Our highest priority is to ensure children are kept safe in our care, whilst providing them with the best quality education they deserve.
St Mary’s is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for children, staff and visitors and promoting a climate where children and adults will feel confident about sharing any concerns which they may have about their own safety or the well-being of others.
Our aim in line with our Child Protection policy (CPP) and the Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) document is to protect children from maltreatment; prevent the impairment of children’s health or development; ensure that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care and take action to ensure all children have the best outcomes.
Safeguarding team
Mrs Clare Charter is our Safeguarding Lead and Mrs Louise Anniss, Mrs Lisa Scarfe, Mr Chris Jarvis and Mrs Sam Ockelford are the deputy safeguarding officers.
We ensure that all staff read, understand and follow the guidance contained in the KCSIE document and our CPP; undertake annual update training and that mechanisms are in place to assist staff to understand and discharge their roles and responsibilities.
Mrs Sam Ockelford is responsible for safeguarding as well as family support. Please contact her at sam.ockelford@dsmprimary.essex.sch.uk.
Useful links
- Child Protection Policy
- Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE)
- SET Procedures
- What to do if you’re worried that a child is being abused – advice for SET Practitioners (DfE)
- Information Sharing – advice for practitioners (DfE)
- Harmful Sexual Behaviour Peer-on-Peer Abuse Policy
Our school is committed to supporting Young Carers and their families. To find out more, please see our Young Carers page by clicking on the link.
Online Safety
Technology is a vital and exciting part of our lives: we encourage children to enjoy using it and above all learn to be safe in everything they do online.
We aim to teach children:
- How to keep their own privacy and dignity on the Internet (e.g. when creating personal accounts in or out of school)
- How to conduct their behaviour online (e.g. through what they write and publish).
- How to identify ‘danger signs’ on the Internet (such as someone requesting personal information)
- The importance of raising concerns immediately and how to do this
- Who to talk to about any concerns they have in or out of school about online issues.
Advice for Parents
There is a wealth of excellent advice and resources to support parents in keeping their children safe online. The following sites will help you stay up to date and keep your children safe in today’s digital world.
NSPCC – Keeping Children Safe
Think U Know – how to guides
UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS)
Digital Parenting Magazine