"The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The designated safeguarding leader and members of the team are highly trained. They ensure that concerns are dealt with swiftly and pupils receive the support they need, including from staff with expertise in well-being."

(Ofsted, February 2020)

St Dominic Savio takes the safeguarding of children very seriously.

The safety and well-being of our children is our key responsibility. We have strict rules on recruitment of teachers and ensure that all adults that work with us are vetted through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

We teach our children about how to be safe in the community as well as online. If you have any concerns about the safety of any child, please speak to a member of staff who you feel comfortable with. Alternatively, if your concerns are about the use of digital media, you can report incidents to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre. 

The staff and Governing Board of St Dominic Savio place the highest priority on the responsibilities they have to actively contribute to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils, in accordance with section 175 of the Education Act 2002.

The Governing Board and staff are committed to providing a safe and stimulating environment which promotes the social, physical and moral developments of pupils. All reasonable measures are taken to ensure that the risks of harm to pupils’ welfare are minimised.

All of our staff maintain a culture of vigilance in all areas of school life. We have robust policies in place for ensuring the wellbeing of our children. These policies underpin our practice and values shared by every single member of staff in our school. Copies are available from the school office. 

Any concerns about children are passed through our Safeguarding Team: members of staff who are trained as “Designated Safeguarding Leads” in the school, in compliance with the “sharing of information” guidance.

Designated Safeguarding Lead

Mrs Laura Hulland (Headteacher)

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads

Miss Charlotte Gauld (Assistant Headteacher)

Mrs Tara Sharp (Assistant Headteacher)

Mr Patrick Mullens (Assistant Headteacher)

Mrs Emily Baker (Early Years Foundation Stage Leader)

Safeguarding Team

Mrs Claire Willoughby (School Business Manager)

Mrs Ruth Ziegler (Nurture/Child Mental Health)

Designated Safeguarding Link Governor

Mrs Louise Slocombe

What to do if you are concerned about a child

Children and young people have the right to grow up safe from harm or abuse. If you are worried about a child or young person, please contact a safeguarding team member in school or contact the children's social care team on 0118 908 8002.

Female Genital Mutilation

It has been estimated that over 20,000 girls under the age of 15 are at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the UK each year, and that 66,000 women in the UK are living with the consequences of FGM. Female genital mutilation is a growing cause of concern in schools.

FGM is child abuse and a form of violence against women and girls, and therefore it is dealt with as part of existing child and adult safeguarding/ protection structures, policies and procedures. It is illegal in the UK to subject a child to female genital mutilation or to take a child abroad to undergo the procedure – Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003. 

Despite the harm it causes, Female Genital Mutilation practising communities consider it normal to protect their cultural identity. The age at which girls are subject to FGM varies greatly from shortly after birth to any time up to adulthood. The average age is 5 to 8 years.

At St Dominic Savio Catholic Primary School, our staff are trained in dealing with suspected Female Genital Mutilationand are alerted to the following key indicators:

• A child’s family comes from a community that is known to practise FGM
• A chid may talk about a long holiday to a country where the practice is prevalent
• A child may confide that she is to have a ‘special procedure’ or to attend a special occasion
• A child may request help from a teacher or another adult
• Any female child born to a woman or has a sister who has been subjected to FGM will be considered to be at risk, as much as other female children in the extended family. Any information or concern that a child is at risk of or has undergone FGM will result in a child protection referral to Children’s Social Services.

Call the FGM helpline if you are worried a child is at risk of, or has had, FGM. It's free, anonymous and they are available 24/7. Call them on 0800 028 3550, or email them at fgmhelp@nspcc.org.uk

The Prevent duty

All schools are subject to a duty under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, in the exercise of their functions, to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”. This duty is known as the Prevent duty.

It is important parents view the information and videos below to learn about children becoming victims of radicalisation.