At Portesbery School, the safeguarding of our children is the highest priority. We consistently promote the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment.
If you have any questions or concerns about the safeguarding at Portesbery School, please do contact a DSL.
When visitors arrive at our school they are required to sign in and are issued with photo ID. They will be issued a lanyard in accordance to our policy. There is a fire and health & safety guide to read. Visitors are not permitted to use mobile phones or devices on school premises.
We have a Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy and procedures in place. All staff (including supply staff, volunteers and governors) must ensure that they are aware of these procedures, they are given them to read before going into class. Parents and carers are welcome to read the Policy which can be accessed on our Policies page.
Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are issues or concerns about a child’s welfare. We will ensure that these concerns about our pupils are discussed with his/her parents/carers first unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child’s welfare.
We use CPOMS (Child Protection Online Monitoring System) for storing records. You will find more information in the Safeguarding Booklet under Protocols of this page.
Reporting Concerns
What do if you are concerned about a child's welfare in school
If you are concerned about a child’s welfare within Portesbery School, please record your concern, and any observations or conversation heard, and report to one of the DSL immediately.
If your concerns relate to the actions or behaviour of a member of staff (which could suggest that s/he is unsuitable to work with children), then you should report this to one of the DSL in confidence immediately.
We have a filtering and monitoring system that keeps your child safe in school. It blocks any harmful and/or inappropriate content and alerts our IT manager and DSL's immediately so we can act.
All visitors to the school that utilise our guest wifi are required to and accept the terms of our Acceptable Use policy.
Behaviour
We understand that many of our students can become dysregulated throughout the school day and that behaviour is a form of communication. We believe in a trauma informed approach to behaviour and use different strategies to help a young person regulate.
Behaviour links closely to Safeguarding as we seek to understand what a young person is communicating. Our DSL's are trained to look out for and explore changes in behaviour. If this is the case, we will aim to work together to help your child.
We want all our young people to come to school happy and to feel safe. However, at times they can all experience poor mental health and when they do, we will be here to support them alongside their parents.
We work closely with Mental Health Support Team (MHST) within Surrey. They work with our school for 1/2 day per month and teachers can seek advice and strategies for students that they have concerns around regarding their mental health.
The team also help shape our whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing, focusing on both pupils and staff. We believe in a trauma informed approach to mental health and wellbeing.
Where can I get advice for myself, family and friends?
NSPCC has a wealth of information on a wide range of subjects. Have a look at their website for information about
Parenting advice
Managing Family Life
Friends and Relationships
Supporting Yourself and Young People
Staying Safe online
Anna Freud Centre has a lot of useful information about children with trauma and learning difficulties. It also a great section on support for parents.
Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Case Officers work with children and young people who have anEducation, Health and Care plan(EHCP) or are going through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessment.
They work with children aged 0 to 14, and young people 14 and over (also known as 'Preparation for Adulthood'). On average Case Officers work with 170 to 230 children and young people and their families, education settings, health, and social care services.
The SEND Case Officer is the Local Authority's point of contact for children and young people and their families. They are responsible for completing all admin related to EHC assessments. They make sure that everyone working with the child is doing their legal responsibilities set out in the EHCP and working in accordance with the requirements of the Children's and Families Act 2014 and the SEN Code of Practice 2015.
Transitions Team
The Transitions team get involved from when your child is aged 14 onwards to help with a successful transition to a new placement when they leave Portesbery.
Children with Disabilities Team (CWDT)
A children with disability team is a specialist social work team that provides support to children and young people with disabilities and their families.These teams offer assessments, advice, and support to help children thrive and achieve their potential. They work closely with families and other agencies to ensure coordinated support.
Lots of families at Portesbery School receive support from this team. Please talk to Rachel Titcomb if you feel this is something that would benefit your family. rachel.titcomb@portesbery.surrey.sch.uk
Letting us know if your child is not going to be in school is an important part of safeguarding.
We need to know your child is safe.
Please let us know as soon as possible if your child is NOT going to be in by parent mail or calling the school office.
A Designated Safeguarding Lead checks every class for every child by 9.30am to ensure that we know who is on site. If your child is not here and you have not let us know, we will call you for an explanation.
If we cannot get hold of any contacts by 10.30am we will either come and do a home visit and/or call CSPA or the police. This is because we do not know you and your child are safe.
Please see the Safeguarding section on our Policies page to view our Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) document, as well as our Online Safety and Behaviour policies.
We also have a comprehensive Online Safety page on our website, containing useful information, advice and parental guides to help keep you and your family safe online. Please click here to find out more.
