Poringland Primary

Safeguarding

Information about Safeguarding

Our Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) are Mr Dean and Mrs Howard.  Our Alternative Designated Safeguarding Leads are Mrs Steward, Mr Woodhams, Mrs Chilvers and Miss Burdett.

The following documents provide information about Safeguarding and Child Protection at Poringland Primary School and Nursery:

Prevent Strategy

What is Prevent Strategy? 

  • Prevent is a government strategy designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorist or extremist causes.
  • The Prevent strategy covers all types of terrorism and extremism, including the extreme right wing, violent Islamist groups and other causes.

How does this Prevent Strategy apply to schools 

  • From July 2015 all schools (as well as other organisations) have a duty to safeguard children from radicalisation and extremism.
  • This means we have a responsibility to protect children from extremist and violent views the same way we protect them from any other harm.
  • Importantly, we can provide a safe place for pupils to discuss these issues, at an appropriate level so they better understand how to protect themselves.

What does this mean in practice at Poringland Primary School?

  • Many of the things we already do in school to help children become positive, happy members of society also contribute to the Prevent strategy. These include:
  • Having a strong Aims and Ethos which pervades our school.
  • Focusing on core values.
  • Exploring other cultures and religions and promoting diversity.
  • Challenging prejudices and racist comments.
  • Developing critical thinking skills and a strong, positive self-identity.
  • Promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, as well as British values such as democracy.

We will also protect children from the risk of radicalisation, for example by using filters on the internet to make sure they can’t access extremist and terrorist material, or by vetting visitors who come into school to work with pupils.

Different schools will carry out the Prevent duty in different ways, depending on the age of the children and the needs of the community.

 

Isn’t my child too young to learn about extremism? 

The Prevent strategy is not just about discussing extremism itself, which may not be appropriate for younger children. It is also about teaching children values such as tolerance and mutual respect. This is what we will focus on at Poringland Primary School.

The school will make sure any discussions are suitable for the age and maturity of the children involved.

Is Extremism really a risk in our area? 

Extremism can take many forms, including political, religious and misogynistic extremism. Some of these may be a bigger threat in our area than others.

We will endeavour to give children the skills to protect them from any extremist views they may encounter, now or later in their lives.

Further Information

Contact the school – If you have any questions or concerns about the Prevent Strategy and what it means for your child, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

See our policies – You will find more details about radicalisation in our safeguarding policy. 

External Sources – the following sources may be useful for further information: 

KEY TERMS

Extremism – vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values.

Ideology – a set of beliefs

Terrorism – a violent action against people or property, designed to create fear and advance a political, religious or ideological cause

Radicalisation – the process by which a person comes to support extremism and terrorism

Operation Encompass

At Poringland, we will be taking part in a jointly run operation between Norfolk County Council, Norfolk Police and our school. It is called Operation Encompass. Encompass has been set up to help schools to provide support to children who have been present at incidents of domestic violence. We know that children can be significantly physically or emotionally harmed when they are involved in, present or witness to domestic violence.

The school will receive a confidential communication from Norfolk Children’s Advice and Duty Service before 9am or as soon as possible thereafter on the morning after any domestic incident which Norfolk Police have recorded where a child at their school has been involved in, present or witness to domestic violence.

The school have designated Mr Dean, Mrs Howard, Mrs Steward, Mr Woodhams, Mrs Chilvers and Miss Burdett as Key Adults. They have received training from Norfolk County Council to allow them to use the information that has been shared, in confidence to make sure that the right support is available for children and their families, who have been involved in or witnessed a domestic violence incident.

We are keen to offer the best support possible to our pupils and we believe this is going to be extremely beneficial for all those involved.

If you have any concerns or questions then please contact one of the above Key Adults and we will be happy to discuss this further.

See Something, Hear Something, Say Something

If you are concerned about a child in Norfolk and want to speak to someone, contact Norfolk County Council on 0344 800 8020. If you consider the incident to be an emergency, call 999.

It is more important than ever that extended family, friends, neighbours and communities speak up and say something if they have concerns. It is everyone’s responsibility to keep children safe and report concerns. We all need to play our part.

We use Natterhub for online safety education

Natterhub is an award-winning, interactive online safety and media literacy platform.

We use Natterhub lessons to prepare children for the online world by teaching the key skills that underpin positive digital citizenship. When pupils are taught to be safe, savvy and kind online, they are less vulnerable and more aware of their digital footprint.

Natterhub badges represent the topics we will cover in our online safety lessons. Pupils are rewarded badge power for demonstrating knowledge and skills attached to a particular badge.

The Natterhub Badges

Chat It – For communicating well and respectfully with others online

Balance It – Understanding the positive and negative aspects of technology

Feel It – Knowing why it is important to be empathetic and kind

Learn It -Learning how to share content, be creative and inspire others online

Mind It – Being mindful of online profiles and the need for honesty and integrity

Question It – Knowing how to ask questions, find information and be open-minded

Secure It – Ensuring accounts are secure and learning about self protection

Think It – Pausing before posting and reflecting on online behaviour

Helpful Natterhub Resources:

Ratings for popular YouTubers.

Guidance about platforms and games