Safeguarding children is everyone’s responsibility.

Meet our Safeguarding Team at Swaffham Primary

Designated Safeguarding Lead: Syreeta Rice (Deputy Headteacher and SENDCo)

Alternate Designated Safeguarding Lead: Carla Curtis (Student and Family Support Lead)

Alternate Designated Safeguarding Lead: Nicola Kaye (Head Teacher)

Alternate Designated Safeguarding Lead:  Laura McWilliam (EYFS/ Key Stage 1 Lead)

Designated Teacher for Looked After Children: Syreeta Rice (Deputy Headteacher and SENDCo)

Designated Safeguarding Governor: Paul Smith (Chair of Governors)

Swaffham CE Primary Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We have a number of policies and procedures in place that contribute to our safeguarding commitment, including our Safeguarding Policy. You can read some of our Key Policies if you navigate to 'Key Information' - 'Key Documents' - 'Policies.' We may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child's welfare. We will often share and follow up our concerns about our pupils with their parents/carers, unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the safety of the child.

What do you do if you have concerns about a child?

If you have seen or heard something that makes you concerned about the safety of a child, there are a number of actions you can take:

 ~ If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 999.

 ~ Call the school and ask to speak to one of our safeguarding professionals (see list above).

 ~ Call Norfolk Children's Services yourself on 0344 800 8020. (Click here for their website.)

 ~ Report your concern to the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000. (Click here for online information and reporting.)

 ~ If appropriate, encourage the child to contact Childine on 0800 1111. (The child can access online support here.)

We understand that it can feel quite overwhelming if you have concerns about a child. Please know that we are here to listen to any concerns you have, no matter how big or small. With Safeguarding it is always best to think 'What if I am right?'. See Something. Hear Something. Say Something.

At Swaffham Primary Academy we are working in partnership with Norfolk Constabulary and Norfolk Children’s Services to identify and provide appropriate support to pupils who have or may have experienced domestic abuse.

This is called Operation Encompass.  

So what does this mean?

Norfolk Children’s Advice and Duty Service will share police information of all domestic incidents where one of our pupils has been present with the Designated Safeguarding Lead(s).

Then what happens?

The Designated Safeguarding Lead will decide on the appropriate support the child requires, this could be silent or overt.

For example, we may check in with the child, complete Pupil Voice or telephone the family for a check in. It may be that quiet observation of the child is all that is needed. What we do depends on the child, how they are and the details of the Operation Encompass.

All information sharing and resulting actions will be undertaken in accordance with the ‘Norfolk Joint Agency Protocol for Domestic Abuse – Notifications to Schools’. We will record this information and store this information in accordance with the record keeping procedures outlined in this policy.

Our Swaffham Primary Academy Culture of Safeguarding

Our Safeguarding Culture is of the highest importance to every member of our Swaffham Primary Academy community. 

So what does this mean?

Our Safeguarding Culture at Swaffham Primary Academy involves every member of our team from our Site Manager who ensures our site secure or, for example, safe in the frost or the building is secure, or our Safer Recruitment for ensuring we get the right people in place at our Academy; we all committed to a child centred approach.

You can read more about our Culture and Curriculum in our Safeguarding Policy, but our Culture does include:

Super vigilance

An 'it can happen here' attitude

Promotion and importance of pupil voice through our School Council, explicit teaching, opportunities to talk and listen, an open and honest classroom environment which means we have established a culture of listening to children where they feel valued and able to be open and honest

Teaching of Safeguarding, some examples of this could be online safety, our PSHE/RSHE Curriculum or British Values.

We have established an open and honest environment where children feel valued and able to speak out, ask questions and share worries or concerns. We have established this through our emphasis, promotion and importance of Pupil Voice. Not only do we have a School Council that was democratically elected, but we also explicitly teach Safeguarding through our PSHE/RSHE. We embed Safeguarding throughout our school day such as revisiting online safety when using Chromebooks in Maths. Some children benefit from regular Pupil Voice, but any child can take part in this activity. We know our children well and if we feel they need time to talk, we can support them through Pupil Voice. Equally, children often ask for a 'chat' and they feel comfortable and confident to do this. Pupil Voice is about giving a child the opportunity to take as much time as they need, with a familiar adult, to share their feelings, thoughts or worries. This could be through talk, writing or drawings. 

The most important element to remember is that we are a community and we all support each other to ensure that we have a child centred approach where every child feels valued, that their voice is important and any member of staff is ready to listen. 

What do I do if I need more information or help?

For more information, advice or support you can telephone the school to speak to one of the Designated Safeguarding Leads (detailed above), let us know you would like to see us on Dojo. You will often see us outside on the gates before and after school so please do stop let us know if you would like any advice, support or further information.

Here are some useful links to provide further advice, information or support: