastoral and/or academic support). 4.10 Children absent from Education 4.10.1 Stoke Primary School understands that children being absent from education for prolonged periods and/or repeat occasions can act as a vital warning sign to a range of safeguarding issues including neglect, child sexual and criminal exploitation – particularly county lines. 4.10.2 Stoke Primary School will report information to the Local Authority when problems are first emerging and if there is a need for the removal of a child from roll. 4.11 Elective Home Education 4.11.1 Stoke Primary School recognises that many home educated children have a positive learning experience and the decision is one with the child’s best interests at heart however elective home education can mean that some children are not in receipt of suitable education. 4.11.2 Since 2016, Stoke Primary School has a statutory duty to inform the Local Authority of all deletions from roll. When Elective Home Education is the reason for this removal, the Local authority and other key professionals will work alongside Stoke Primary School to coordinate a meeting with parents where possible ideally before a final decision is made. 4.12 Children requiring Mental Health support 4.12.1 The school recognise that safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children includes preventing the impairment of children’s mental health or development. 4.12.2 All staff will be aware that mental health problems may be an indicator that a child is suffering or is at risk of suffering abuse, neglect or exploitation. 4.12.3 Staff will not attempt to make a diagnosis of a mental health problem unless they are appropriately trained. 4.12.4 We recognise that staff are well-placed to observe behaviour that may indicate that a child is experiencing a mental health problem, or is at risk of developing one. There are clear systems and processes in place for identifying possible mental health problems. If staff are concerned that a child is suffering a mental health problem, they should raise it with a class teacher or make contact with the Family Team. 4.12.5 If staff are concerned that a child is experiencing a mental health problem that is also a safeguarding concern, they must report this to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (or deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead) immediately. 4.12.6 Stoke Primary School has a strong Mental Health First Aid team. Our Senior Mental Health Forst Aid lead is Rebecca Fenlon. We also have a team of mental health first aiders comprising Matthew Ascroft, Sarah Morris, Callum Morrow, Nicola Burns and Lucy Fox. Supporting this team we also have a team of trained Youth Mental Health First Aiders. 4.12.7 Further information, guidance and advice regarding mental health can be found on page 50 of Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025. 4.13 Children who are Lesbian, Gay, Bi (LGBTQA+) or may be gender questioning children 4.13.1 The fact that a child or a young person may be LGBT is not in itself an inherent risk factor for harm. However, children who are LGBT can be targeted by other children. In some cases, a child who is perceived by other children to be LGBT (whether they are or not) can be just as vulnerable as children who identify as LGBT. 4.13.2 In line with updated Keeping Children Safe In Education (2025) guidance, it is important to consider the Cass review, which identified that caution is necessary for children questioning their gender as there remain many unknowns about the impact of social transition and children may well have wider vulnerabilities, including having complex mental health and psychosocial needs, and in some cases additional diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. 4.13.3 It recommended that when families/carers are making decisions about support for gender questioning children, they should be encouraged to seek clinical help and advice. When parents are supporting pre-pubertal children, clinical services should ensure that they can be seen as early as possible by a clinical professional with relevant experience. 4.13.4 As such, when supporting a gender questioning child, schools should take a cautious approach and consider the broad range of their individual needs, in partnership with the child’s parents (other than in the exceptionally rare circumstances where involving parents would constitute a significant risk of harm to the child), including any clinical advice that is available and how to address wider vulnerabilities such as the risk of bullying. Schools should refer to our Guidance for Schools and Colleges in relation to Gender Questioning Children, when deciding how to proceed. 4.13.5 Risks can be compounded where children who are LGBT lack a trusted adult with whom they can be open. It is therefore vital that staff endeavour to reduce the additional barriers faced and provide a safe space for them to speak out or share their concerns with members of staff. 4.13.6 LGBT inclusion is part of the statutory Relationships Education, Relationship and Sex Education and Health Education curriculum and there is a range of support available to help schools counter homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying and abuse. 5 Responding to signs of abuse5.1 If a member of staff, parent or member of the public is concerned about a child’s welfare, they should report it to the designated safeguarding lead as soon as possible. On occasions when the designated safeguarding lead is not available, it should be reported to the deputy safeguarding lead without delay. Although any member of staff can make a referral to Children’s Services where possible there should be a conversation with the Designated Safeguarding Lead. 5.2 If anyone other than the Designated Safeguarding Lead makes a referral to Children’s Services or to the police, they should inform the DSL as soon as possible. 5.3 All staff will be alert to indicators of abuse and will report any of the following to the Designated Safeguarding Lead immediately;
5.4 There will be occasions where a child discloses/alleges abuse directly to a member of staff. If this happens, the member of staff will;
5.5 The designated safeguarding lead will make a decision about the action that needs to be taken following a member of staff raising a concern about a child, or following a direct disclosure recording a clear rationale. The DSL may consider the following options;
5.6 For further information about the Coventry Safeguarding Children Partnership’s ‘Right Help, Right Time’ guidance, which is used by Stoke Primary School to make decisions about protecting children, please visit http://www.coventry.gov.uk/righthelprighttime. 5.7 See page 24 for flowchart of actions that will be taken where there are concerns about a child (taken from Keeping Children Safe in Education, September 2025). 5.8 In cases where members of staff become aware that Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has been carried out on a female below the age of 18, they have a mandatory duty to report this to the police without delay and will do so. Staff should refer this to the DSL first, but the legislation requires regulated health and Children’s Service professionals and teachers in England and Wales to make a report to the police where, in the course of their professional duties, they either;
If you believe a child is at risk of FGM, a referral to the MASH is also required. 5.9 Stoke Primary School have a duty to refer any children who are living in a private fostering arrangement to the local authority. Private fostering is when a child under the age of 16 (or under 18 if disabled) is cared for by someone who is not their parent or a close relative. This is a private arrangement made between a parent and a carer, expected to last 28 days or more, or the school are aware the 28 days has been exceeded. 5.10 All schools are subject to a duty under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 in the exercise of their functions to have “due regard” to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. See Appendix B for further information on Stoke Primary School’s Prevent duty. 5.11 If any member of staff is unsure about signs of abuse or neglect, they should speak to the Designated Safeguarding Lead. 5.12 Child on Child Abuse 5.12.1 Stoke Primary School understands that both adults and other children can perpetrate abuse, and can happen inside and outside of school, online or face to face. Child on Child abuse is taken very seriously and can include bullying (including cyber-bullying, prejudice-based and discriminatory bullying), abuse in intimate personal relationships between children, physical abuse, sharing of consensual or non-consensual images of videos, causing someone to engage in sexual activity without consent, sexual violence and/or harassment, upskirting, and initiation/hazing ceremonies. The school recognise that safeguarding issues can manifest as child-on-child abuse. 5.12.2 All members of staff will be made aware of the school’s policy and procedures with regards to child-on-child abuse. The school will ensure staff understand what is meant by child-on-child abuse and the school policy on child-on-child abuse by providing Safeguarding Training and regular updates as art of core CPD. 5.12.3 The school will work to prevent child on child abuse by ensuring that healthy relationships and friendships are a core part of RSE, PSHE and online safety lessons. 5.12.4 Although it is recognised that if there are no reported cases, such abuse may still be taking place. If an allegation of child-on-child abuse is made, Stoke Primary School will investigate this by following the school protocol ie. Report to DSL/DDSL, speak to children involved and make individual referrals to MASH where necessary. Then record on CPOMS. 5.12.5 In the event that an allegation of child-on-child abuse is made, victims, alleged perpetrators and any other children affected will be supported by Family Team/Play Therapist/outside agencies and referral to the MASH will be considered. 5.12.6 Stoke Primary School will never pass off child on child abuse as ‘banter’, ‘having a laugh. ‘part of growing up’ or other such termination that does not recognise the harm caused. This should be a Zero-tolerance approach as this could lead to a culture of unacceptable behaviours. It is recognised with this, that all child-on-child abuse is unacceptable and will be taken seriously. 5.12.7 Boarding schools and residential settings should include additional information here about the possible additional risk relating to child on child abuse in this setting. See Annex D KCSIE for more information. 5.12.8 Stoke Primary School will adhere to guidance set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education (2025) when responding to incidents of child-on-child abuse. 5.12.9 All staff will be made aware that ‘upskirting’ is a criminal offence. 5.13 Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) and Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) 5.13.1 Both CCE and CSE are forms of abuse that occur when an individual or group take advantage of an imbalance in power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child into taking part in sexual or criminal activity, in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator through violence or threat of violence. CCE and CSE can affect both males and females and can include children that have been moved for the purpose of exploitation (trafficking). 5.13.2 CCE can include children being forced or manipulated into transporting drugs or money through county lines, working in cannabis factories, shoplifting or pickpocketing, vehicle crime, threatening violence on others or even carrying weapons. 5.13.3 The school is responsible for recognising children involved in CCE are victims of exploitation and should be recognised as such due to the the harm they have experienced even if they appear to have consented to the criminal activity. 5.13.4 CSE is a form of child sexual abuse including physical contact and non-contact online activities including the internet or by phone. This can happen over time or as a one off and may happen without the child recognising this as abuse or harmful. 5.13.5 The school recognises that children of the age of 16 and 17 who can legally consent to a sexual relationship may also be the victims of CSE but may not recognise this. 5.13.6 The school understands children can be at risk of, or involved in, serious violent crime. This can result in an increase absence from school or college, a change in friendships, decline in educational attainment, significant change in wellbeing, or signs of unexplained injuries. 5.14 Sharing of consensual or non-consensual nude and semi-nude images or videos 5.14.1 “Sharing of consensual or non-consensual nude and semi-nude images or videos” refers to any sharing of youth-produced sexual imagery between children. This includes;
5.14.2 The school has a responsibility to educate children in the risks relating to ‘sharing consensual or non-consensual nude images or videos’ and how to keep themselves safe online. ( https://stoke-coventry.secure-primarysite.net/policies/ ) 5.14.3 Any incidents or suspected incidents of ‘sharing consensual or non-consensual nude images or videos’ should be reported to the DSL without delay. 5.14.4 Once reported to the DSL, the DSL will decide on the appropriate course of action. This could include;
5.14.5 Any incidents of ‘sharing consensual or non-consensual nude images or videos’ involving the following will result in a MASH and sometimes a Police referral;
5.14.6 Staff will not view images or videos on pupil devices. Confiscated devices will be stored securely and passed to the relevant agencies. 5.14.7 We will work with parents as necessary if their child is involved in the sharing of consensual or non-consensual nude images or videos. 5.14.8 We operate a culture of safeguarding and young people should feel confident to disclose if they have sent an inappropriate image of themselves. Children will always be supported to retrieve and delete the images. 5.15 Domestic Abuse 5.15.1 Domestic abuse can be a single incident or a pattern of incidents. It can also include psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional acts of abuse. 5.15.2 The school recognises that children can be a victim of Domestic Abuse by seeing, hearing or experiencing the effects or suffering domestic abuse in their own personal relationships. These all have a detrimental impact on childrens health, well-being, development and ability to learn. 5.16 Searching, Screening and Confiscation 5.16.1 Where necessary, searching, screening and confiscation will be used to safeguard a child/children in Stoke Primary School. 5.16.2 The school adheres to ‘Searching, Screening and Confiscation: Advice for Schools (January 2018). 5.13.3 Please see searching, screening and confiscation policy (should either be a standalone policy, in positive handling or in behaviour policy) for further information. 5.17 Online Safety 5.17.1 The school recognises that in today’s world, children need to be safeguarded from potentially harmful and inappropriate online material with many children having unlimited and unrestricted access to the internet via their mobile phone. The breadth of issues can be categorised currently into four areas of risk as taken from Keeping Children Safe In Education 2025:
5.17.2 The school understand that the above can take place on a students phone or smart device (including smart watches, smart glasses and ‘air tags’) whilst at school/college or elsewhere. The school have responded to this by having a whole school approach to online safety which aims to protect and educate students, parents and staff in their use of technology comprising the school behaviour policy, acceptable use policy, mobile and smart technology policy and online safety curriculum. 5.17.3 The school has also established mechanisms to identify, intervene in and escalate any concerns highlighted through our filter and monitoring systems for both staff and students. The effectiveness of this is regularly reviewed with staff aware of how to escalate concerns.
