Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as: (KCSIE 2021)

• protecting children from maltreatment;

• preventing the impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development;

• ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and

• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

The Batt School is committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We undertake rigorous checks on all staff and volunteers who work in our school and maintain a central record documenting these. Staff involved in recruitment and selection of employees are trained in safer recruitment, and all our staff and volunteers undertake in-house Child Protection training.

As part of our role in safeguarding pupils, please be aware that, like all schools, we have a duty to share information with other agencies where there are any concerns about the safety or well-being of a child.

Our Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy  is also available in paper form through our school office.

Safeguarding our children is built into our curriculum. The children are taught how to keep themselves safe whether 'on or off line' and in or out of school. They have the knowledge to seek help and understand the they have the right to be kept safe by all people. This document outlines 'Safeguarding Within the Curriculum at the Batt School'.

If you are concerned about a child’s welfare out of school, please speak to a Designated Safeguarding Lead or contact the Oxfordshire Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 0345 050 7666.

Designated Safeguarding Leads

Katy Harding-Jones, Head of School, is our Designated Safeguarding Lead and should be the first point of contact for any concerns around safeguarding and child protection. Our Deputy Safeguarding Leads are Debbie Seccull (Executive Headteacher), Emma Dunstan (Deputy Headteacher) and Catherine O'Driscoll (School Business Manager). All are available in school, by phone on 01993 702392.

 Online Safety

Using the internet safely and positively is a key message that we promote in school, through the computing, PSHE and wider curriculum, talks from external visitors such as our local PCSO, and through our annual Safer Internet Day. We have security measures in place in school, which are constantly monitored, to help safeguard pupils from any potential dangers, and restrictions that block access to websites that are not age appropriate.

Please find here a recent letter sent to parents regarding Safer Internet Day 2024, detailing what school are doing to keep children safe online and what parents can do at home to support this.