Safeguarding

Safeguarding at New Heights

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New Heights School ensures children learn in a safe, caring and enriching environment. Children are taught how to keep themselves safe, to develop positive and healthy relationships, how to avoid situations where they might be at risk including by being exploited.

New Heights School also has a statutory responsibility to share any concerns it might have about a child in need of protection with other agencies and in particular police, health and children’s services. Schools are not able to investigate child protection concerns but have a legal duty to refer them. In most instances, the school will be able to inform the parents/carers of its need to make a referral. 

However, sometimes the school can in certain circumstances share information without the consent of the family and may be advised by children’s services or police that the parent/carer cannot be informed whilst they investigate the matter or make enquires. We understand the anxiety parents/carers understandably feel when they are not told about any concerns from the outset. The school follows legislation that aims to act in the interests of the child.

We will always seek to work in partnership with parents and other agencies to ensure the best possible outcomes for the child and family.

Safeguarding children – the action we take to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm – is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and families has a role to play.

The safety and welfare of ALL our pupils and staff is paramount. We provide a safe education environment where we respect and value the children and expect the same of them. We welcome enquiries about how we meet our safeguarding and protection responsibilities.

We are trained to be alert to signs of abuse and neglect and have procedures in place to ensure our staff and young people are protected.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have concerns about any child in our care.

Safeguarding Team

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is:

  • J. Hughes (KS2)
  • C. Plunkett (KS3)
  • J. Smith (KS4)
Contact Details

The Deputy Safeguarding Leads are:

  • H. Bate (Key Stage 2)
  • A Gibbons (Key Stage 3)
  • D. Melia (Key Stage 4)
Further members of the Safeguarding Team consist of:
  • J. Barrett (Key Stage 3)

Safeguarding Governor:

  • C. Little

CPOMS

CPOMS is used for monitoring child protection, safeguarding and a whole range of pastoral and welfare issues. It allows New Heights staff to record information in a central repository and have the relevant people alerted immediately.

Safeguarding Policy

Link to our Policies Page

Keeping Children Safe in Education

New Heights School adheres to the Department for Education safeguarding documents:

Statutory Guidance – gov.uk

Statutory guidance – gov.uk

Safeguarding children and safer recruitment in education – gov.uk

Link to Home Office

Safer Recruitment

New Heights School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and requires all staff and volunteers to demonstrate this commitment in every aspect of their work.


The aims of our Safer Recruitment procedures are to help:
  Deter
 Reject
  Identify

Information for Applicants

All applicants for all vacant posts will be provided with:

  • A job description outlining the duties of the post, including safeguarding responsibilities.
  • A person specification which will include a specific reference to suitability to work with children.
  • An application form – all applicants for employment will be required to complete this application form, containing questions about their academic and full employment history and their suitability for the role (in addition all applicants are required to account for any gaps or discrepancies in employment history).

 

Shortlisting and Reference Requests

References will be requested at the selection stage directly from the referee(s). They will be asked:

  • The referee’s relationship with the candidate
  • Details of the applicant’s current post and salary
  • Performance history and conduct
  • Any disciplinary action involving the safety and welfare of children, including any in which the sanction has expired
  • Details of any substantiated allegations or concerns relating to the safety and welfare of children
  • Whether the referee has any reservations as to the candidate’s suitability to work with children. If so, the school will ask for specific details of the concerns and the reasons why the referee believes the candidate may be unsuitable to work with children.

 

Interviews

At least one member of each interview panel will have completed Safer Recruitment Training. The selection process for every post will include an exploration of the candidate’s understanding of child safeguarding issues.

 

Pre-Employment Checks

All successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks, along with all other Department for Education pre-employment checks.

 

Safer Recruitment Consortia

New Heights School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The school uses a training provider that follows the ‘Safer Recruitment Consortia’ approach:

 

The Safer Recruitment Consortium is a partnership between four organisations with the safety and wellbeing of children at their heart:

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