5.18 To raise concerns about children, members of staff should contact the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) by telephone to discuss the referral. They should then complete the online Multi-Agency Referral Form (MARF) and submit this to the MASH. The school will follow up referrals if we do not receive feedback from Children’s Services to ascertain the outcome of all referrals. MASH Telephone number: 02476 788 555 MASH online referral form: http://www.coventry.gov.uk/safeguardingchildren Out of hours Emergency Duty Team: 02476 832 222 Prevent/Channel Referrals: Refer to MASH (mash@coventry.gov.uk) and to CTU_GATEWAY@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk 5.18.1 If a child’s situation does not appear to be improving following a referral, the school may re-refer the child. We will also consider using the Coventry Safeguarding Children Partnership’s Managing Professional Disagreements policyto ensure that our concerns have been addressed and that the situation improves for the child. 6 Record-keeping6.1 All concerns, discussions and decision made will be recorded in writing and kept confidential and stored securely. Records will be clear, comprehensive, actioned and outcome noted. 6.2 A written record of all safeguarding and/or child protection concerns, discussions and decisions made will be kept in individual children’s files. This will be separate from the main school file and will only be accessed by the relevant safeguarding staff. 6.3 Stoke Primary School keeps all safeguarding files electronically, using a system called Child Protection Online Management System (CPOMS). 6.4 Staff will submit all concerns in writing to the DSL at the earliest opportunity. This may be after having a verbal conversation, but conversations will also be followed up in writing. 6.5 In the event that a child moves school, the safeguarding file will be transferred to the new setting securely and separately from the main school file in a timely manner (within 5 days for in-year transfers). Once received by the new school, this school will not retain the information. 6.6 The school will seek to hold at least two emergency contacts for every child. 6.7 All data processed by Stoke Primary School is done so in line with the General Data Protection Guidelines and the Data Protection Act (2018) and Information Sharing (2024). DPA and UK GDPR do not prevent the sharing of information for the purposes of keeping children safe and promoting their welfare. Please see the following policies for additional information; (https://stoke-coventry.secure-primarysite.net/policies/) 6.8 Further information regarding information sharing and data processing in relation to safeguarding can be found in Part One of Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2025). 7 Photography and Images7.1 Consent from parents to photograph children at school events for promotional reasons will be sought when the child joins Stoke Primary School. Stoke Primary School will also seek specific permission for one off events that include the press. 7.2 Parents can withdraw consent at any time and must notify Stoke Primary School if they do not wish their child’s photographs to be used. 7.3 Photographs of children used publicly will not be displayed with their name or other identifiable personal information. 7.4 Photographs of children will be processed in line with the General Data Protection Regulation. (https://www.stoke.coventry.sch.uk/policies/) 8 Early Help Assessment8.1 Stoke Primary School is committed to supporting families as soon as a possible problem arises. It is more effective to support a family through early help than reacting to a problem later. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families and carers have a role to play in safeguarding children. Stoke Primary School is committed to working closely with its neighbouring family hub to work with families in the community to improve outcomes for children. 8.2 Any child may benefit from early help, but as guided by KCSIE (2024) all school and college staff will be particularly alert to the potential need for early help for a child who:
8.3 Stoke Primary School works within the Coventry Safeguarding Children Partnership’s effective-support-for-children-and-young-people framework, available on the CSCP website. 9 Staff training9.1 In order for staff to be able to understand and discharge their safeguarding and child protection duties, Stoke Primary School has committed to training staff throughout the academic year. All staff members will be made aware of Stoke Primary School’s safeguarding processes and structures and will receive training on these as part of their induction. As part of this training and their annual refresher, they will also receive;
