Keeping Children Safe in School
Safeguarding & Child Protection
At Southmoor Academy we have a strong culture of ‘safeguarding’ that runs throughout every level of our staff. Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Safeguarding means: protecting children from abuse and maltreatment, preventing harm to children’s health or development and ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care.
The school is committed to ensuring that children are safe whilst with us. This means that not only have we made every attempt to make our site secure but take a firm line on bullying: our implementation of policies in both areas has been inspected and praised by the Local Authority.
All of our staff receive regular safeguarding training and we have dedicated safeguarding specialists who are there to support pupils should they need it. We make stringent safeguarding checks upon the suitability of all applicants when recruiting.
Within the PSHE programme, there are modules on keeping safe and we focus upon teaching students e-safety.
If you have any concerns, or are worried about anyone you know then please speak with one of our especially trained members of staff below.
| Your school leads for student safeguarding are Miss O Thompson, Mrs N. Doherty, Mrs A. Riddle, Mr S. Wareham, Miss Zakaidze & Mrs Harris |
• Click here to view our full Safeguarding Policy
The Safe Guarding Team at Southmoor Academy
Safety on our School Site
The school has a high level of security, with the perimeter of the buildings being protected by a security fence and all doors into the school being of a secure design. We also have 24 hour CCTV in operation throughout the school building and in the school yards. Visitors wear visible identification badges when inside the school and are only permitted to access the building unsupervised with the correct DBS certifications.
To protect the students, staff and the building during the school day, once the students have been allowed into the building at the start of a school session, all outside doors are on an automatic time lock. This is not a danger to the children, as in the event of an emergency, students can quickly leave the building by the emergency exits leading out to the secure area at the side of the building.
There are well publicised fire evacuation procedures and regular fire drills are conducted throughout the school year. Students have their own W.C facilities which are attended by staff when they are available for use at break and lunchtime. We have dedicated members of staff who act as qualified first aid providers in cases of injury/medical emergency and also keep an emergency defibrillation device help securely in our school office for cardiac emergencies.
Keep Children Safe at Home
Whilst there are huge benefits to being online in order to stay connected to family and friends during this period, the government recognises many parents may feel concerned about the activities and content their children are accessing. This guidance outlines resources to help keep children safe from different risks online and where to go to receive support and advice.
For advice on keeping your child safe online, please visit this page.
Parent Guides to Radicalisation & Extremism
