Safeguarding Information

I like my school because it keeps me safe.

(Pupil Questionnaire Feedback 2021-2022)

Safeguarding is an umbrella term for what all schools do in order to ensure that all children are safe from harm.

All schools follow this statutory Government guidance to ensure children are safe:

Our Safeguarding Policy (which can be found in the Policies section of our website) reflects current guidance and explains the way we ensure children are safe.

Safeguarding Officers:
Every School has to have a designated person to take lead responsibility for safeguarding. In our school, the following staff members hold designated person roles:

Mrs. Karen Bingley: Designated Safeguarding Officer

Mrs. Bingley is also the Headteacher and a Special Education Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCo).

Mrs. Tracy Hayes: Designated Safeguarding Officer

Mrs, Hayes is also our Nursery Manager and Early Years Leader.

Mrs. Sarah Woodcraft: Designated Safeguarding Officer

Mrs. Woodcraft is one of our highly experienced Class Teachers.

Mrs. Pam Burraway: Designated Safeguarding Officer

Mrs. Burraway is also the Assistant Headteacher.

It is the responsibility of the Safeguarding Officers to ensure that any concerns about a child are recorded accurately and referred to the appropriate agency quickly to ensure that necessary actions are taken to keep the child is safe. It is also the Safeguarding Officers responsibility to ensure that all staff and volunteers are trained to an appropriate level and are confident in sharing concerns they have with a Safeguarding Officer. This training takes place each year.

Each term a Safeguarding Officer meets with the Safeguarding Governors to ensure that they are kept up to date with the developments in Safeguarding. A Safeguarding Officer also produces a half termly report to Governors regarding Safeguarding at St. Mary's. At no point during these meetings, or in the Governor's report, are individual cases discussed.

Our Safeguarding Governor is:

Mrs. Emma Thoulass

Reporting Safeguarding Concerns:
Please contact any of the staff members above on 01525 860206, if you have concerns about a child. You can also speak to any member of staff in school who will refer the concerns to either the DSL or DDSL as Safeguarding is Everybody's Responsibility.

Alternatively, anyone can refer concerns about a child to the Local Authority Children's Social Care through Central Bedfordshire's Access and Referral Hub:

Access and Referral: 0300 300 8585
Out of Hours Number: 0300 300 8123

For more information about the importance of the role we all need to play in Safeguarding children, please see the following Department for Education website:

Together We Can Tackle Child Abuse

Other Safeguarding Procedures:
Safeguarding is wide ranging and procedures cover many areas within school. Please see the Policies section of the school website to learn about other ways we ensure children are safe at St. Mary's.