Safeguarding Children

At Heronswood, we take the safeguarding of all children very seriously. If we feel a child is at risk of significant harm, it is our duty to act and to inform the relevant people. This might be Social Care, the Police, the School Nurse, NSPCC, Early Help or other partner agencies.

Safeguarding Statement for - Heronswood Primary School and Pre-School

Heronswood Primary School and Pre School is committed to ensuring the welfare and safety of all our children in school. We believe that pupils have a right to learn in a supportive, caring and safe environment which includes the right to protection from all types of abuse. Staff are vigilant for signs of any pupil in distress and are confident about applying the/our safeguarding processes to avert and alleviate any such problems.

Safeguarding is about ensuring that everyone is safe from harm – safe from bullying, safe from people who could abuse, safe from discrimination or harassment – and that we all feel safe in our environment.

If you are ever concerned about the safety or well‐being of someone at our school, please talk to one of the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead s (DSL’s): Mrs Pierpoint, Mrs Dobson or Mrs Sandford.

Heronswood Primary School and Pre School is part of Operation Encompass, which is a national scheme that operates jointly between Education and Early Years Settings, Police and Health. Please see below for more information.

Remember: safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

Operation Encompass

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility: staff in school, parents, family members, friends and members of the public. If you are concerned about a child, remember it is your responsibility to report it straight away.

Safeguarding is a term which is broader than ‘child protection’ and relates to the action taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Safeguarding is defined in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 as:

protecting children from maltreatment
preventing impairment of children’s health and development
ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care and
taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes

Here are some useful sites for parents and carers: