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Working together to help protect our students
The Matthew Arnold School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We are fully committed to ensuring that consistent effective safeguarding procedures are in place to support families, students and staff at school.
If you are concerned about a child, you must share your concerns without delay by calling 01784 457 275. You can also email one of our Designated Safeguarding Leads. For out of hours, please call the Single Point of Access on 020 8770 5000.
All concerns are passed to the members of staff who are trained as Designated Child Protection Officers (Safeguarding Leads) complying with the sharing of information guidance.
What we offer - how we promote safeguarding at Matthew Arnold:
- Through our curriculum we teach the students about personal safety
- There is a strong anti-bullying ethos evident throughout the school. We teach our students how to recognise bullying, how to keep themselves safe from bullying behaviour and how to report it
- Our curriculum includes opportunities to discuss feelings and emotions and helps our students to think about their own personal safety and their rights as individuals to be kept safe from harm
- We teach our students about the uses and misuses of drugs at an age-appropriate time and level
- Our sex education programme teaches our students about keeping themselves safe from harm at an age-appropriate level
- We have clear guidance to help students use the internet (including social media) safely
- Our policies and agreed practices for child protection, health and safety, behaviour management, attendance and looked after students all comply with the recommendations for safeguarding students at school. We have a trained designated child protection officer and deputy officer, and a designated governor with responsibility for child protection practices at the school
- We have policies to manage potential allegations against staff, whistleblowing and the use of physical intervention
- Our staff recruitment policies and practices are rigorous and comply with safer recruitment and selection requirements. We always pursue identity checks and qualification checks and we take up and scrutinise written references before confirming employment
- We require clearance from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before employing any staff, in addition to pursuing List 99 checks
- All voluntary helpers, supply teachers, agency staff, and outside club and coaching staff are required to provide evidence of DBS clearance
- The local governing committee is regularly updated about child protection, bullying and safeguarding policies and practices by the Headteacher
- It is the responsibility of every adult in this school to ensure that we maintain the highest level of awareness about possible unsafe practices and deal with any issues immediately and appropriately.
Who to contact:
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The Matthew Arnold School |
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Safeguarding Lead |
Safeguarding Governor |
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| Miss Conway | Mr Meinke |
CEOP is here to keep children safe from sexual abuse and grooming online. For more information, please visit the CEOP Education website. You can make a report directly to the CEOP Safety Centre, please click here to access.
Designated Teacher for Children Looked After:
At The Matthew Arnold School we are committed to supporting our students so that they achieve their full potential in all areas of school life and believe that academic progress should not be impacted by personal circumstances or vulnerabilities. Miss Gemma Conway. is the Designated Teacher for Children Looked After (CLA).
Polices and key documents/links:
Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
Keeping children safe online | NSPCC
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2
