Safeguarding
Safeguarding information for
parents and carers:
As a parent or carer you want to make sure your children are safe, happy and well-looked after. You try and protect them from abuse or neglect and help them grow up into confident, healthy and happy adults. You will also want to know that the childcare professionals looking after your children are doing everything they should be to protect your child.
At Leys Primary School, the safety and wellbeing of every child are our highest priority. We are committed to providing a safe, caring and inclusive environment where all children feel secure, valued, respected and able to learn and thrive.
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. We work closely with parents and carers to protect children from harm and promote their welfare, ensuring that every child receives the support and protection they need.
We are committed to working in partnership with parents, carers and our wider community to safeguard children and promote their welfare.
Together, we can help every child feel safe, confident and ready to succeed.
Also, below are two, useful publications from Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council 'Safer Parenting Handbook'. The handbook contains a host of information about different issues facing children, young people and families, frequently asked questions and useful contact numbers. We hope you will find the information beneficial. If you would like a hardcopy of the information, please ask at the school office and we will provide it for you.
Safer Parenting Handbook, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Safeguarding Procedures
Safeguarding children at Leys Primary School is the responsibility of everyone.
What do I do if I have a concern about the safety, care or welfare of a child or young person?
Phone the school and ask to speak to Miss Sturt, the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Mrs Irvine, the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead. Outside of school, you can contact Children's Services MASH duty team on 0208 227 3811.
What is the Multi Agency Children’s Hub?
The Multi Agency Children’s Hub (MASH) is the first point of contact for anyone who has a concern about the welfare or safety of a child or young person or thinks they may need extra help and support. When they are contacted, they will listen to what they are being told and the different agencies might share information with each other to try and work out whether they can help.
The Multi Agency Children’s Hub Childrens Safeguarding Partnership | London Borough of Barking and Dagenham is a partnership between:
- London borough of Barking and Dagenham Council
- Metropolitan Police
- NHS Health Partners
Any of the above will be able to assist you with your concern.
How do staff safeguard children in school?
At Leys Primary School, safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, all staff work together to ensure that every child feels safe, valued and protected.
We are committed to providing a safe, supportive and inclusive environment where children can learn, develop and thrive. All staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and follow the school’s safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures.
How our staff safeguard children:
- Safeguarding training: All staff receive regular safeguarding and child protection training to help them recognise signs of abuse, neglect, exploitation and other safeguarding concerns.
- Reporting concerns: Staff report any concerns about a child’s safety or wellbeing promptly to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or Deputy DSL. All concerns are recorded via our online recording platform MyConcern.
- Safer recruitment: We follow safer recruitment procedures, including appropriate pre-employment checks, to help ensure that adults working with children are suitable to do so.
- Safe supervision: Staff supervise pupils appropriately throughout the school day, including during lessons, breaktimes, lunchtimes, educational visits and other school activities.
- Listening to children: We encourage pupils to speak to a trusted adult if they feel worried, unsafe or unhappy. Staff listen carefully, take concerns seriously and respond appropriately.
- Online safety: We teach children how to stay safe online, recognise potential risks and report anything that makes them feel uncomfortable.
- Promoting positive behaviour: Staff promote respectful relationships, equality, inclusion and positive behaviour, helping children feel secure and supported.
- Working with families and agencies: Where necessary, we work with parents and carers, social care, the local authority, health professionals and other relevant agencies to protect children from harm.
- Preventing harm: We remain alert to risks including bullying, discrimination, radicalisation, child exploitation and other forms of abuse or neglect.
- Anti-bullying: We promote kindness, respect and positive relationships and take reports of bullying seriously.
- Attendance and welfare: We monitor attendance and follow up unexplained absences in line with our safeguarding procedures.
- Health and safety: We maintain appropriate procedures to help ensure that the school environment is safe for pupils, staff and visitors.
- Early help: Where a family or child needs additional support, we work with parents and relevant services to identify concerns early and provide appropriate help.
All safeguarding concerns are handled sensitively and in accordance with our policies and statutory guidance. Where a child may be at risk of harm, appropriate action is taken without delay, including referrals to relevant agencies when necessary.
Safeguarding is a shared responsibility. By working together, we aim to ensure that every child at Leys Primary School feels safe, heard, respected and able to achieve their full potential.
If you have a safeguarding concern, please contact our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), Miss Laura Sturt, via the school office. If a child is in immediate danger, contact the emergency services.
If I wanted to speak to the governing body about a safeguarding concern, who should I contact?
The Governing Body representative for Safeguarding and Child Protection is:
Dame Anna P.L. Hassan.
If the school are concerned that a child may be at risk from significant harm or is being abused, the school is required to refer their concerns to (MASH) and the police, if necessary. In some circumstances this may happen without the consent or knowledge of parents or carers. Our focus is the safety and well being of the pupil. Therefore, if the school believes that notifying parents could increase the risk to the child or exacerbate the problem, advice will first be sought from MASH and/or the police before parents are contacted.
The school also has a responsibility to act upon other concerns they may have about a child’s welfare in circumstances where there are no suspicions of child abuse. Examples of this may be when a child is demonstrating inappropriate behaviour, is involved in bullying, is failing to come to school or where difficulties at home are negatively affecting the child’s well being; is at risk of being drawn into terrorism. This list is by no means exhaustive.
Notifying parents:
At Leys Primary School, we are committed to working in partnership with parents and carers to ensure that every child is safe, supported and protected.
When a safeguarding concern arises, the school will consider each situation carefully and take appropriate action in accordance with our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy and statutory guidance.
Where appropriate and safe to do so, parents and carers will be informed of concerns relating to their child and kept updated about any actions or support provided by the school.
However, there may be circumstances where it is not appropriate to inform parents or carers immediately. For example, where informing them could place a child at further risk of harm, compromise a safeguarding investigation or where advice from children's social care or the police indicates that notification should be delayed.
All safeguarding concerns are handled sensitively, confidentially and in the best interests of the child. Information is shared only with relevant individuals and agencies where necessary to safeguard children and promote their welfare.
If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s safety or wellbeing, please contact the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or Deputy DSL through the school office.
We value the partnership between school and home and are committed to acting transparently and responsibly while ensuring that the welfare of every child remains our paramount concern.
Safeguarding Policy:
Our school has a safeguarding policy (see the top of this page) which explains all the above in much more detail. If you would like to see the full policy in printed format, a copy is available on request from the school office or can be located in pdf format from this page or from the Policies and Procedures section of this website (via the ‘Welcome’ tag).
The school’s policy for Safeguarding follows the agreed procedures and guidance for schools issued by LBBD Safeguarding Children Board. Further information on the work and responsibilities of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Local Safeguarding Children Board is available here.
Our Safeguarding Policy is in line with Section 175 of the Education Act 2002; Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006; The Teacher Standards 2012; Working together to safeguard children 2026; Keeping children safe in education 2026: September 2026
What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused 2015.
Staff have been alerted to the changes outlined in the document, and our policy has been updated in accordance.
The policy will be reviewed by Miss Sturt in September 2026 and ratification will take place again on annual cycle in November of each year.
*(Miss Laura Sturt is also the designated teacher for Looked After Children).
Keeping Children Safe in Education
Safeguarding Policy 2026-27
Operation Encompass
Leys Primary School works in partnership with 'Operation Encompass'.
Operation Encompass is a police and education early information sharing partnership enabling schools to offer immediate support for children and young people experiencing domestic abuse. Information is shared by the police with a school's trained Key Adult (DSL) prior to the start of the next school day after officers have attended a domestic abuse incident thus enabling appropriate support to be given, dependent upon the needs and wishes of the child.
Children experiencing domestic abuse are negatively impacted by this exposure; domestic abuse has been identified as an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs) and can lead to emotional, physical and psychological harm. Operation Encompass aims to mitigate this harm by enabling immediate support, making a child's day better and giving them a better tomorrow.
Operation Encompass believes that children are victims of domestic abuse in their own right and should be acknowledged as such.
Child Centred Policing: Guidance for schools
What is harmful sexual behaviour?
Harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) is developmentally inappropriate sexual behaviour displayed by children and young people which is harmful or abusive1.
Peer-on-peer abuse is a form of HSB where sexual abuse takes place between children of a similar age or stage of development.
Problematic sexual behaviour (PSB) is developmentally inappropriate or socially unexpected sexualised behaviour which doesn’t have an overt element of victimisation or abuse.
Talking to your child about online sexual harassment: A guide for parents
NSPCC: Sexual development and behaviour in children
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-health-development/sexual-behaviour
The Prevent Duty
At Leys Primary School, we are committed to providing a safe, caring and inclusive environment where all pupils feel valued, respected and protected.
As part of our safeguarding responsibilities, we recognise our duty to protect children from the risk of radicalisation and extremism. We follow the Government’s Prevent Duty guidance and work in partnership with parents, carers, the local authority and other relevant agencies to safeguard our pupils.
Through our curriculum, including Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education, Relationships Education and our wider school values, we encourage pupils to respect diversity, develop critical thinking skills, understand different viewpoints and become responsible citizens. We promote British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.
All staff receive appropriate safeguarding training and understand how to recognise and report concerns about radicalisation or extremism. Any concerns are taken seriously and managed in accordance with our safeguarding procedures.
We are committed to ensuring that every child feels safe, supported and able to thrive in a school community built on respect, tolerance and inclusion.
Click the link below to find out more information on Prevent