Safeguarding

The Designated Safeguarding Leads for the school are:

If you have any concerns about a child, or member of staff, within our school you should share this information immediately.

The named members of staff are the people who you should talk to at Princes Risborough Primary School if you have a concern about a child - however if they are unavailable please speak to the most senior member of staff available. If your concerns are about a member of staff please speak to the Headteacher or if the concern is about the Headteacher please contact the Chair of Governors.

• Designated Safeguarding Lead - Mrs Heggie (Head of ARP)
• Additional Safeguarding Leads - Mrs Howlett (Headteacher), Mrs Priestnall (Family Liaison Officer), Mrs Mill-Brown (Deputy Head)
• Kerri Byrne - Safeguarding Governor
• Chris Gentry - Chair of Governors

All schools have a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

We have a duty of care for the children who attend our school. The health, safety and well-being of every child at Princes Risborough Primary School are of paramount importance. We listen to our pupils and take seriously what they tell us. We want to work in partnership with you, to help your child achieve well and be prepared for the next stage in their education.

Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play in safeguarding children. We promote a culture of 'Everyone's Responsibility' at PRPS. In order to fulfil this responsibility effectively, all professionals must make sure their approach is child-centred.  This means that they should consider, at all times, what is in the best interests of the child.

To ensure a safe environment for pupils, our Safer Recruitment Policy, requires us to complete checks on all staff and regular volunteers and their suitability, including Disclosure and Barring Service checks (formerly CRB checks), as recommended by Buckinghamshire Council and in accordance with current legislation.  All visitors to the school must enter via the main reception, sign in our using our visitor system and wear a visitor badge at all times. A leaflet is given to all new visitors, to the school site, detailing key arrangements for safeguarding, fire, lockdown etc.

The Headteacher, Mrs Amy Howlett, is the Designated Person for Child Protection and has received appropriate training for this role. It is her responsibility to ensure that all staff in contact with children receive child protection awareness training, including training on issues such as radicalisation, peer on peer abuse, FGM and CSE, on a regular basis. The day to day responsibility of this role is shared with the Safeguarding team - Mrs Melanie Heggie, Mrs Carrie Priestnall and Mrs Josie Mill-Brown.

We work with a range of agencies that are able to provide help, support and advice for parents and families. There are occasions when a concern about a child may mean that we have to consult other agencies. Whilst we would always aim to work in partnership with parents there may be exceptions to this, when concerns are raised, for the protection of a child.

The school has adopted a Child Protection Policy in line with guidance from the 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' DFE document and guidance from the local authority for the safety of all our pupils. If you want to know more about our procedures, please speak to one of the Designated Safeguarding Leads at PRPS or refer to our policy below.

We recognise that at times parents/carers may have concerns about other families or children within our school setting. In this situation please come and talk to one of the Designated Safeguarding Leads to share any concerns. Similarly, we understand that there are times within a family setting when the situation may become difficult. If you feel you would like some support or someone to talk to please do contact Mrs Priestnall (via the school office) who can offer a range of guidance and support in the first instance.  Mrs Priestnall is also available to provide pastoral support for pupils in school.

If you see or hear something that could be terrorist related, trust your instincts and call the confidential anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321.

If you are concerned about a child in Buckinghamshire, it is important that you talk to someone about this. Don’t ignore your concerns or delay taking action.

• You can call Buckinghamshire County Council’s First Response Team on 01296 383962 (out of hours: 0800 999 7677). They will listen to your concerns and decide on the appropriate course of action.
• You can contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 (free service, lines open 24 hours a day). They will listen to your concerns, offer advice and support and can take action on your behalf if a child is in danger. You can also report concerns anonymously. For further information or to report your concerns online visit: www.nspcc.org.uk/what-you-can-do/report-abuse/