Safeguarding our Students
I would like to welcome you all to the Safeguarding section of our website.
The health and wellbeing of our students, staff and supporting families is very important to us in order to promote our school vision of “Living life in all its fullness”.
Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of our children and young people and to protect them from harm, providing them with opportunities to ”be the best that they can be” and achieve their desired outcomes.
Safeguarding means: protecting children from abuse and maltreatment.
We recognise that Safeguarding and Child Protection is an essential part of our “Duty of Care” to all students and all staff, we 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 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 the wishes of, and at all times, what is in the best interests of each child.
We aim to:
- Ensure we practice safe recruitment in line with national legislation by using at least one suitably trained recruiter on all interview panels and by checking the suitability of staff and volunteers to work with children and ensuring any unsuitable behaviour is reported and managed using the Allegations Management procedures.
- Raise awareness of child protection issues and equip children with the skills needed to keep them safe.
- Implement procedures for identifying and reporting cases, or suspected cases, of abuse.
- Support pupils who have been abused in accordance with their agreed child protection plan.
- Establishing a safe environment in which children can learn and develop.
We offer support and advice to our pupils and families at an early stage when concerns first arise to avoid an escalation of circumstances.
If you have any worries or concerns regarding the safety or well-being of any of our students or would just like to ask a question please contact the Safeguarding Team.
You can contact us in a variety of ways – whatever is the most comfortable for you.
- via main reception in person – just ask for a member of the Safeguarding Team (you do not need to give the reason why)
- by telephone on 024 76 223542 and ask to speak to a member of the Safeguarding Team
- or you can send an email (for non emergency use) to: safeguarding@bluecoatschool.com
For any concerns outside of school hours please contact the Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency. Alternatively you can call the MASH helpline 02476 788 555 or 02476 832222 (after 5pm).
Safeguarding is of paramount importance to us, we are happy and ready to help you and will take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of our school community, the school is compliant with all statutory guidance in relation to Child Protection.
Health and Wellbeing
The health and wellbeing of our students, staff and supporting families are important to us in order to promote our school vision of ‘Living life in all its fullness’. Please see below links of support that is available.
Family Hubs
There are 8 family hubs in Coventry, all are postcode dependant.
Family hubs can help with all sorts of queries such as:
· Finance advice
· Debt advice
· Parenting support
· Family support offered within the home
· Child and family health wellbeing exercises including baby wellbeing clinics
· Support to children with SEN and to their families
Online Safety
Using the internet and mobile devices is central to many of our students’ lives. We recognise the enormous value these technologies have in helping our students learn and function effectively in the 21st Century.
With these opportunities comes the need to protect our students from the associated risks. We take ‘e-safety’ very seriously. In addition to taking steps such as web filtering, we educated our students about the risks they face on-line and how they can protect themselves.
All students are required to read and sign our ICT policy, which describes the responsibilities students have when using ICT.
E-Safety App for Parents
A new app has been launched, as a national initiative, to support parents in keeping their children safe whilst using their smartphones. ‘Our Pact’ can be downloaded to a young person’s phone and will block inappropriate websites and, once it has been downloaded, it cannot be uninstalled by the young person.
Child on Child Abuse
Child on Child Abuse can be defined in many ways such as sexual harassment, sexual touching, emotional abuse, bullying, physical abuse, violence and online abuse to name a few. Child on Child
Abuse is increasing in all schools across the country.
At Blue Coat School, we do not tolerate any form of Child on Child abuse. We actively encourage parents/carers to discuss these topics with your child(ren) and how this type of abuse can be detrimental in the decline of the victim’s mental and physical health.
The taking of and sharing of nude or semi nude images, also falls under the category of Child on Child Abuse and can result in Police sanctions.
If you have any concerns about Child on Child Abuse, please do not hesitate in calling a member of the Safeguarding team on 02476223542.
Healthy Minds
Students who are struggling with their mental health are encouraged to speak to their house teams, tutors, a member of the safeguarding team or our Chaplain, Lou Peet.
We know it can take a lot of courage to speak up about how you are feeling, no matter what the concern is, we are here to help! One-to-one support can be arranged in a friendly, welcoming and private area for you to discuss the challenges that you are experiencing.
Following this, we will be able to help with coping strategies, check-ins and possibly external agency interventions.
We also understand that it can be incredibly challenging for some to speak out. Kooth is a free online mental health community for young people to sign up to where they can access 24 hour
support from a team of professionals, self – help tools and fun activities.
To learn more about Kooth, please visit:
FGM (Female Genital Mutilation)
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is defined by the World Health Organisation as – all procedures involving partial or total
removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genitalia for cultural or non-medical reasons.
CLICK HERE to read more…
Prevent
Counter Terrorism and Security Act, which came into force on 1 July 2015. This Act requires specified authorities, including schools to “have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”. This is known as the ‘Prevent Duty’.
The four Government definitions are attached along with a summary.
Revised Prevent duty guidance: for England and Wales – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
CLICK HERE to read more…
Contextual Safeguarding
Traditionally, our understanding of safeguarding children has been in relation to risk within the family, but as young people grow they spend increased amounts of time away from their family and with others.
CLICK HERE to read more…
Parent Factsheets
Safeguarding Newsletters
Safeguarding Newsletter Summer 1