Swanage Primary School recognises that the welfare of the child is paramount: the needs and wishes of each child will be put first. We take seriously our duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children and young people in our care. Safeguarding children is everyone ’s responsibility.

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018, HM Government statutory guidance, defines safeguarding as:

•  protecting children from maltreatment;
•  preventing impairment of children’s health or 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.

If you have any safeguarding concerns, please notify one of our safeguarding leads.

Our safeguarding personnel are:

Operation Encompass

Our school is part of Operation Encompass, a national initiative that supports children who may be affected by domestic abuse.

Operation Encompass is a partnership between schools and the police. When police attend a domestic abuse incident where a child is present, they notify the school before the start of the next school day. This information is shared securely with the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).

The purpose of Operation Encompass is to ensure that school staff are aware of any incidents that may have impacted a child, so we can provide appropriate, timely support. This may include offering emotional support, reassurance, or simply being aware that a child may need additional care or understanding that day.

Information shared through Operation Encompass is treated with the strictest confidentiality and is used solely to safeguard and support the wellbeing of children.

Our involvement in Operation Encompass reflects our commitment to working closely with other agencies to keep children safe and to promote their emotional wellbeing.

Prevent

At our school, safeguarding children is our highest priority. As part of this commitment, we actively support the Prevent duty, which is part of the government’s wider counter-terrorism strategy (CONTEST).

The Prevent duty aims to protect children from the risk of radicalisation and extremism by ensuring they are supported to develop resilience, critical thinking skills, and an understanding of shared values such as democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of different beliefs.

We recognise that radicalisation is a safeguarding issue. Staff are trained to identify potential concerns and know how to respond appropriately. Any concerns are reported in line with our safeguarding procedures and, where necessary, shared with relevant agencies to ensure children receive the right support at the right time.

Through our curriculum, assemblies, and wider school life, we promote open discussion, respect for others, and the ability for pupils to express their views safely and appropriately.

Our Prevent approach works alongside our wider safeguarding and child protection policies and is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains effective.

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