Safeguarding

Cause for Concern

Teachers are asked to report any causes for concern to the School Safeguarding Team using an online system called myconcern. Any concerns will be shared with parents as early as possible as more often than not there are extremely reasonable explanations for the concern. Concerns may range from children being visibly upset to persistent lateness to children ‘disclosing’ concerns.

Attendance

All lateness and absences are recorded by the Attendance Officer, Mrs O’Connor. Reasons will be sought for all absence or lateness. Attendance is monitored through these systems and referrals to the Safeguarding Team can be made. Parents will always be informed of concerns around attendance at the earliest point. If attendance concerns continue the school will refer to the Education Welfare Officer.

Prevent

Since the publication of the Prevent Strategy, there has been an awareness of the specific need to safeguard children, young people and families from violent extremism. There have been attempts to radicalise vulnerable children and young people to hold extreme views including views justifying political, religious, sexist or racist violence, or to steer them into a rigid and narrow ideology that is intolerant of diversity and leaves them vulnerable to future radicalisation.

Keeping children safe from these risks is a safeguarding matter and should be approached in the same way as safeguarding children from other risks. Children should be protected from messages of all violent extremism including, but not restricted to, those linked to extreme Islamist ideology, or to Far Right / Neo Nazi / White Supremacist ideology, various paramilitary groups, and extremist Animal Rights movements.  Prevent, in the context of counter-terrorism is intervention before any criminal offence has been committed with the aim of preventing individuals or groups from committing crimes.