All adults who work on our site are required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to prevent unsuitable people from working with pupils. All visitors are closely supervised when on site. 

Further information for parents can be found by accessing the following websites:

• Barnardo’s | Children’s charity | Barnardo’sChildline |
• Free counselling service for kids and young people | Childline
• Contact us | NSPCC
• Staffordshire Families Integrated Front Door Service – Staffordshire County Council

As a senior leadership team, we ensure staff have the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to keep children safe through provision of regular training on child protection issues.  We follow the guidelines set out within Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE). A qualified Designated Safeguarding Lead within the Academy provides support to staff members to carry out their safeguarding duties and liaises closely with other services such as children’s social care.   

Our staff are trained to be vigilant for all kinds of safeguarding concerns, including bullying, online safety, emotional or other abuse or extremist behaviour. We have clear procedures in place. Where any potential safeguarding concerns are identified they are logged on Bromcom. We share information with other public bodies within agreed protocols. 

As part of the Academy’s safeguarding measures, we also ensure our pupils are not exposed to inappropriate political or controversial messages. Through our pursuit to develop exemplary citizens, we promote fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.  In line with this, we ensure all expressed views and actions contrary to these values are challenged. We are alert to the indicators of radicalisation and take steps to protect those who may be susceptible to messages of violence. All concerns are reported and, where necessary, referred to external agencies. 

Online Safety – Advice for Parents 

• Thinkuknow – advice from CEOP – UK Safer Internet Centre
• Childnet — Online safety for young people
• Net Aware update from the NSPCC – UK Safer Internet Centre
• Parent Zone | At the heart of digital family life

Whilst our Academy has comprehensive safeguarding arrangements in place to ensure our pupils’ online safety, it is equally as important for parents to talk to their children about online safety and monitor their internet usage at home using age-appropriate parental controls to restrict their access to unsavoury material. Parental controls can be activated on home broadband, search engines, YouTube, mobile phones and games consoles. 

Whilst it may not always be easy to talk to your child about challenging issues such as cyberbullying, if you are open and honest with them about the dangers they may encounter online, it may encourage them to confide in you in the future. If you are concerned that your child is being secretive or spending too much time online, it may be worth moving their device into a communal family area so that you can keep an eye on them. 

You should encourage your child to act responsibility online and treat others as they would wish to be treated. You should also warn your child that they should never hide behind an anonymous username to make unkind comments, or say something they would be reluctant to repeat during face-to-face interactions. Remind your child that the comments they make and the pictures and videos they post online may end up having a wider audience than they anticipated – and even if they delete them, there’s no guarantee that someone hasn’t already saved, downloaded or taken a screen shot of their post. 

At school, our online safety co-ordinator is Mr Nugent although all staff have responsibility for safeguarding pupils. The Greenheart Learning Partnership Safeguarding Trustee is Laura Martin. 

The school use Lightspeed filtering and monitoring software 

Lightspeed Filter for Secure Learning Environments – Lightspeed Systems