Safeguarding Overview

Safeguarding is everybody's responsibility

Banwell is dedicated to looking after all our children the best we possibly can. Safeguarding covers children’s physical, social and emotional well-being and runs alongside our work on health and safety and online safety.

Raising Concerns

Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Safeguarding is everybody's responsibility. If you are visiting our school, please make yourself aware of our policy and procedures prior to visiting us. Thank you.

Visiting Us (Safeguarding and Pupil Wellbeing menu tab)

It is essential that anyone working with children must undergo the necessary vetting and barring checks. Any adult undertaking a 'regulated activity' or 'regulated work', they are required by law to have an enhanced vetting and barring check.

Safeguarding means:

protecting children from abuse and maltreatment
preventing harm to children's health or development
ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care
taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.

Part of our responsibility in this area is to work with outside agencies such as Social Care, Children's Centres, Health Services, the Police and Family Wellbeing Team to make sure all pupils are kept safe. This means that at times we are obliged to pass on concerns or information to these agencies. The school will always do this in consultation with parents except in circumstances where a child is at risk. To do this effectively, we have one person in the school who co-ordinates this work, this person is known as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). They are supported by a safeguarding team and safeguarding governor.

Safeguarding Team

Banwell Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All staff and governors complete regular safeguarding training on an ongoing basis. All staff undergo annual safeguarding refresher training at the start of each academic year and any new staff joining us midway through the year complete approved online safeguarding training prior to working with children. All staff recruitment panels include at least one person who has completed appropriate 'Safer Recruitment in Education' training.

Safeguarding children and child protection guidance and legislation applies to all children up to the age of 18. As part of ELAN we ensure that all staff adhere to the trust safeguarding policy which is developed in line with recommendations from North Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership (NSSCP).

The policy is reviewed annually by ELAN and governors and is a working document that reflects our practice. Parents/carers can request a paper copy from the office.

As a school we are part of ELAN and they also have a role in ensuring that we are effectively safeguarding children and families by nominating an ELAN Designated Safeguarding Lead, Mr Adam Matthews. You can get in touch with Adam on 01934 313390.

Definitions and signs of child abuse

Keeping Children Safe in Education is the statutory guidance from the Department for Education. It is imperative that all staff (including volunteers) read Part 1 Appendix A of this guidance and sign that they have done so (Banwell maintains a register to determine this). Schools must have regard to the guidance when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The document contains information on what schools should do and sets out the legal duties with which schools must comply.

Keeping Children Safe in Education