Safeguarding Children
SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT
We are committed to ensuring the welfare and safety of all children in school.
All North Yorkshire schools, including Riverside School, follow the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Board procedures. The school will, in most circumstances, endeavour to discuss all concerns with parents about their child/ren. However, there may be exceptional circumstances when the school will discuss concerns with Social Care and/or the Police without parental knowledge (in accordance with Child Protection procedures). The school will, of course, always aim to maintain a positive relationship with all parents. The school child protection policy is available on request from school or can be viewed below:
Click here to read our Child Protection Policy
PREVENT STATEMENT
On 1 July 2015 the Prevent duty (section 26) of The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 came into force. This duty places the responsibility on local authorities and schools to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.
Riverside School is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all its pupils. As a school we recognise that safeguarding against radicalisation is as important as safeguarding against any other vulnerability.
All staff are expected to uphold and promote the fundamental principles of British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. We believe that children should be given the opportunity to explore diversity and understand Britain as a multi-cultural society; everyone should be treated with respect whatever their race, gender, sexuality, religious belief, special need, or disability.
As part of our commitment to safeguarding and child protection we fully support the government's Prevent Strategy.
OPERATION ENCOMPASS
Riverside School is part of Operation Encompass, a partnershpi between all schools, academies and colleges in North Yorkshire and North Yorkshire Police.
This new project, Operation Encompass, has been designed to provide early reporting to schools of any domestic abuse incidents that occur outside of normal school hours and that might have had an impact on a child attending our premises the following day. This information will be shared at the earliest opportunity between Monday to Thursday and, when an incident occurs on a Friday, Saturday or a Sunday, the police will contact us the following Monday.
A nominated member of school staff, known as a key adult, will receive awareness training to enable them to liaise with the police. They will be able to use information that has been shared with them, in confidence, to ensure that our school is able to make provision for possible difficulties experienced by children or their families. Information will be shared where it is identified that a child or young person was present, witnessed or was involved in a domestic abuse incident.
Operation Encompass was introduced in Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall, in February 2011 and has proved very effective in providing appropriate support in a timely manner. This initiative has already been implemented in other force areas such as Cleveland and is now being extended across the Durham area.
We are keen to offer the best support possible to all our children and we believe this is initiative is going to be extremely beneficial and supportive for all those involved.
PARENTS AND CARERS POLICY
We, the Governing Body and Headteacher, strongly believe that our school should be a welcoming and safe place for our children, staff, parents and visitors alike and that our parents share that belief. We have legal responsibilities for the safeguarding and wellbeing of children and staff, and a duty of care to all users of our school.
All adults who enter our school site at any time set examples of behaviour and conduct which influence children and young people and we believe that they should therefore demonstrate high standards of conduct in order to encourage our pupils to do the same. Parents and carers must show respect to all other parents and carers, children and staff.
Adults who do not behave in an acceptable manner may be asked to leave the site and the Headteacher has the right to further restrict their access. The process for restriction of access in relation to parents and carers who have reason to come on to the school site is set out in our Access Restriction Procedure.
Behaviour which is regarded as unacceptable includes:
Physical abuse, threatening, oppressive or aggressive behaviour or use of offensive language towards other adults, staff or children
Entering the school site under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Smoking anywhere on the school site (this includes e-cigarettes)
Bringing dogs, with the exception of Assistance Dogs, on to the school site without the explicit permission of the Headteacher
School-related issues which parents or carers have concerning school, pupils or their families must be brought to the attention of a member of staff. Parents or carers must not try to resolve any issues themselves by direct action on site. If issues cannot be successfully resolved by speaking to a staff member, parents’ and carers’ correct course of action is use our Complaints Procedure as appropriate
We expect all communication between parents and school to be conducted in a polite and respectful manner. Communication may be similarly restricted if it becomes unacceptable
Thank you for your cooperation.
