Safeguarding Information

That it (School) feels like a second home because it feels safe and I am                           cared for.  Like I am at a safe, happy home.                          (Pupil Survey Feedback 2024-2025)

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:

Keeping Children Safe in Education

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 Office Manager and Early Years Leader.

Mrs. Sarah Woodcraft: Designated Safeguarding Officer

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

Mrs. Pam Burraway: Designated Safeguarding Officer

Mrs. Burraway is also our Assistant Headteacher and a Wellbeing Leader. 

Miss Laura Grassi: Designated Safeguarding Officer

Miss Grassi is also one of our highly experienced Class Teachers and a Wellbeing Leader. 

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.

You can contact the Safeguarding Team by emailiing: sgsupport@clophillstmarysschool.co.uk

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. Kaye Healy-Herd

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 a Designated Safeguarding Officer 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.