“The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff are well trained to spot if a pupil may be at risk of harm. They are quick to report any concerns to the safeguarding team.” – Ofsted, 2019
At Oriel High School the health, safety and well-being of every child are our paramount concern. We listen to our students and take seriously what they tell us. Our aim is that our students will enjoy their time at this school and therefore make the best progress possible. We work in partnership with you to ensure your child achieves their full potential and makes a positive contribution.
In relation to children and young people, safeguarding and promoting their welfare is defined in ‘Working together to safeguard children’ (2016) as:
- Protecting children from maltreatment
- Preventing impairment of children’s health or development
- Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
- Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes
In addition to this schools have a statutory responsibility to protect children from risk of radicalisation as outlined in ‘The Prevent duty’ (2015).
Safeguarding action may be needed to protect children and learners from:
- neglect
- physical, sexual or emotional abuse
- bullying, including online bullying and prejudice-based bullying
- racist, disability, homophobic or transphobic abuse
- gender-based violence, or violence against women and girls
- radicalisation or extremist behaviour
- child sexual exploitation and trafficking
- the impact of new technologies on sexual behaviour, for example ‘sexting’ and accessing pornography
- teenage relationship abuse
- substance misuse
- issues that may be specific to a local area or population, for example gang activity and youth violence
- domestic violence
- female genital mutilation
- forced marriage
- fabricated or induced illness
- poor parenting, particularly in relation to babies and young children
- any other issues that pose a risk to children, young people and vulnerable adults
The procedures that we follow have been laid down by the Local Safeguarding Children Board of West Sussex and the school has adopted a Child Protection Policy in line with this for the safety of all. A copy of our Child Protection Policy can be found here
The Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mr M Harrison (Assistant Headteacher)
The Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads are Miss H Everitt (Deputy Headteacher) and Mr T Matthews (Deputy Headteacher)
The Designated Safeguarding Lead and their deputies can be contacted using the following email address: DSL@oriel.w-sussex.sch.uk
The nominated governor for Safeguarding is Lorraine Grigg
Information sharing
As a part of our commitment to safeguarding students we may share relevant information with other professionals in accordance with the statutory guidance ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (2016) and ‘the Prevent duty’ (2015)
Details of this guidance can be accessed here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education–2
We are also involved in Operation Encompass in partnership with Sussex Police. Operation Encompass is the reporting to schools, prior to the start of the next school day, when a child or young person has exposed to, or involved in, any domestic incident.
Operation Encompass ensures that the Designated Safeguarding Lead is trained to allow them to liaise with the police and to use the information that has been shared, in confidence, while ensuring that the school is able to make provision for possible difficulties experienced by children, or their families, who have been involved in, or exposed to, a domestic abuse incident.
Reporting Safeguarding Concerns
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children (those under 18) is everyone’s responsibility. This means that you may have a role to play in identifying concerns, no matter how small including the sharing of relevant information.
You can email in confidence to: safe@oriel.w-sussex.sch.uk
If you have a concern about the conduct of Oriel High School staff in relation to safeguarding, please make contact with the Headteacher, Mr Stack via the email DSL@oriel.w-sussex.sch.uk
Oriel – Keep Safe Newsletter
We have decided to start writing to parents and carers to keep you updated about the information and messages that are being shared with your young people to keep them safe so that you can refer to them yourself and to reinforce and support messages they hear in school. We’d love your feedback via the pshceparents@oriel.w-sussex.sch.uk address.
Useful links
- Report child abuse to your local council: https://www.gov.uk/report-child-abuse-to-local-council
- NSPCC helpline: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-you-can-do/report-abuse/
- NSPCC whistleblowing advice line: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-you-can-do/report-abuse/dedicated-helplines/whistleblowing-advice-line/
Team
Here at Oriel High School we are fortunate to be able to call upon the services from the neighbourhood police team. Police officers have visited the school and talked to students during lessons and assemblies. Topics include
- Different aspects of the law
- Drugs, alcohol and tobacco
- Personal online safety
- Good citizenship & Anti-social behaviour
- Crime & consequences