Safeguarding
At Crowhurst Church of England Primary School, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is our highest priority. We believe that every child has the right to feel safe, valued, and respected. We are committed to providing a safe, supportive environment where every pupil can thrive. Our commitment to safeguarding is embedded in our vision of Nurture, Empower, Achieve; we know that children can only reach their full potential when they feel secure in their environment. We recognise the importance of enabling children to talk openly and to feel confident that they will be listened to.
Email – safeguarding@crowhurst.e-sussex.sch.uk
Our Responsibility
In accordance with the Department for Education’s statutory guidance, 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' (KCSIE), our school maintains a robust culture of vigilance. We recognise our moral and statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all pupils. This includes:
- Providing a safe environment in which children can learn.
- Identifying children who may be benefit from early help or are at risk of significant harm.
- Taking appropriate action to ensure they are kept safe, both at home and at school.
Our Safeguarding Team
We have a dedicated team of trained professionals who oversee our safeguarding provision. If you have any concerns about a child's safety or wellbeing, please do not hesitate to contact us:
- Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Simon Page
- Deputy DSL: Debbie Mears
- Deputy DSL: Lucy Potts
A Shared Commitment
Safeguarding is not just the responsibility of the leadership team; it is a shared commitment across our entire community. All staff and volunteers undergo regular, high-quality training and rigorous pre-employment safeguarding checks.
We work in close partnership with parents, the Local Authority, and external agencies to ensure that our pupils are protected from maltreatment, neglect, and any risks to their health or development. We follow the procedures set out by the East Sussex County Council safeguarding partners to ensure every concern is handled with the utmost seriousness and care.
"Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, every day."
Online safety focus
In an increasingly digital world, Crowhurst CE Primary School is committed to ensuring that our pupils are not only protected from online risks but are also empowered to become responsible, confident, and resilient digital citizens. We believe that technology is a powerful tool for learning and creativity, and we work tirelessly to ensure our school environment is a safe space for children to explore its potential.
Online safety is not an isolated lesson; it is a golden thread that runs through our entire curriculum. We follow a proactive approach that combines the skills linked to digital security with clear curriculum design:
- Educating Pupils: Through our RSHE and Computing curricula, we teach children how to navigate the internet safely, recognise "red flags," and understand the importance of their digital footprint. We actively partake in ‘awareness events’ e.g. Internet safety day and anti-bullying week.
- Safe Infrastructure: We utilise robust filtering and monitoring systems that meet the Department for Education’s statutory standards, ensuring children are protected from inappropriate content while on school devices/logins.
- Empowering Parents: we recognise that the digital world extends far beyond the school gates. We provide regular updates, workshops, and resources to help parents and carers navigate the latest apps, games, and trends at home. Working in partnership with parents is vital to keeping our children safe online. The parent toolkit offers useful guidance:
The Prevent Strategy
As part of our robust safeguarding and child protection duties, we fully support the government’s Prevent Strategy, which is designed to protect children from the risk of radicalisation and extremism.
Guided by the Department for Education’s framework, we use varied teaching approaches to help our children build resilience. By fostering an environment of critical thinking, mutual respect, and tolerance, we empower our pupils to challenge extremist views and make informed, positive choices as they grow.
What is the Prevent Strategy?
The Prevent strategy is a key part of the UK’s counter-terrorism work. Its primary goal in an educational setting is to identify and support individuals who may be vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism or extremist ideologies. It operates by:
- Responding to Ideological Challenges: Addressing the views that promote extremism and terrorism.
- Providing Practical Support: Ensuring that vulnerable individuals are identified early and given the appropriate advice and professional support they need.
- Collaborating Across Sectors: Working in partnership with education, health, faith groups, and the police to create a safe community for all.
At Crowhurst, we ensure our staff are trained to recognise the signs of vulnerability and understand the referral pathways required to keep our children safe.
Further Resources
For more information on how parents and schools can work together to tackle radicalisation and promote shared values, please visit the Educate Against Hate website below:
Operation Encompass
Operation Encompass is a partnership between police and schools which is based on the principle that all incidents of domestic abuse are shared with schools, not just those where an offence can be identified. If a child has been involved in, heard or witnessed a domestic incident, we will be informed through Operation Encompass to allow immediate early intervention.
As a school/educational setting we have ensured that a member of our staff, (Designated Safeguarding Lead – Simon Page) known as a Key Adult, has been trained in the Operation Encompass procedures allowing us to then use the information that has been shared, in confidence, to support the child/ren in our care.
Reporting a concern
CEOP helps any child or young person under the age of 18 who is being pressured, forced or tricked into taking part in sexual activity of any kind. This can be something that has taken place either online or in ‘the real world’, or both. The CEOP Safety Centre has clear information and advice on what can be reported to CEOP, the reporting process and what will happen if you do decide to make a report. You can visit the CEOP Safety Centre and make a report directly to CEOP by clicking the Click CEOP button below:
Children can also contact Childline which is a private and confidential service for children up to 19. You can contact a Childline counsellor about anything, no problem is too big or small. Call free on 0800 11 11 or click on the logo below for more information.
Child Protection PolicyPrevent Risk AssessmentPrevent Policy