We aim, within our small school, to develop thoughtful individuals, confident and resilient children of all ages who understand the positive contribution which they can make to the world and their status as God’s precious children. Therefore, we recognise not just our statutory, but also our moral to promote the welfare of all. We endeavour to provide a welcoming environment where children are respected and valued; safe in the knowledge of God’s love for each individual. We are alert to the signs of abuse and neglect and follow our procedures to ensure the children receive effective support, protection and justice.

If you have any concerns about a child please call Miss M Parkin on 01623 822518.

Safeguarding personnel

The designated leads for child protection and Safeguarding at St Mary's C of E Primary School are:

• Miss M Parkin
• Mrs T Bee

Alongside St Mary's C of E Primary School’s own policies and procedures, information from other sources will be published to give advice to support parents and carers to help protect their children.

NSPCC

The NSPCC helps parents and carers talk to their children about staying safe. It’s part of our work to prevent abuse from happening to any child and it’s what these guides are all about.

Child Sexual Exploitation
Child Sexual Exploitation, or CSE, is a form of sexual abuse which sees children/young people being manipulated or coerced into sexual activity for receiving something such as; gifts, money, food, attention, somewhere to stay etc.
Technology is very often used to groom victims.  This may occur through social networking sites and mobile phones with internet access.
CSE has gained a large amount of media attention over the last year as lots of services involved with children and young people have noticed a rise in cases involving CSE. Charities such as NSPCC and Barnardos have been campaigning to raise the profile of this form of child abuse.
Information regarding CSE can be found here:
 

Internet Safety

Children and young people spend lots of time on the internet.  They may go online to research information for homework or to play games, chat with friends and make new ones.

The internet holds a huge amount of useful information and can also be a really good way of learning about new things and keeping in contact with friends and family.  It can also be a dangerous place so it is important that children are protected and monitored when they are online.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

In April 2014 every school in England received new safeguarding guidelines and detailed information on identifying and responding to Female Genital Mutilation. FGM is a procedure carried out on young girls between the ages of infancy and 15 years of age.

Female Genital Mutilation is classified as a form of Child Abuse in the UK.  It therefore makes the procedure of it a serious child protection issue.

It is illegal for anyone to perform FGM in the UK or to arrange for a child to be transported to another country for the procedure. The maximum sentence for carrying out FGM or helping it to take place is 14 years in prison.

There is lots of information and support available online for parents/carers concerned