Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Safeguarding means: protecting children from abuse and maltreatment, preventing harm to children's health or development and ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care.

Child protection is the process of protecting individual children identified as either suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm as a result of abuse or neglect. It involves measures and structures designed to prevent and respond to abuse and neglect.  Ensuring the safety and well-being of students at Woodford County High School is our top priority and therefore we have policies and procedures which surround the issue of safeguarding young people.

Safeguarding means that we aim to ensure the well-being of students both emotionally and physically, and will take steps in order to ensure that young people are not at risk, either from themselves or from others.

Safeguarding issues include peer on peer abuse; sexual harassment, online safety, bullying, cyberbullying, radicalisation, child sexual exploitation, child criminal exploitation,  physical, emotional and sexual abuse and neglect and mental health crises.

The steps that the school might take are:

• meeting with the young person to explore the issue
• meeting with the parent/s to explore the issue
• liaising and meeting with other agencies or professionals
• supporting in school
• referring to outside agencies such as School Nurse, Early Help, EWMHS, School Police Officer
• making a referral to Social Services and liaising with them.

Social Services are first and foremost a preventative agency – they seek to support families to get back on track and make change happen in their lives to ensure that young people are kept safe. It is with this in mind that the school might refer to Social Services: to seek support for the family and young person. Unless the risk is presented by a parent, the school will either consult with them about the referral or inform them that a referral is taking place.

Please click here for our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

Keeping children Safe in Education. 

The full guidance document can be downloaded from the Department for Education website.

Click here to access Parent Guides on Safeguarding and Mental Wellbeing and other advice including Online Safety. 

If you are a student at the school:

• If you are in school, tell a member of staff about it.
• Use ‘Tootoot’, an online safeguarding tool, to leave a message for a member of the pastoral or safeguarding team.
• If you are at home tell your parent about it .
• Call Child line (0800 1111) or The Samaritans (08457 909090). Childline is free to call from any phone.