SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT
Handsworth Primary School ensures that children learn in a safe, caring and enriching environment. Children are taught how to keep themselves safe, develop positive and healthy relationships and how to avoid situations where they might be at risk. We pay full regard to the Equality Act 2010 in relation to age, ability or disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation and socio-economic background. We are committed to keeping all children safe.
The school complies with current guidance for Keeping Children Safe in Education, issued by the DFE in September 2022. Staff receive current safeguarding training annually and regular updates throughout the year. Staff understand that safeguarding children is everyone’s responsibility and know what action to take in response to safeguarding concerns.
The school works with parents to educate children, keep them safe from harm, and promote their welfare. The school has positive and effective working relationships with other agencies. Where extended school activities are provided and managed by the school, our own safeguarding policy and procedures apply. The school has a clear and explicit confidentiality policy.
The school has a statutory responsibility to share concerns about a child needing protection with other agencies and, in particular, the police, Health and Social Care and Children’s Services. Schools cannot investigate child protection concerns but have a legal duty to refer them. In most instances, the school will be able to inform the parents/carer of the need to make a referral. However, the school is sometimes advised by Children’s Services or the police that the parent/carer cannot be informed whilst investigating the matter.
The school will always seek to work with parents and other agencies to ensure the best possible outcomes for the child and family.
The school’s record-keeping policy for child welfare and child protection is consistent with DFE guidance. Where allegations are made against any staff member working in, or on behalf of, the school, we will follow the procedures outlined in the London Child Protection Procedures for managing allegations against people who work with children.
More detailed policies and procedures in place to keep children safe and respond to child protection concerns include; Safeguarding, Anti-bullying, Equality and Online Safety, which are available on the
school website.
Handsworth Primary School’s Safeguarding Team
Any concerns about pupils should be reported immediately to one of these staff members.
Anyone can refer to the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) if a child is at risk of significant harm. Waltham Forest MASH can be contacted on 020 8496 2310 or via email at
MASHrequests@walthamforest.gov.uk. The police can be contacted in an emergency on 999.
As well as our Safeguarding Policy, our children have created a Children Friendly Version, which you can see below.