What is Safeguarding

Our school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all of our children.  Safeguarding is a priority and ‘the golden thread’ that runs through our school and our Academy Trust.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined, in Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), as:

• Providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge
• Protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online
• 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

School staff are particularly important, as they are in a position to identify concerns early, provide help for children, promote children’s welfare and prevent concerns from escalating.

All staff have a responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn.  All staff should be prepared to identify children who may benefit from Early Help. Early Help means providing support as soon as a problem emerges at any point in a child’s life.

Our school believes that all Staff and Volunteers should provide a caring, positive, safe and stimulating environment that promotes the social, physical and moral development of every child.   We are fully committed to ensuring that consistent, effective safeguarding procedures are in place to support families, children and staff at our school.

Staff, Visitors and Volunteers

All of our Staff have been recruited following safer recruitment procedures which includes relevant checks such as the DBS check. Staff wear a Blue 'Pluckley' lanyard which highlights to the children that the person wearing it is a member of Pluckley Staff and that they are a 'safe' adult within our school.

Visitors to our site fall into two categories, those who have undertaken a DBS check and those who have not. 

• Visitors who have undertaken a DBS check wear a white 'Pluckley' lanyard which highlights to the children (and staff, parents etc.) that, although the person wearing it is not a member of Pluckley Staff, they are considered to be a 'known' adult and are free to be on our site without accompaniment. 
• Visitors to site who have not undertaken a DBS check wear a red lanyard and are accompanied around site at all times by a member of Pluckley Staff. 

All of our volunteers have taken part in a risk assessment interview with a member of the DSL team and are asked to provide ID and references. Volunteers undertake a DBS check as part of our safeguarding procedures. Once this is complete, visitors will wear an appropriate lanyard as described above.