At St Mary’s the wellbeing and safety of all the children is everyone’s responsibility, with safeguarding having the highest priority. Everyone fully recognises their contribution to protect and support the pupils in school and their welfare is of  paramount importance to everyone. The school has a duty to refer to social services any child they have a concern about and to make a request for Early help. St Mary’s is also an Operation Encompass school.

OE Primary School Poster

Safeguarding And Child Protection Policy 23 24 March Updates

All staff are trained in dealing with safeguarding disclosures and receive annual safeguarding training. The DSL has also had operation encompass training. If you wish to talk to the school’s DSL ( Designated Safeguarding lead), please contact Miss Jordan via the school office on 01509  212 621.  If Miss Jordan is unavailable, please ask to speak to one of the deputy DSL’s below.

The School’s Deputy DSLs are: Mrs Rutledge (Deputy Headteacher),  and Mrs Watkins ( teaching assistant, ELSA and mental health lead)

The School’s Safeguarding Lead Governor is Mrs Jane Monaghan: The Chair of Governors.

In out of school hours: If you are concerned that a child is in immediate danger, ring the police. If you have concern about a child: please refer it to Social care.

Telephone:  0116 3050005 : please also see the weblinks and contacts below.   

Safeguarding e-mail address: safeguarding@aquinas-camt.org

Report your concerns about a child or young person: speak to the school’s DSL: If it is in the school holidays/ weekends or out of hours: please use the contacts below: 

Safeguarding e-mail address: safeguarding@aquinas-camt.org

School’s Safeguarding email address: safeguarding@stmarys-rc.leics.sch.uk

If you are worried about a child or young person and think they may be a victim of neglect, abuse or cruelty, contact your local Children’s Social Care office – please see the links below.

If it is an emergency, you should call the Police on 999.

Police: 101 (non-emergency number)

Crimestoppers: 0800 555 111 (free and confidential)

You do not need to know everything about the child or what is happening. You may just be worried, or feel that something is not right.

Leicestershire County Contact Details

Rutland County Contact Details

Leicester City Contact Details

SAFEGUARDING POLICY AND CHILD PROTECTION POLICY: updated annually- With March 24 updates

Safeguarding And Child Protection Policy 23 24 March Updates

The policy is compliant with the statutory guidance documents : Keeping children safe in Education: statutory guidance for schools and colleges- September 2020; working together to safeguard children (DFE) March 2018. It includes references to annual training and regular updates in compliance with KCSIE, the school’s whistleblowing policy and protocol and has the name and contact details of the LADO.

Safeguarding And Child Protection Policy 2022 2023 St Mary’s

St Mary’s Privacy Notice

Safeguarding Curriculum

Pupil safeguarding and the promotion of fundamental British values are at the core of the curriculum at St Mary’s School. Great importance is placed on identifying opportunities in the taught curriculum for children to learn about safeguarding. Our curriculum gives pupils opportunities to experience life in all its diversity, to acquire knowledge, understanding and skills that significantly impact on personal development, behaviour and welfare and equips every child with the knowledge and skills required for personal safeguarding.  The school is on the Route to Resilience Programme, which develops characteristics, such as resilience and communication. Our PSHE/RSE curriculum covers all areas of Safeguarding through each of the strands to a different degree, however some go into more detail, following the Catholic Diocesan guidelines. We are sensitive in our teaching and recognise that some more sensitive subjects need to be taught at an age appropriate level, or at a small group or 1:1 level where a more urgent need arises.

We plan to constantly challenge children to think deeply about safeguarding matters and their own personal physical and mental wellbeing. We value pupils’ questions and give them space for their own thoughts, ideas and concerns. We give them opportunities across the curriculum to explore values, personal rights, responsibilities and equal opportunities that develop moral concepts that impact positively on safeguarding, promote British values and prevent radicalisation and extremism.

There are many opportunities throughout our Learning in school to explore safeguarding issues.

• Practical safeguarding opportunities are planned into the curriculum. For example: 
• Road and rail safety (including out of school visits, work with police officers in the community)
• Poolside and water safety through swimming lessons
• Fire awareness (including visits from the local fire service)
• Visits to school from medical staff
• Visitors from charities such as Barnados, NSPCC, the dogs trust to do focused projects
• Work from Secondary school partnerships, particularly around safe transition to Secondary school
• Plays and shows
• Online safety quizzes and training
• Our Forest School Programme which incorporates “Stranger Danger”, being safe in the outdoors, what to do if??
• What to do if you are separated from your group (in relation to school visits)
• Safe use of technology including password security and privacy settings

We have developed an open and safe learning environment in which pupils express their views, seek help and help others, they make use of class worry Boxes/ ELSAs to share concerns with staff. The promotion of equality of opportunity and diversity, for pupils and staff, helps prevent any form of direct or indirect discriminatory behaviour. Our children learn to not tolerate any prejudiced behaviour. Our behaviour policy promotes making good choices and exhibiting good learning behaviours, with restorative justice at the heart of it.

Class times are time for sharing ideas, addressing concerns and promoting important values.

Assembly/ Liturgy time and circle times are used to promote personal safeguarding matters and explore themes. For example, we talk about anti- bullying including cyber bullying and British values including how these values are promoted in our multi – faith society. Staff and children are quick to challenge stereotypes and the use of derogatory language in lessons and around school.

Time is taken at the beginning of every new school year to reaffirm school values, safeguarding training for staff and expectations and rules for living and learning at St Mary’s School. This good start to the year, with everyone clear about their roles and responsibilities, sets the tone for the rest of the year and leads to excellent safeguarding outcomes. Parents in every phase of school are invited to an online safety (including use of mobile phone) workshop.

Please see class pages and Curriculum pages on the website, which will show how Safeguarding opportunities are planned into the curriculum.

Some of our children may be young carers or have families in prison. Please see the flyers below.

FAI Leaflet

Young Carers

Have a look at the link below to see how pupils are taught Safeguarding at St Mary’s.

Safeguarding Curriculum Map