9.2 Staff at Stoke Primary School has a programmme of 1 minute update training that is held every three weeks. This comprises a different topic with up to date information and reminders. 9.3 Stoke Primary School recognise that children may engage in risky behaviours that may put them at additional risk of danger. These can include drug taking, alcohol abuse, truanting and the sharing of consensual or non-consensual nude images or videos. Staff will also be trained in these areas in order to be able to further recognise if a child is at risk of harm. 9.4 All staff are aware that children may not feel ready or know how to tell someone that they are being abused, exploited, or neglected, and/or they may not recognise their experiences as harmful. For example, children may feel embarrassed, humiliated, or being threatened. This could be due to their vulnerability, disability and/or sexual orientation or language barriers. This should not prevent staff from having a professional curiosity and speaking to the DSL if they have concerns about a child. It is also important that staff determine how best to build trusted relationships with children and young people which facilitate communication. 10 Safer Recruitment10.1 Stoke Primary School is committed to providing children with a safe environment, in which they can learn. We take safer recruitment seriously and all staff are subject to the following checks;
10.2 A record of all checks completed for members of staff will be recorded on the Single Central Record. 10.3 All new members of staff will be required to obtain DBS clearance. Stoke Primary School reserves the right to re-check DBS clearance for any member of staff where information is received that indicates they may pose a risk to children and may request candidates to register on the DBS update service. 10.4 At least one member of every interview panel will have undertaken Safer Recruitment training which it is recommended is refreshed every 2 years. 10.5 We take proportionate decisions on whether to check individuals above and beyond what is legally required dependant on individual circumstance. 10.6 Any visitor to the school who has not been subject to the necessary checks will be supervised at all times and a risk assessment completed. 10.7 All safer recruitment practices at Stoke Primary School comply with Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2025). See Part 3 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2025) for further information.
11 Allegations of abuse against staff11.1 Stoke Primary School takes all safeguarding matters including low level concerns and/or allegations that harm to a child has occurred against staff (including agency, volunteers and contractors) seriously and will manage them in line with this policy, Part Four of Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2025) and the CSCP Guidance, ‘Allegations Against Staff and Volunteers’. 11.2 Allegations or concerns may include
11.3 If a concern or allegation of abuse arises against the Headteacher, or should there be a conflict of interest to the Headteacher, it must be immediately reported to the Chair of Governors (Mr Martin Shaw) 11.4 If a concern or allegation of abuse arises against any member of staff, supply teacher, volunteer or contractor other than the Headteacher, it must be reported to the Headteacher without delay. 11.5 Concerns or allegations of abuse against staff must be reported to the Headteacher or Chair of Governors as appropriate and not discussed directly with the person involved. 11.6 The Headteacher or Chair of Governors should consider if the concern or allegation meets the harms threshold as outlined in Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023) guidance indicating that a person in a Position of Trust has:
The Headteacher or Chair of Governors can also seek guidance/advice if unsure by emailing lado@coventry.gov.uk. 11.8 ‘Low-level’ concern does not mean it is not significant. This is a term used for any concern (no matter how small) that an adult working with a child may have breached the staff Code of Conduct and does not meet the harm threshold. Examples of which may include:
The details of the LADO can be found of the front of this policy. 11.9 Concerns relating to a position of trust issue will be referred to the Local Authority designated officer within 24 hours. In accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025, the school will make every effort to maintain confidentiality and guard against unwanted publicity while an allegation is being investigated or considered. 11.10 If a child has suffered or may have suffered abuse or harm, a MASH referral will also be made. 11.11 In the instances where an allegation is dealt with internally, the Local Authority designated officer will provide information and support to Stoke Primary School in managing the allegation. 11.12 A referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service will be made if a member of staff is dismissed or removed from their post as a result of safeguarding concerns, irrespective of whether they have resigned. 11.13 Supply Teachers and all contracted staff 11.13.1 Although the school does not directly employ supply teachers and contractors, the school will ensure that any concerns or allegations are referred to LADO and the relevant agency informed as the employer. 