Safeguarding
Safeguarding
Chigwell Row Infant School takes seriously its responsibility to protect and safeguard the welfare of children and young people in our care.
Safeguarding Leads
Our Safeguarding Leads are Lisa Anstey, Kate Hogarth and Natalie Astrella.
Please contact Lisa Anstey at lanstey@chigwell.efspt.org or call 02085003355 if you have any concerns.
Our Deputy Safeguarding Leads are Kate Hogarth and Natalie Astrella.
If you have any concerns with regard to the Safeguarding of any child or young adult, you can telephone Social Care directly on
0345 603 7627
Out of working hours telephone number: 0345 606 1212
We recognise that children cannot learn unless they feel happy and secure. We adhere to stringent Safeguarding procedures to protect the welfare of all the children who come here. We are committed to keeping children safe and aim to:
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Create a culture of vigilance where the welfare of our children is promoted and where timely and appropriate safeguarding action is taken
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Establish and maintain an environment where children feel safe and secure, are encouraged to talk and are listened to
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Ensure that children know that there are adults within the school they can approach if they are worried or are in difficulty
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Ensure children receive the right help at the right time to address risks and prevent issues escalating
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Include in the curriculum activities and opportunities which equip children with the skills they need to stay safe from abuse and to develop healthy and safe relationships
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Include in the curriculum material which will help children develop realistic attitudes to the responsibilities of adult life
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Protect children from harm and to ensure that they are taught in a way that is consistent with the law and our values and to promote respect for all others
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Facilitate understanding of wider issues within the context of learning about the values on which our society is founded and our system of democratic government
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Provide a curriculum which actively promotes the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
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Promote tolerance of and respect for people of all faiths (or those of no faith), races, genders, ages, disabilities and sexual orientations
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Make parents aware of the school policies and practices for safeguarding and ensure that, wherever possible, every effort will be made to establish open and honest effective working relationships with parents and colleagues from partner agencies
It is the moral and legal duty of all adults in charge of children to be ready to protect a child in danger of abuse. Education staff have a responsibility to be ready to observe, monitor and refer suspected abuse. We are committed to:
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Providing training for staff in recognising signs, symptoms and behaviour which are symptomatic of abuse and in responding appropriately
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Establishing good procedures and practices in relation to record keeping
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Any member of staff suspecting child abuse or neglect must refer their suspicions to the Designated Child Protection Officer or their Deputy in their absence, who will then refer to Social Services, if appropriate.
Please see our Child Protection Policy, Safeguarding Policy, E-Safety Policy and Behaviour Policy for further information - Policies page
Our Designated Child Protection officer is: Lisa Anstey
Our Designated Deputy Child Protection Officer are: Kate Hogarth and Natalie Astrella.
If you are concerned about the welfare of any pupil in the school then please arrange an appointment to speak to the Designated Officers.
Prevent Strategy
Since July 2015 all schools (as well as other organisations) have had a duty to safeguard children from radicalisation and extremism under Prevent, a government strategy designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorist or extremist causes. The Prevent strategy covers all types of terrorism and extremism, including extreme right wing groups, violent Al Qa’ida-influenced groups and other causes. This means we have a responsibility to protect children from extremist and violent views the same way we protect them from drugs, gang violence, abuse and sexual exploitation. Importantly, we can provide a safe place for pupils to discuss these issues so they better understand how to protect themselves.
Our Response
Many of the things we already do in school to help children become positive, happy members of society also contribute to the Prevent strategy. These include:
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Exploring other cultures and religions and promoting diversity;
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Challenging prejudices and racist comments;
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Developing critical thinking skills and a strong, positive self-identity;
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Promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural
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Development of pupils, as well as British values such as democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs
We will also protect children from the risk of radicalisation, for example by using filters on the internet to make sure they can’t access extremist and terrorist material, and by vetting visitors who come into school to work with pupils.
Key Terms
Extremism – vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values such as democracy, the rule of law and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs
Terrorism – a violent action against people or property, designed to create fear and advance a political, religious or ideological cause
Radicalisation – the process by which a person comes to support extremism and terrorism
Domestic Violence Support
Link to NHS Domestic Violence Support Page
Link to NCDV - Domestic Violence Against Men
Online Safety
You can help your child to stay safe by creating an environment in which they feel able to speak openly about concerns they may have. You can do this by making good internet habits a part of your daily lives by limiting screen time, no devices at dinnertime/bedtime and by taking an active interest in the games they're playing and their social media influences.
You don’t need to talk to your pre-schooler about online safety yet, right? Wrong.
If you treat online safety just as you would treat road safety, then talking about safe internet use becomes the norm and not something that they feel needs to be hidden as they get older. So if they are worried about something they have seen online they can feel confident in talking to an adult about their concerns.
Please watch the video below
The Two John's
Southend, Essex & Thurrock (SET) On line safety and Child Exploitation Awareness Campaign from facebook live session July 2021.
Speak Up and Speak Out
At Chigwell Row Infant School, we are signed up to the NSPCC 'Speak Out. Stay Safe' assemblies. Please see the video below for more information.