Safeguarding
At King’s Academy Rowner, safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. The safety, welfare and wellbeing of every child are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to providing a safe, caring and inclusive environment where children feel secure, valued and able to achieve their full potential.
Safeguarding is the action taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. It includes:
- protecting children from abuse, neglect and exploitation;
- preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development;
- ensuring children grow up with safe, effective care; and
- taking action to enable all children to have the best possible outcomes.
Child protection is an essential part of safeguarding. It focuses on protecting individual children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm. All staff are trained to recognise the signs that a child may be at risk and understand the procedures for reporting concerns quickly and appropriately.
As part of The King’s Group Academies, we are fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of all our pupils. We have robust policies, procedures and systems in place to ensure that children are protected, supported and able to learn in a safe environment. Safeguarding underpins every aspect of school life, from the curriculum we teach to the relationships we build with our children and families.
Our curriculum helps children to understand how to keep themselves safe, both in school and beyond. Through Personal Development, Relationships Education, online safety, assemblies and everyday learning opportunities, children develop the knowledge, confidence and resilience to recognise risks, make informed choices and know where to seek help if they are worried about themselves or someone else.
We work closely with parents, carers and a range of external agencies to ensure children receive the support they need. Where we have concerns about a child’s welfare, we have a statutory duty to share information and, where appropriate, make referrals to Children’s Services or other relevant agencies in order to safeguard the child.
Designated Safeguarding Lead
The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) at King’s Academy Rowner is:
Ms Kerry Sharpe
Associate Headteacher
The DSL has overall responsibility for safeguarding and child protection within the school, ensuring that concerns are responded to promptly, appropriate support is provided and statutory guidance is followed.
Safeguarding is supported by our wider leadership team, including:
- Mrs Georgina Mulhall – Executive Headteacher
- Miss Kate Tuckley – Assistant Headteacher
- Mr Jon Hill – Assistant Headteacher
Mrs Sharon Fuller, our Trauma Informed Practitioner, is also a DSL.
All members of staff, governors, volunteers and visitors share responsibility for safeguarding children and receive appropriate safeguarding training in line with national requirements.
If you have a safeguarding concern
If you have any concerns about the safety or welfare of a child, please contact the school immediately and ask to speak to our Designated Safeguarding Lead, Ms Kerry Sharpe, or another member of the safeguarding team.
If you believe a child is at immediate risk of harm, you should contact the police by dialling 999.
King’s Academy Rowner is committed to following the latest statutory guidance, including Keeping Children Safe in Education, and to promoting a culture where safeguarding is embedded in everything we do. We are dedicated to ensuring that every child feels safe, supported, listened to and able to thrive.
