Monkton Church of England Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
We have a number of policies and procedures in place that contribute to our safeguarding commitment, including our Child Protection Policy which can be viewed below.
Child Protection Policy
Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child's welfare. We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with his/her parents/carers first unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child's welfare.
We actively support the Government's Prevent Agenda to counter radicalism and extremism.
Our designated safeguarding leads are:
Chris Marston - Head of School and Designated Safeguarding Lead
Jo Guilder - Senior Teacher and Deputy Safeguarding Lead
Paul McCarthy - Executive Headteacher and Deputy Safeguarding Lead
The Governing Body and Staff take seriously our responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children; and work together with other agencies to ensure arrangements are in place within our school to identify, assess, and support those children who are suffering harm.
If you are at all concerned about a child’s welfare, please telephone the school office. The Business Manager will arrange for you to speak to either Mr Marston or Mrs Guilder. Alternatively, you can email (please see below)
Chris Marston - cmarston@mandm.school
Jo Guilder - jguilder@mandm.school
Paul McCarthy - pmccarthy@mandm.school
If you are worried about a child out of school hours please call the Kent Safeguarding Team Out of Hours Service on 03000 41 91 91
If a child is in immediate danger CALL 999
Links to useful resources and information
Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023
Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE) is statutory guidance produced by the DfE and issued under Section 175 of the Education Act 2002. It sets out the legal duties that all schools, colleges, and other institutes of education in England must follow when performing their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children under the age of eighteen.
The guidance was first introduced in 2014 to ensure that all staff working in education were recognised as having a key role in the safeguarding of children and young people, and that the education sector was identified as a vital component of the wider safeguarding system.
KCSIE is a 179-page document and is organised into five parts which are as follows:
Part 1: Safeguarding information for all staff – This part should be read and understood by all school and college staff. Part 1 of the guidance is also available as a standalone document. Staff who do not work directly with children on a regular basis can read a shortened version of Part 1 (found in Annex A)
Part 2: The management of safeguarding – This part is aimed at headteachers, designated safeguarding leads (DSL) and their teams, and governors. It outlines the responsibilities of governing bodies, proprietors and management committees
Part 3: Safer recruitment – This part refers to an organisation’s recruitment processes and includes information about:
- advertising
- applications
- shortlisting
- interviewing
- selection
- pre-employment checks
- record keeping
Part 4: Allegations made against/concerns raised in relation to teachers, including supply teachers, other staff, volunteers and contractors
Part 5: Child-on-child sexual violence and sexual harassment. This section was expanded in the 2022 version of KCSIE, and incorporated the previously separate DfE non-statutory advice entitled Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges
Please click below to view the government's KCSIE 2023 doc.
Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023
NSPCC
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) has some great resources for parents and children.
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/
NSPCC Pants Song
Useful Safeguarding Links for Best Practice
Teachers' Standards publications - www.gov.uk
Safeguarding Disabled Children - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-disabled-children-practice-guidance
Child Abuse Concerns - Guide for practitioners - www.gov.uk
Safer Professional Practice with Technology - www.kelsi.org.uk
Safeguarding and Child Protection Policies and Guidance for Schools - www.kelsi.org.uk
KCC Guidelines for "Safeguarding Record Keeping in Schools" (Word document)
Child Protection - Dealing with disclosures in school - www.kelsi.org.uk
Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage - www.gov.uk
Advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services - www.gov.uk
Kent Inter-Agency Threshold Criteria for Children and Young People
Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families - Dept for Education www.gov.uk