Safeguarding
All children have the right to grow up safe from harm.
Chiltern Hills Safeguarding Statement
‘Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023- Statutory Guidance for Schools and Colleges’ (DfE September 2023) contains information about what schools, including academies, should do and sets out the legal duties with which they must comply. This statutory guidance should be read and followed by ‘proprietors of independent schools (including academies, free schools and alternative provision academies) and non-maintained special schools. In the case of academies, free schools and alternative provision academies, the proprietor will be the academy’.
Chiltern Hills Academy is the proprietor as defined above and as such is responsible for ensuring that all school staff read, as a minimum, Part one of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023 - Statutory Guidance for Schools and Colleges’ (DfE September 2023).
This legal requirement together with the Christian values and principles that underpin Chiltern Hills Academy mean that it is essential that the school ensures not only compliance at local level but also assumes a strategic responsibility to ensure that safeguarding practices are robust and effective in safeguarding and protecting the welfare of all children in its care.
Chiltern Hills Academy as the proprietor and all our Local Governing Bodies are aware of our obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010, (including the Public Sector Equality Duty), and our local multi-agency safeguarding arrangements.
Local Authorities have overarching statutory responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people in their area. However, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people is everyone's responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and young people has a role to play in identifying concerns, sharing information and taking prompt action.
‘Keeping Children Safe in Education - Statutory Guidance for Schools and Colleges’ (DfE September 2023) defines safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children as:
- protecting children from maltreatment
- preventing impairment of children’s health or development
- ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
- taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes
The term 'children' includes all children and young people under the age of 18.
Safeguarding also encompasses issues such as health and safety, attendance, bullying, and a range of other issues, for example, arrangements for meeting the medical needs of children by providing first aid, school security, drugs and substance misuse and positive behaviour. There may also be other safeguarding issues that are specific to the local area or population highlighted within the Safeguarding & Child Protection policy for each school through Contextual Safeguarding areas of risk.
Chiltern Hills Academy is wholly committed to ensuring that all children are cared for in a safe, nurturing and secure environment in our schools. To fulfil this commitment, we have robust systems in place for:
- Policy and procedures
- Safer recruitment of staff and volunteers
- School staff and visitor responsibilities
- Staff training
Safeguarding is:
- Protecting children from maltreatment
- Preventing the impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development
- Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
- Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes
We understand that the health, safety and well-being of every child underpins all aspects of school life. We listen to our students and take seriously what they tell us. Our aim is for children to thrive, emotionally, socially and academically, during their time as students at Chiltern Hills Academy. We work in partnership with parents and carers to achieve this.
In accordance with our responsibilities under section 175/157 of the Education Act 2002 and "Keeping Children Safe in Education" September 2022, we have a highly trained and experienced safeguarding team, who can be contacted at any time with safeguarding concerns. Safeguarding concerns can be sent to safeguarding@chacademy.co.uk or can be made by contacting a member of the Safeguarding Team below:
Mrs Jo Conway
Vice Principal:
Executive Safeguarding Lead
Telephone: 01494 782066
Ext: 219
Email: Mrs Conway
Ms Anne-Marie Sprenger
Miss Danette McCowan
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead "DDSL"
Telephone: 01494 782066
Ext: 111
Email: Miss D McCowan
For further guidance the Academy’s Safeguarding Policy can be found here.
DSL Trained Staff
All SLT members
All Academic Year Leaders and Academic Year Leader Assistants are also safeguarding trained. From September 2024 these are:
Academic Year Leaders | AYL Assistants | |
---|---|---|
Year 7 | Mrs L Forssling | Ms M Finch |
Year 8 | Mr S Driscoll | Mrs L Walters |
KS3 Leader | Mr O Humphrey | |
Year 9 | Miss N Medina | Mrs S Webb |
Year 10 | Dr G Bertram | Ms R Hrabovski |
Year 11 | Mr S Falcon | Mrs T Finch |
KS4 Leader | Mrs H Rayner | |
Sixth Form | Mrs E Mellish | Miss K Forssling |
When we are concerned about a child and have to consult other agencies, we would always aim to work in partnership with parents. However, there may be exceptions to this when concerns are raised for the protection of a child. On very rare occasions Social Care, whilst undertaking an investigation under S47 of the Children Act 1989, may want to speak to a child without a parent's knowledge. This would be a decision made in collaboration with partner agencies and would only be done in situations where a child might be at immediate risk. To gain consent at this point may increase the level of risk to the child or cause evidence of a crime to be lost.
The procedures, which we follow, have been laid down by the Local Safeguarding Children's Board, and the school has adopted a Child Protection Policy in line with this for the safety of all.
Keeping Children Safe in Education
We have a site which is as safe and secure as possible, including the use of CCTV in most areas of the school.
How would I know if a child was being harmed or radicalised?
Young people will sometimes talk to an adult if they are being harmed.
Adults visiting or working on the Academy site play an important part in the life of the Academy. You can play a part in keeping students safe whilst working at or visiting the Academy by observing the following guidelines. It is possible that you might notice something unusual that leads you to think a student might be the victim of abuse within or outside of school. This may be a physical sign or something about a student’s behaviour. If you think a student is being harmed you must not keep it to yourself, even if the child asks you to. You have a duty to pass the information on to protect the child in the future. You will not get into trouble if you do.
Trust your instincts and help prevent tragedies; this includes anyone who is showing signs of becoming radicalised. Report it if you notice:
- Extreme views and opinions
- Expressions of support for radical groups and ideologies
- A radical change in behaviour
If I am concerned that a student in the Academy is being harmed, what action should I take?
You must refer to a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), safeguarding@chacademy.co.uk, or the Principal, as soon as possible.
If a student makes a disclosure to you:
- Listen to them without interruption, accepting what is said and avoiding asking leading questions
- Reassure the person they have done the right thing
- Do not promise confidentiality. Explain that you will need to talk to someone else
- Report the matter to a DSL immediately.
If you have any concerns that a student may be at risk of harm:
- Report it immediately to a DSL, safeguarding@chacademy.co.uk
- Do not discuss your concerns with the student or other adults
- Do not carry out an investigation.
If you receive an allegation about any person or about yourself:
- Report the matter to a DSL immediately, safeguarding@chacademy.co.uk
- Do not investigate it yourself.
If you have any concerns that a student may be at risk of harm:
- Report it immediately to a DSL, safeguarding@chacademy.co.uk
- Do not discuss your concerns with the student or other adults
- Do not carry out an investigation.
If you receive an allegation about any person or about yourself:
- Report the matter to a DSL immediately, safeguarding@chacademy.co.uk
- Do not investigate it yourself.
If you receive an allegation about any person or about yourself:
- Report the matter to a DSL immediately safeguarding@chacademy.co.uk
- Do not investigate it yourself.
Concerned about a child's welfare? Report it here.
Our Child Protection Policy may be found on the Policies page, here.