Safeguarding Statement

This school takes its responsibility to safeguard children extremely seriously and our school will train and empower all staff to recognise and respond effectively in order to protect a child who may be at risk of significant harm. Safeguarding remains central to all that we do.  

We will ensure all staff members and other members of our school community will maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ and feel able to raise concerns either about a child at risk or a member of staff whose behaviour may present a risk to a child.

Our School will;

 Support the child’s development in ways that will foster security, confidence and independence;

• Provide an environment in which children and young people feel safe, secure, valued, respected, feel confident and know how to approach adults if they may be worried;

• Provide a systematic means of monitoring children known or thought to be at risk of harm, and ensure we, the school, contribute to assessments of need and support packages for those children.

• Emphasise the need for good levels of communication between all members of staff and between the school and other agencies;

• Have and regularly review, a structured procedure within the school which will be followed by all members of the school community in cases of suspected abuse;

• Develop and promote effective working relationships with other agencies, especially the Police and Children’s Social Care;

• Ensure that when we recruit staff and check their suitability it is in accordance with Part 3 of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ September 2018 version.

• Have in place, other, up to date policies which support safeguarding, please refer to Annexe 1 of our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy (September 2018 version).

• Embed Safeguarding into our curriculum to enable us to teach our children at every opportunity how to keep themselves safe.

Keeping Children Safe In Education

Please click here for a link to the Department of Education's 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' 2024

West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership

Please click here for a link to the Integrated Front Door

The vision for the West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership is to develop “an assured Safeguarding Partnership, which collectively engages with children and their families, enabling them to thrive.”

Working in the local community we have the opportunity to shape our multi-agency safeguarding arrangements to continue to improve our services to children, young people and their families. It is clear from recent local developments that a strong and purposeful multi-agency approach to child protection is essential to drive swift and sustainable improvements to practice in key areas of child abuse, such as neglect.

Anyone who has any concerns about a child can contact The Integrated Front Door directly.

How to Report a Concern

There are a number of ways by which you can report a concern about a child in our school.

You can:

• Phone and ask to speak with the Designated Safeguarding lead (DSL Debbie Burnett) or Deputy DSL (Sarah Blackwood) on 01798 865419.  

• Directly email the Designated Safeguarding Lead via head@fittleworth.school ​​​​​​​

• Speak with a member of staff at the beginning or end of the day.

The following options are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week, if your concern needs a response outside of school working hours:

• If you feel someone is at immediate risk of significant harm please contact the Police on 999.

• If you have non-urgent information, related to the wider community please contact the Police on 101.

• If your concern is specific to a child or young person please phone 01403 229900 or e mail WSChildrenservices@westsussex.gov.uk

• If you are a child or young person you can speak with Childline on 0800 1111.

• If you are an adult worried about a child you can speak to a trained helpline counsellor with the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000.

• If you are a professional concerned about a child in the workplace you can speak to an NSPCC trained practitioner via their Whistleblowing Advice line on 0800 028 0285.

If you have shared a concern with someone listed above other than the school, please inform a member of the School Safeguarding Team as soon as possible, to ensure that the school is aware of any concerns regarding children that attend Fittleworth Village School.

Our pupils are growing up in a world of ever-changing technology. We believe that the use of technology is a largely positive aspect of modern life, however we cannot ignore the risks that can be associated.

Throughout school we aim to teach children:

• about the impact of cyber-bullying and what to do if they have been affected.
• to be vigilant when communicating online recognising that people may not always be who they say they are and to be sensible about what they share.
• to tell an adult they trust if something is upsetting them. We do this through the children having 5 trusted adults.
• to question the reliability of information given through a web based source.
• to search responsibly for information while using internet browsers.

At school the devices that are used are compliant with an effective filtering and monitoring system which is monitored. We understand that much of our pupil's use of the internet will occur at home, away from the school filters. In school the children are taught explicit online safety lessons as part of their RSHE curriculum with age appropriate and relevant lessons. 

Below are a list of useful websites, advice and resources that you may find helpful when navigating the issue of online safety with your child. At the bottom of this page are resources that your child can directly access as well to help them learn about online safety.

Useful resources and links

#WakeupWednesday https://nationalcollege.com/news/wakeupwednesday   Provides up to date information about current trends, software, apps etc

Thinkuknow http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk
Thinkuknow is an education programme from the National Crime Agency’s CEOP Command. Since 2006, it aims to ensure that everyone has access to this practical information – children, young people, their parents and carers and the professionals who work with them. 

Internet Matters https://www.internetmatters.org/advice/esafety-leaflets-resources/
A comprehensive web resource with a wide array of tips and advice on how to navigate the online world with your child. Some of their guidance we attach below but you can find even more by visiting the link. 

National Online Safety https://nationalonlinesafety.com/resources/platform-guides/
National Online Safety's mission is to make the internet a safer place for children. They aim to do this by equipping school staff, parents and children with the knowledge they need to understand online dangers and how best to react should an incident arise. The link above provides up to date information about a wide variety of social media apps and platforms your child might be using.

NSPCC http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/share-aware/
The NSPCC are the first to admit that the internet is amazing. Children can play, learn, create and connect - opening up a whole world of exciting possibilities. But with the digital world changing all the time, how can you make sure your child’s staying safe? That’s where the NSPCC come in. Whether you’re an online expert or you’re not sure where to start, their tools and advice will help you keep your child safe.

Childnet http://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers
Childnet International is a registered UK charity that aims to make the internet a safe place for children and young people. Packed with resources it is a great resource for parents.

CEOP http://ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/
Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) is part of the National Crime Agency and their website can be used to report if you are worried about online abuse or the way someone is communicating online.