11.13.2 The school will never cease to use a supply teacher for safeguarding reasons without liaising with the Local Authority Designated Officer and reaching an agreed outcome. 11.13.3 Governing bodies/proprietors will liaise with the supply agency to determine whether to suspend or redeploy the supply teacher whilst they carry out their investigation. 11.13.4 The school will inform supply agencies of its process for managing allegations, including inviting the agency’s human resource manager (or equivalent) to meetings and regularly updating agencies on relevant school policies. The school will usually take the lead because agencies do not have direct contact with children or staff, so will not be able to gather information. 11.14. Governors 11.14.1 If an allegation or concern is about a Governor, the school/college will follow local procedures. 11.15. Volunteers 11.15.1 Risk assessments and a DBS check will be requested for all volunteers. Under no circumstances will a volunteer prior to satisfactory checks being completed be alone with children unsupervised or allowed to work in regulated activity. 11.16. Whistleblowing 11.16.1 Stoke Primary School operates a culture of safeguarding and all staff should report any concerns about poor or unsafe practice, or Stoke Primary School’s safeguarding processes to the senior leadership team. 11.16.2 Appropriate whistleblowing procedures are in place whereby the senior leadership team will take all concerns seriously. 11.16.3 In the event that a member of staff is unable to raise an issue with senior leadership in school, they should refer to Part 1 of Keeping Children Safe in Education for additional guidance on whistleblowing procedures. 11.17. Complaints Procedure 11.17.1 The School operates a complaint procedure which will be followed where a pupil or parent raises a concern about poor practice towards a pupil that initially does not reach the threshold for child protection action. Poor practice examples include unfairly singling out a pupil or attempting to humiliate them, bullying or belittling a pupil or discriminating against them in some way. Complaints are managed by the headteacher, other members of the senior leadership team and governors. (https://stoke-coventry.secure-primarysite.net/policies/) 11.17.2 Complaints from staff are dealt with under the school’s complaints and disciplinary and grievance procedures. (Also refer to Low level concerns) 11.17.3 Complaints which escalate into a child protection concern will automatically be managed under the school’s child protection procedures. 12 Promoting safeguarding and welfare in the curriculum12.1 Stoke Primary School recognises the importance of teaching children how to stay safe and look after their mental health and are committed to equipping children with the skills and knowledge to have successful and happy lives. 12.2 The school will teach children about safeguarding, including online safety (https://stoke-coventry.secure-primarysite.net/curriculum/). 12.3 Schools and colleges play a crucial role in preventative education. Preventative education is most effective in the context of a whole-school or college approach that prepares pupils and students for life in modern Britain and creates a culture of zero tolerance for sexism, misogyny/misandry, homophobia, biphobic and sexual violence/harassment. The school/college will have a clear set of values and standards, upheld and demonstrated throughout all aspects of school/college life. These will be underpinned by the school/college’s behaviour policy and pastoral support system, as well as by a planned programme of evidence based RSHE delivered in regularly timetabled lessons and reinforced throughout the whole curriculum (RSHE) 12.4 Children at Stoke Primary School will receive the following as part of our promotion of safeguarding across the curriculum: (Insert list of all activities within the curriculum here, refer to other policies/protective behaviours/parent sessions/SRE etc). 12.5 Education at home and remote education If you are using alternative methods to educate children at home, outline them here. What are you using, links to other relevant policies, relevant safeguarding policy information, the fact that the school continues to operate under this policy and KCSIE/WTTSC when children are learning at home or at school. 13 Children Looked After13.1 The most common reason for children to be looked-after is because they have experienced abuse and/or neglect. Stoke Primary School recognises that children looked after may have additional vulnerabilities by virtue of this. The Designated Lead for Looked-After and Previously Looked-After Children is Sarah Morris. 13.2 Staff will receive training on how to best safeguard children who are Looked-After and who have been Previously Looked-After. 13.3 The school will work with Personal Advisors when children leave care (where applicable). 13.4 Stoke Primary School is committed to working with other agencies to ensure the best outcomes for Looked-After and Previously Looked-After children.
