Children’s Rights
Article 2 – Right to no discrimination
Article 3 – Best Interests
Article 10 – Right to be safe
Article 23 – Right to education
d’Auvergne School is committed to promoting the safety and wellbeing of Jersey’s children, and those who attend our school.
In order to achieve this, we will provide:
- A safe, healthy learning environment;
- Opportunities for children to build trusting relationships with adults, that allow them to discuss any worries or issues that are affecting them.
This policy references, and should be read in conjunction with the following policies:
- Child Protection
- Well-being and Positive Mental Health Policy
- Anti-Bullying Policy
- CYPES Child Protection Policy (GoJ)
- Dealing with Allegations Against Staff and Volunteers Policy (GoJ)
- Education of Children Looked After Policy (GoJ)
- Intimate Care Policy (GoJ)
- Online Safety Policy
- Safer Recruitment Policy
- Traffic Management Policy
The Department for Education has a comprehensive list of safeguarding policies that can be found at:
https://www.gov.je/government/departments/educationsportculture/pages/policies.aspx
This policy applies to all adults, including volunteers, working in or on behalf of the school.
All staff and volunteers will:
- fully comply with the school’s policies and procedures
- attend appropriate training
- inform the designated person of any concerns
Policy Aims
- To bring together information from all of the policies at d’Auvergne School that relate to safeguarding children, and signpost adults and staff to these for more detailed policy information;
- To set out the actions that d’Auvergne School takes to respond to situations that relate to the safeguarding of children;
- To set out the proactive steps that d’Auvergne School takes to reduce situations in which it is necessary to safeguard children.
Key Staff
- Designated Safeguarding Lead – Rachel Maguire
- Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead – Sam Cooper
- Deputy Head Teacher – Alex Wheaton
- SENCO – Sally Lacy-Kerr
- Business Manager – Rena Nelson
- CYPES Safeguarding Lead – Dani Perrier (Acting)
Working Together
d’Auvergne School will work in partnership with parents and carers to promote the safety and well-being of children, where possible. Where there is a specific concern about the care provided to a child, contact will be made with the child’s carers as long as it is assessed as safe to do so.
There will be times when it is necessary to make a referral to the Children and Families Hub (CFH) without consent, and consultation about when this is appropriate will be had with the CFH on a case-by-case basis.
d’Auvergne School works in partnership with a range of other agencies in order to safeguard children, including;
- Children’s Service
- CAMHS
- School Nurses
- Speech and Language Department
- Other Schools
Where information is shared with colleagues in these other agencies, this will be done with the consent of an adult that holds Parental Responsibility (PR) for the child, except where information sharing is in the best interests of the child to ensure their safety.
Child Protection
Child Protection Policy:
https://www.dauvergne.sch.je/parents-area/safeguarding-send-policies-and-procedures/
Where a member of staff becomes aware of a safeguarding issue, it should be recorded on MyConcern by the staff member. If a concern is noted by a volunteer or visiting adult, then the DSL should be informed so that an accurate record can be made on MyConcern.
If the concern relates to a child suffering, or is at risk of suffering, significant harm, the DSL should be notified immediately so that prompt action is taken. In the DSL’s absence, the Head Teacher and/or the school office should be made aware of the need for a concern to be given immediate attention. The role of the school office is to locate a senior member of staff to respond.
Where it is identified that that a family or child would benefit from support, the DSL will make an enquiry to the Children and Families Hub. This will be done with consent from an adult with PR, unless seeking consent would place the child at risk.
Where a child says something of concern, the staff member should record EXACTLY what was said by the child without paraphrasing. This should be done as soon as possible, and immediately if doing so will not prevent the child from speaking further. The child should be allowed to speak freely, and the TED talk questions used to clarify if absolutely necessary (see Appendix 1).
A record should also be made of which questions were asked by the adult, and the context in which the conversation took place. For example, did it arise from a class discussion or did the child approach out of the blue and begin talking. The child should be informed of the need to pass on the information, where appropriate.
Attendance
d’Auvergne School recognises that children learn best when they have good attendance and punctuality, and the Attendance Policy sets out the steps that will be taken to support parent and carers to achieve this for their children.
We expect that all children will:
- Attend school regularly;
- Attend school on time;
- Discuss with their class teacher or other staff member, any problems preventing them from attending school.
We expect that all parents/carers who have day to day responsibility for the child will:
- Ensure regular school attendance in line with their legal responsibility;
- Ensure that children arrive on time and prepared for the day;
- Ensure that they contact the school promptly each day the child is unable to attend school, and on every day until the child returns to school;
- Discuss with Rachel Maguire, Mr Cooper or the child’s class teacher any issues that might impact on a child’s attendance or punctuality.
Behaviour
d’Auvergne School recognises that children communicate their needs via their behaviour and so every adult in our school is encouraged to look beyond behaviour and to be curious about children’s needs.
We recognise that children need support to keep emotionally regulated and cope in everyday social situations and in more challenging interactions. In our school, all children are offered compassion and co-operative learning with a caring, supportive adult. No child is ever intentionally shamed and all children are regarded with respect and adults believe in their innate goodness and desire to play and learn.
Outcomes of behaviour are responsive to the needs of the child rather than punishing or isolating, e.g. a child who repeatedly experiences difficulties on the playground does not play out with other children but does an alternative pleasurable activity with an adult. This also allows time to build to build strong positive relationships with adults in school and work on alternate coping strategies for the child.
Anti- Bullying
d’Auvergne School is committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment where all can enjoy learning and meet their potential.
