Safeguarding

Our policy supports a strong school culture of safeguarding and provides clear direction to all stakeholders about expected practice in dealing with safeguarding concerns and issues.

It makes explicit the school’s commitment to the development of best practice and effective procedures, ensuring that safeguarding concerns and referrals are handled sensitively, professionally and in a way that supports and protects the needs of the child at all times.

Our culture of safeguarding has three clear drivers:

1. Prevention: by creating a positive, safe and secure school ethos and providing high quality teaching and pastoral support to pupils
2. Protection: by following agreed procedures and ensuring staff are appropriately recruited, trained and supported to respond appropriately and sensitively to safeguarding concerns
3. Support: by providing support for all pupils and staff with a strong focus on particularly vulnerable pupils who may require bespoke interventions.

This means that everyone at The Oval School is committed to:

• protecting children from harm at all times
• preventing impairment of children’s health or development
• ensuring 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
• working in partnership with parents and external agencies to keep children safe