14 Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) or physical health needs14.1 As outlined in Keeping Children Safe in Education (2025), Stoke Primary School is aware that children with additional needs or disabilities may be more vulnerable to abuse both online and offline and additional barriers may exist when recognising abuse and neglect. This could be because;
14.2 Any reports of abuse involving children with SEND will therefore require close liaison with the designated safeguarding lead and SENCO. Staff will also be trained in recognising signs of abuse in children with SEN and disabilities or certain medical conditions. 14.3 Staff will take into account the needs of a child when responding to concerns of abuse or when taking a disclosure. We recognise that some children require specialist intervention to communicate and advice from the SENCO will be sought in these circumstances. 14.4 Safeguarding learning opportunities within the curriculum will be appropriately differentiated to ensure all children can access it. 15 Use of reasonable force15.1 There may be occasions when staff are required to use reasonable force to safeguard children. We will not use any more force than is proportionate and necessary. Team Teach training has been provided with a primary focus on de-escalation. Incidents are recorded in the Team Teach Handbook. 16 Work Experience/ Alternative Provision 16.1 The School will continue to be responsible for the safeguarding of Students placed with an alternative provision provider or work experience and will be satisfied that this provider meets the needs of the pupil. Written confirmation from the provider that appropriate safeguarding checks have been carried out will be sought on individuals working at the establishment, i.e. those checks that the school would otherwise perform in respect of its own staff. 17 Use of school premises for non-school activitiesThe School may hire or rent out school or college facilities/premises to organisations or individuals. Safeguarding is still considered with this and the school will seek assurance that the provider has appropriate safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures in place including liaising directly with the school on these matters were appropriate. This applies whether the children in attendance are on the school’s roll or not. The governing body/proprietor will ensure safeguarding requirements are included in any transfer of control agreement and that failure to comply with this would result in termination of the agreement. Keeping children safe in out-of-school settings offers guidance on this. In the event of an incident, the school will follow its own policy including informing the LADO.
18 Summary19.1 The school is committed to safeguarding children and will always make safeguarding decisions that are in the best interests of each child. For further information or if you have any queries about this policy, please contact the school.
Appendix AThe school’s safeguarding policy is intended to be used in conjunction with the following policies The school adheres to Coventry Safeguarding Children Partnership
Appendix B – Further Safeguarding Information
Types of Abuse As outlined in paragraph 4.4, the school will take action if we believe a child is at risk of or is suffering from abuse. Abuse is not limited to physical, emotional, sexual abuse and neglect. For further information on the definitions of the types of abuse below, please refer to Keeping Children Safe in Education (2025), Annex A. See below for policy information relating to other key safeguarding issues. All decisions taken in responding to concerns of abuse will be taken in the best interests of the child. Bullying, including cyber- or online-bullying The school takes all forms of bullying seriously and will respond sensitively and quickly to any reported bullying. Children should report any bullying to any trusted member of staff and we will work to resolve it. We also teach children about the dangers of bullying through our curriculum. Bullying can take many forms and we have several policies that cover different aspects of bullying. Please see the Anti-Bullying Policy, the Behaviour Policy and paragraph 5.8 of this policy for further information. Children absent from education, home or care The school will also take action to protect;
Children Absent from Education Children Missing from education, home or care Stoke monitors attendance in line with Section 4.10 of this policy https://stoke-coventry.secure-primarysite.net/policies/ Private Fostering The school have a duty to refer any children who are living in a private fostering arrangement to the local authority. We will do this through a MASH referral. It is important that parents/carers inform us if a child is going to be staying at an alternative address to that of their primary care-givers for more than legislation says 28 days.
Indicators of abuse See below for possible indicators of abuse. (Taken from What to do if you are worried a child is being abused, 2015)
The school recognises that the above list of indicators is not exhaustive and staff will receive training on indicators of abuse.
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