Safeguarding at Higham Lane North Academy – a family guide

Keeping Each Other Safe

Safeguarding pupils is everyone’s responsibility and at Higham Lane North Academy it is our absolute priority.  We know that when pupils feel safe and happy, that they will thrive as learners and people, and therefore be successful. This guide for families is aimed at helping you understand how we will protect your children and keep them safe, and how you can work with us in partnership from home to support with this.

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding involves everything we do to ensure that your child is safe and protected from harm while at school. It is a priority for us to ensure that your child can learn, grow and develop without any form of abuse or harm. This includes keeping pupils safe and protecting them from physical and emotional abuse, neglect, and any other risks, both in person and online.

How we will keep your child safe

• Recognise signs of harm and abuse  Our staff are trained to recognise and respond correctly to these signs.   Staff report any concerns to the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) Romayne Charles (Deputy Headteacher)

• Clear systems We have clear procedures in place for reporting any concerns about a child's welfare. If there are any signs of harm or if a child is at risk, staff know how to take appropriate action. This includes notifying the safeguarding lead, who may then involve external agencies like social services or law enforcement.

• Policies and procedures  We implement child protection policies to ensure that all staff and volunteers are properly vetted (e.g., background checks), and that there are guidelines for responding to suspected abuse. These policies also set out how the school will handle disclosures made by children, ensuring they are taken seriously and acted upon promptly. We also have clear policies to prevent bullying, discrimination, and other forms of harm.  Staff are fully trained to spot signs of harm and abuse, and to respond quickly.

• Training and Awareness Teachers, school staff, and volunteers receive regular training on child protection issues. This training ensures that everyone is aware of the risks and knows how to respond in a way that supports the child and helps to prevent harm.

• Safe Environment We are fully committed to providing a safe environment for all children. This includes monitoring safety on the school premises, ensuring appropriate supervision, and addressing bullying or harassment. We will ensure that all areas, including classrooms, social spaces and online working areas, are safe for your child. We teach children how to keep themselves safe and from harm through our personal development curriculum, through our daily messages to children, and through our assemblies.

• Supporting Vulnerable Children Some children are more vulnerable to abuse due to factors like disability, family circumstances, or social isolation.   We have clear processes in place to identify these children and provide extra support, such as our Mental Health Champions, ensuring their protection and well-being. We will also work closely with mental health services such as MHST and RISE.

Movement matters

It is your child’s right to feel safe in school at all times.  We know that in schools many children say they feel unsafe on school corridors when they are moving to and between lessons. This is when corridors can get busy and overcrowded, and when unsupervised, this is when pushing and shoving can arise which leads to not only injuries, but of children feeling unsafe at school. 

Therefore, to ensure that your child is safe at these key points of movement during the day, we will do the following:

• When the whole school is gathered together such as at the start of the day, break and lunchtime, SLT and duty staff will gather each year group together in designated areas, and ensure that each class is dismissed in an orderly way and supervised by their class teacher. During the morning welcome this will be by their form tutor.

• SLT, teaching and non-teaching staff will always be visible on corridors at lesson changeover.   Between lessons 1 and 2, and 4 and 5, teachers will stand at their classroom door to dismiss pupils, checking that the corridor is clear before they dismiss their class. Teachers will be at their classroom door to meet and greet their next class.  Our staff will be visible and proactive in helping to ensure that your child feels safe and ready for their next stage of learning through the day. 

REport your concerns

We are relentless in ensuring that pupils at HLNA are safe.  Not only are we proactive in teaching and guiding pupils on how to keep themselves, and others, safe from harm, we are also proactive in ensuring that if a child feels worried or concerned about themselves, or someone else, that they can report this to us easily.  There are a number of easy ways to do this:

Pupils are reminded regularly to inform us of any concerns: Do not delay!  Tell someone today!   
This means that they can tell any member of staff during the school day and that we welcome hearing from them, no matter how small or insignificant they think their concern is.

Pupils can also email us at safe@hlna.co.uk

This inbox is checked by members of our safeguarding team every day at 08:00 and 13:00.

We also have our Whisper service which is a confidential helpline.   LINK here.

Families and pupils can report confidentially to this service.    (Info to follow)

If you are a parent/carer and wish to report a safeguarding concern, please either call Reception on 02476 XXXXXXX or email us at safe@hlna.co.uk   

Our Senior Designated Safeguarding Lead is Romayne Charles, Deputy Headteacher.