KEEPING YOUR CHILD SAFE

Richard Coates CE Primary School is committed to safeguarding. Safeguarding means keeping your child happy, healthy and safe in school. All staff are trained at regular intervals and are aware of how to keep our pupils safe and what signs to look out for.  Our pupils are encouraged to share any concerns and we have robust policies and processes in place that underpin safeguarding.

KEY PEOPLE YOU CAN TALK TO IN SCHOOL:

(Sometimes called Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLS))

Sharon Lock (Headteacher)

Julie Roys (Deputy Headteacher)

Laura Tweddle (KS1 Phase Leader)

CHILD PROTECTION

In cases where the school has reason to be concerned that a child may be subject to ill- treatment, neglect or other forms of abuse, the Designated Safeguarding Lead may report this concern to Social Services and/or other appropriate agencies.

Please remember that when the school refers a concern about a child to the Social Services Department, it is not accusing the parents of abuse but requesting that further investigation takes place to establish whether a child is at risk.

The School has Designated Safeguarding Governors: Mrs M King and Mrs L Ratcliff

WHAT WE TEACH

We offer a secure and encouraging environment where children feel safe and their spiritual, moral and cultural development is enhanced through the delivery of our whole school curriculum,  including our Religious Education and PSHE curriculum, core Christian values, work with external agencies, charities and the local community.

For more information please our curriculum pages

RECRUITMENT

We carefully check that all staff and volunteers are safe to work with our children. A number of checks are made including DBS checks, references, ID and employment history.  We keep a Single Central Record of all this information and this is regularly monitored.

Visitors and volunteers are rigorously checked in much the same way staff are before they can have any unsupervised access to our children.  Any contractors on site have to read the Safeguarding Information Leaflet before being signed into the building. All adults in school wear an ID badge with a coloured lanyard which indicates their safety level (whether they should be accompanied on site).

REPORT ABUSE

If you have concern that a child is being harmed as a result of abuse or neglect, you must not keep these concerns to yourself. 

KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY

If you live in Northumberland, these are the numbers that you can ring for advice and to make a referral:

• During office hours (8.30am – 5pm Monday to Thursday, 4.30pm on Friday) call Children’s Social Services Initial Contact Point on 01670 536400
• At all other times, Social Services Emergency Duty Team on 0345 6005252
• If you have reason to believe that a child is at IMMEDIATE RISK OF HARM, contact the police on 999
• For all general enquiries, please contact Children’s Specialist Services on 01670 536400
• The following links will allow you to make an immediate online referral to Specialist Services in Northumberland:

To report a concern about a child Click Here

To report a concern about an adult Click Here

To report a concern about a hate crime, domestic abuse or antisocial behaviour Click Here

If you live in Newcastle, these are the numbers that you can ring for advice and to make a referral:

• During office hours (8.30am – 5pm Monday to Thursday, 4.30pm on Friday) call Children’s Social Services Initial Response Team on 0191 2772500
• At all other times, Social Services Emergency Duty Team on 0191 2787878
• If you have reason to believe that a child is at IMMEDIATE RISK OF HARM, contact the police on 999
• The following link will allow you to make an immediate online referral to Specialist Services in Newcastle:

To report a concern about a child Click Here

You need to ensure that you speak to the appropriate organisations who can listen to and record your concern, and then take appropriate action.

USEFUL WEBSITES