Research shows that, by the time they leave school at 16, around 50% of children will experience bullying at least once.
The Anti-Bullying Policy sets out the preventative measures taken by d’Auvergne School to reduce bulling, as well as the steps that will be taken to address bullying behaviours.
First Aid
The First Aid policy sets out guidelines for all staff in school in the administering of first aid to children, employees and visitors. Teachers and other staff in charge of children are expected to use their best endeavours at all times, particularly in emergencies, to secure the welfare of the children at school in the same way that parents might be expected to act towards their children. In general, the consequences of taking no action are likely to be more serious than those of trying to assist in an emergency.
Safer Recruitment
d’Auvergne School follows the Government of Jersey’s Safer Recruitment procedures and has strict requirements that need to be fulfilled of any staff member, paid of unpaid.
This includes references and an enhanced DBS check.
Internet safety
d’Auvergne School recognises that the online world has opened new possibilities in terms of learning, and it is vital that children learn how to use this appropriately in order for them to be able to make the most of present and future possibilities.
It is also recognised that there are many risks inherent in their use of the internet that will need to be managed, including:
- Exposure to inappropriate material (either accidentally or deliberately);
- Cyber bullying;
- Exposure to online predators;
- Sexting;
- Trolling;
- Revealing too much personal information;
(CYPES Online Safety Policy; p. 2)
In order to effectively manage these risks, and ensure children can make the most of the internet, we take action in the following areas;
- Teaching children how to use technology appropriately;
- Teaching children how to keep themselves safe online, and the potential consequences of some online actions;
- Monitor children’s use of the internet in school, and act on any concerns that may arise.
The E-Safety Policy contains further information in this area.
Mobile phones
Children are permitted to bring mobile phones to school for reasons such as travelling to school unaccompanied. In Upper Key Stage 2, phones are collected from children at the start of the day and returned at the end of the day. This is to prevent phones from impacting on learning, but also to ensure that children can have their privacy protected whilst in school.
Photographing and videoing
Occasionally we may take photos of the children at school. We may use these images within classrooms, in corridors and in our school’s information booklet or in other printed publications, as well as our website. We may also make video or web cam recordings of school events such as residential trips or assemblies. Parents are asked to keep any photographs they take of their children in school to personal use only. Parents are reminded at each event that photographs of school children should not be uploaded to social networking sites, such as Facebook.
From time to time, our school may be visited by the media who will take photographs or video /film footage. Pupils will often appear in these images, which may be used in the JEP or on televised news programmes. School photographs that are for use outside of school are anonymous unless specific permission has been received from parents.
Parents are asked to sign a consent form upon entry to school stating whether they give permission for such photographs and videos to include their child. Conditions of use of photos and video footage are clearly stated on the back of the consent form. Teachers are informed of pupils who do not have parental consent.
Pupil Information
https://www.dauvergne.sch.je/media/1991/fair-processing-statement-all.docx
Schools and the Department for Sport and Culture hold information on pupils in order to run the education system and in doing so have to comply with the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005. This means that the personal data held on pupils must only be used for specific purposes allowed by Law. The Fair Processing Statement outlines the types of data held, why that data is held, and to whom it may be passed.
Anti-Bias
At d’Auvergne School we are exploring and promoting an ‘Anti-Bias Agenda’, to ensure that every child in our school feels seen and represented. This includes:
- Forming a committee of staff and family members that represents the diversity of our community;
- Staff training on promoting an ‘Anti-Bias’ approach in school;
- Raising awareness through learning and representation of difference in school for children.
School trips
Pupils may be taken out on visits to enhance their learning. These trips should be carefully planned for to minimise risk and safeguard our pupils, and so a risk assessment is completed for each school trip. This takes into account;
- The individual needs of the children going on the trip
- The staff-child ratios that are necessary to ensure the safety of the children
- Any necessary precautions that are necessary to manage identified risks
Travelling to and from school
Some older pupils walk or cycle to school unaccompanied by a parent or carer. If this is the case, written consent must be received from an adult with Parental Responsibility. Pupils cycling to school unaccompanied are very strongly encourages to hold the Cycling Proficiency certificate.
Welcoming visitors
Any visitors to the building must be signed in and out of the school building at the office; they will be given a visitors’ badge if they do not already hold one. They should enter the school building by the main entrance only. All staff are to wear identity badges. Staff and children are reminded to ask any visitor who is not wearing a badge to go to the office to collect one.
Whistleblowing
If members of staff ever have any concerns about the actions of people working, paid or unpaid, they have a professional duty to inform the management accordingly. This can be done in writing or verbally, but staff should be prepared to discuss issues in the confidence that any such matter will be dealt with sensitively and with the necessary degree of confidentiality.
Appendix 1
Definitions
Child - As in the Children Acts 1989 and 2004, a child is anyone who has not yet reached his/her 18th birthday.
Harm means ill-treatment or impairment of health and development, including, for example, impairment suffered from seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another; Development means physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development; Health includes physical and mental health; Ill-treatment includes sexual abuse and other forms of ill-treatment which are not physical.
Abuse and Neglect are forms of maltreatment. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm or failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting; by those known to them, or, more rarely, by a stranger. They may be abused by an adult or adults or another child or children.
Physical Abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of or deliberately induces illness in a child.
Sexual Abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, including prostitution, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative or non-penetrative acts. They may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual online images, watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
Emotional Abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond the child’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.
Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to:
- provide adequate food and clothing, shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment)
- protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger
- ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate caretakers)
- ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment
It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.