Safeguarding
At Birstwith C.E Primary School safeguarding is of paramount importance. We are strongly committed to promoting the safety and welfare of all children in our care. At all times, our approach considers what is in the best interests of the child. We are rigorous in our duty and ensure that consistent, effective safeguarding procedures are in place to support children, families and staff.
Our Child Protection Policy can be found in the Policies section of our website here.
Safeguarding Procedures
We safeguard our pupils by:
- Identifying pupils who may need early help or at risk from harm
- Helping pupils by reducing the risk to them and securing the help they may need
- Managing the risk of harm to our pupils by following safer recruitment and allegation procedures.
North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership
In line with all North Yorkshire schools, at Birstwith we follow the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership procedures.
Click here for the 'Parents & Carers' section of their website.
CPOMS
For monitoring safeguarding, wellbeing and all pastoral issues we use the online system, CPOMS. This supports our robust reporting and ensures that any information we report is shared immediately and securely between relevant parties.
School Safeguarding Team
Click to see our School Safeguarding Poster:
Safeguarding Curriculum for Pupils and Whole School Community
We teach our pupils about safeguarding so they know how to keep themselves safe and reduce risks. From Reception to Year 6, pupils learn about safeguarding including online safety, stranger danger and healthy relationships, road and fire safety and first aid. These messages are embedded throughout our curriculum.
We also have a specific Safeguarding Curriculum, which is in addition to our PSHE and other wider curriculum learning. Which can be found below.
Key safeguarding messages are shared in our schools' newsletters which can be accessed here.
Worried About a Child?
Here at Birswith school we believe that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, if you ever have any concerns about the welfare of a child, more information can be found here about sharing your concerns.
Operation Encompass
Operation Encompass is a police and education early information sharing partnership enabling schools to offer immediate support for children and young people experiencing domestic abuse. Information is shared by the police with the school's trained Key Adult (Miss Kirkman, DSL) prior to the start of the next school day after officers have attended a domestic abuse incident, thus enabling appropriate support to be given.
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 identifies children who experience domestic abuse as victims of domestic abuse in their own right. Children experiencing domestic abuse are negatively impacted by this exposure; domestic abuse has been identified as an Adverse Childhood Experience and can lead to emotional, physical and psychological harm. Operation Encompass aims to mitigate this harm by enabling immediate support.
Online Safety
E-Safety is an important part of keeping children safe at Birstwith. In school, the children learn about E-Safety as part of our PSHCE and Computing curriculum. We also celebrate 'Safer Internet Day' each year with whole school and class activities.
In the climate of fast developing technology that we live in, it can be very challenging to keep up to date with your child’s online activity and feel confident that you are supporting and protecting them properly. Please visit our dedicated E-Safety page here to access advice and resources to help you at home.
R;pple Suicide Prevention
Useful Links for Parents and Carers
Parenting and caring for a child can be very rewarding, but it can also bring it’s challenges and difficult situations throughout all stages of bringing up a child.
NYSCP has provided useful links to information, advice, local and national resources, and services who can provide support to deal with the challenges parenting and caring can throw up to help keep your child safe.
Click each image below to be taken to the corresponding website.
NSPCC
Childline
Barnardo's
