Article: Policies and procedures

Every school must have a Child Protection Policy - sometimes referred to as the school's Safeguarding Policy. The aim of the policy is to ensure that your school has effective measures in place to safeguard children from the potential risk of harm and that the safety and wellbeing of the children are of the highest priority in all aspects of your school's work.   The local authority has produced a  Model Child Protection/Safeguarding Policy that schools can adapt.

Having the policy in place ensures that all members of your school community:

  • are aware of their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and child protection
  • know the procedures that should be followed if they have a cause for concern
  • know where to go to find additional information regarding safeguarding
  • are aware of the key indicators relating to child abuse
  • fully support the school's commitment to safeguarding and child protection.

Safeguarding is not just about protecting children from deliberate harm. It presents schools with a wide range of issues that they need to be prepared for.  The following  is a list of policies or procedures that Ofsted and the local authority recommend schools have in place.

NEW

The Government has just issued revised Statutory Guidance on Keeping Chidren Safe in Schools and College

Safeguarding In Schools - An Ofsted View

In September 2011 Ofsted published a guide, Safeguarding in Schools: Best Practice that illustrates and evaluates the features of best practice in safeguarding, based on inspection evidence from the 19% of all maintained primary, secondary and special schools, residential special schools and pupil referral units inspected between September 2009 and July 2010 where safeguarding had been judged outstanding. It also draws on a more detailed analysis and evaluation of safeguarding practice in a small sample of outstanding schools visited by Inspectors.

Key features of an outstanding school include

• high quality leadership and management where safeguarding was seen as a priority

• stringent vetting procedures

• rigorous safeguarding procedures and policies

• easily accessible child protection arrangements

• a high priority given to training that goes beyond the basic

• robust arrangements for site security

• a flexible, relevant and engaging curriculum that is used to promote safeguarding.

Guidance on Dealing with Allegations

On 1 October 2012 the DfE published the latest procedures regarding the management of allegations of abuse against teachers and other school staff.

Further information about dealing with allegations can be found here

Guidance on Safer Working Practices

Guidance for Safer Working Practice for Adults who Work with Children and Young People

Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education

This statutory guidance from the Department for Education , revised in April 2014, sets out the responsibilities of all local authorities, schools and further education colleges in England to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. It sets out recruitment best practice, some underpinned by legislation, for the school, local authority, and FE education sectors.

In addition to our e-learning courses, the Department for Education provides an online course on Safer Recruitment available through this link

Local Guidance

The document Child protection and safeguarding in educational settings contains a range of policies and guidance for schools, including:

Recruitment and Human Resources Procedures, including staff induction

Confidentiality and Information Sharing

Private Meetings with Pupils

Children with Special Educational Needs

Abuse of Trust

Physical Contact

Child Protection Procedures

Guidelines for the Taking of and Use of Photographic Images/videos of Children

Guidance re Children who leave School Premises

Management of Challenging Behaviour

School Behaviour Policy

Policies re Vistors to the School

Guidance re Intimate Care, Children with Medical Needs and care of disabled pupils

Supervision Policy for Staff 

It is also advisable for the school to produce key safeguarding information/guidance for parents.

Head Teachers Annual Report

Child Protection Conference Reports

Other Useful Safeguarding Policies, Procedures and Guidance

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Useful Forms:

A list of Statutory Guidance is available here

 Barnsley Safeguarding Children Board Policies and Procedures are available here