Safeguarding
Hoe Valley School is committed to ensuring the welfare and safety of all our children in school and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
We believe that students have a right to learn in a supportive, caring and safe environment, which includes the right to protection from all types of abuse, where staff are vigilant for signs of any student in distress and are confident about applying the processes to avert and alleviate any such problems. We have a Safeguarding Policy and procedures in place; these can be viewed on our website in the ‘our school/policies’ section. All staff (including volunteers and Governors) must ensure that they are aware of these procedures.
Safeguarding is about ensuring that everyone is safe from harm – safe from bullying, safe from people who could abuse, safe from discrimination or harassment – and that we all feel safe in our environment.
Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a student’s welfare. Where possible, we will ensure that concerns about our students are discussed with his/her parents/carers first unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the student’s welfare.
If your child is ever concerned about safety or well-being or about a friend, they should talk to one of the schools Designated Safeguarding Team.
Our designated staff for Safeguarding are:
Mr K Kelly Deputy Headteacher Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Ms V O’Keefe Inclusion & Student Engagement Manager Deputy DSL (DDSL)
Mr Kelly and Ms O'Keeffe are supported by Heads of Year and other safeguarding professionals within the school.
The following links may be useful for parents to explore.
Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP) are part of the police who investigate and deal with cases of online grooming. Their Child Protection Advisors are fully trained to offer support and guidance to any young people who are worried about online grooming. You can find more information and contact CEOP directly on their website ThinkUKnow.
CEOP’s Report Abuse Button is the best way to report online activities that you may be concerned about.
The Parent Info Newsfeed gives parents and carers access to articles by experts, giving advice and support on a wide range of topics.