Safeguarding Information

Cockburn Laurence Calvert Academy is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all students in the academy. We recognise that there is no higher priority than student’s safety and well-being. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

As we are a new academy, it is vital to us that all members of the academy’s community see it as a safe place, and this extends to parents/carers. We have in place a range of policies and procedures to support our safeguarding commitment to ensure that students are safe and educated about safeguarding, staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children within the academy and staff are expertly trained to look out for any signs that a student is subject to harm.

Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy 

Health and Safety Policy Extremism and Radicalisation Policy Click here for Online Safety Advice and Information from the West Yorkshire Police website 

Our culture of safeguarding:

  • children and young people spend a large proportion of their lives in school therefore Cockburn Laurence Calvert is uniquely placed to play a central role in ensuring that students are protected from harm
  • the academy’s primary responsibility is to facilitate learning and children are more likely to engage in the learning process and achieve their potential if they are safe and well
  • children who feel supported, listened to and valued at home and in school will welcome the educational opportunities provided for them
  • Cockburn Laurence Calvert will cater for children of different backgrounds, religions, cultures and abilities.

Our ability to safeguard will be evident on three levels:

Universal Safeguarding – this is our aim to keep all students safe by creating safe environments. This includes excellent site safety, safer recruitment of staff, strong school rules and codes of conduct and good safety awareness taught across the curriculum.

Targeted Safeguarding – this is our aim to focus on groups of students whose personal, social or economic circumstances may result in an increased risk to their safety. For example looked after children, students with special educational needs, children subjected to racism etc.

Responsive Safeguarding – this is our aim to respond quickly and appropriately to situations where students may be or have suffered harm. This is our support through our strong child protection procedures.

In school you can contact:

  • Executive Headteacher: Mr D Gurney
  • Headteacher : Mrs V Smith 
  • Designated Safeguarding Lead: Miss R Arbuckle – Assistant Headteacher 

These members of staff can be contacted on the following:

0113 4872837

You can also ask for advice or report your concern to the following: 

Further help and information can be found via the following links: 

NSPCC - Report and Remove a nude image shared online 

Leeds Prevent  - Support for people at risk of radicalisation

What we will do if we have a concern about your child:

  1. If we are concerned that your child may be at risk of harm we must follow the procedures in our child protection policy. You can look at a copy in school or receive a copy to take home.
  2. In almost all circumstances we will speak to you about our concerns and we will inform you if we feel we must refer our concerns to children’s social care.
  3. Any child protection records on your child are kept separate from your child’s normal school file. You can ask to see what information is held and we will normally agree to this.

Safeguarding of your child in out of school activities/clubs/sports:

It is important for parents/carers to check that any sports club or activity that their child attends has their child’s safety as its priority. Even if the club seems professional, there are questions that parents and carers should ask to make sure that they have all the necessary safeguarding measures in place.

Click here for guidance on Safeguarding in Sports from West Yorkshire Sports 

The Role of the Safeguarding Lead ensures the following:  

  • All policies and procedures to safeguard staff and students are in place and are updated as appropriate.
  • All staff/volunteers have read and understood the policies.
  • All staff/volunteers understand and are confident with safeguarding procedures.
  • All staff are aware about abuse in order to overcome barriers to students and young people reporting their concerns.
  • Supporting staff/volunteers recognise the signs and indicators that might give rise to concern.
  • Providing detailed training on how to respond to concerns about abuse of children and young people and how to respond to children and young people making an allegation of abuse.
  • Explaining ways in which adults can raise concerns about unacceptable behaviour by other adults.
  • Addressing specific issues such as, photography and images on the internet, supporting performers, physical contact, one-to-one coaching, journeys in cars, conduct on school trips.
  • Providing support to staff, parents/carers and for confidential discussions about concerns.
  • Co-ordinating arrangements for monitoring of students on roll who have been identified as being in need of protection.
  • Working closely with other professionals with regards to referrals to social care and other external agencies.

Sexual Abuse in Educational Settings 2021

At Cockburn Laurence Calvert Academy we take Harmful and Abusive Behaviours very seriously and in response to national concerns around sexual abuse in educational settings we would like to sign the helpline commissioned by the Department For Education and run by the NSPCC.

The helpline provides both children and adults who have experienced sexual abuse in schools with support and advice. The helpline will also provide support to parents and professionals. Anyone who gets in touch through this dedicated helpline will also be signposted to other relevant support services available.

The dedicated and confidential NSPCC helpline – Report Abuse in Education can be reached on 0800 136 663 or by email help@NSPCC.org.uk 

Domestic Abuse Partnership 

The Government defines domestic violence and abuse as “Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. 

The DVA Notification Process relates to all incidents of domestic violence and abuse whereby there is a child of statutory education age (4-17years) who is witness to, or present at, an incident of domestic violence or abuse. Educational Settings which have pupils who are post 18 years should also be mindful of the effects of witnessing or being present during incidents of domestic violence and abuse and provide support and appropriate accommodations to their learning.

 

Click here to access Leeds Safegaurding Children Partnership Domestic Violence and Abuse 

National Domestic Abuse Helpline for women, children and concerned friends, family and professionals. 

Freephone 24-Hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247or visit www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk (access live chat Mon-Fri 3-10pm.)

Click here to access Refuge National Helpline for women and children