WHAT IS SAFEGUARDING?

Safeguarding means protecting children from harm, supporting their health and development and making sure that they are able to grow up with the care and support they need.

Safeguarding is not only about responding when something serious has happened.

It is also about noticing when something has changed, listening to children, providing help early and creating a culture where students feel able to tell us when something isn’t right.

Safeguarding concerns can include:

Abuse or neglect
Child-on-child abuse
Bullying
Domestic abuse
Sexual harassment or sexual violence
Child sexual or criminal exploitation
Online harm
Grooming
Mental health and emotional wellbeing
Self-harm
Missing from home or education
Changes in attendance
Radicalisation and extremism
Substance misuse
Female genital mutilation (FGM)
Forced marriage
Family difficulties

This is not an exhaustive list.

Sometimes there may be no obvious sign that a child needs help. This is why listening to our students, noticing changes and sharing concerns is so important.