Safeguarding and Child Protection

Full details of our safeguarding arrangements and procedures can be found in our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy, which should be read alongside the statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education.

Our commitment to safeguarding

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Together, we keep children safe.

At Nancy Reuben Primary School, keeping our children safe, happy and well cared for is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the physical, mental and emotional welfare of every child, both inside and outside school.

We expect all staff, governors, volunteers, visitors, contractors and members of our school community to share this commitment.

We provide a safe, caring and supportive environment in which children feel secure, are listened to and know whom they can speak to if they are worried. Our safeguarding arrangements follow current statutory guidance, including Keeping Children Safe in Education, and the procedures of the Barnet Safeguarding Children Partnership.

What safeguarding means

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children includes:

• providing help and support as soon as a problem emerges;
• protecting children from maltreatment, whether within or outside the home, including online;
• preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development;
• ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with safe and effective care;
• taking action to enable all children to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Safeguarding covers many areas, including child protection, online safety, school security, health and safety, mental health and emotional wellbeing, attendance, behaviour, bullying, child-on-child abuse, discrimination, radicalisation and contextual safeguarding. 

How we keep children safe

Safeguarding is embedded in all aspects of school life. We help to keep children safe by:

• ensuring that all staff receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training, with regular updates throughout the year;
• ensuring that volunteers, visitors, contractors and supply staff understand the school’s safeguarding expectations;
• following robust safer recruitment procedures and completing the required checks on adults who work with children;
• teaching children how to keep themselves safe, including online;
• listening to pupils and taking their concerns seriously;
• providing appropriate pastoral and mental health support;
• working closely with parents, Barnet Children’s Services and other professionals;
• maintaining a secure and welcoming school environment;
• responding promptly to concerns about a child or an adult’s conduct.

Our safeguarding team

Designated Safeguarding Lead:
Mrs Daniela Grossman – Deputy Headteacher

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads:

• Mrs Madeline Fraser
• Rabbi Joshua Conway

Designated Teacher for Looked After and Previously Looked After Children:
Mrs Daniela Grossman - Deputy Headteacher

Safeguarding Governor:
Dr Elizabeth Feigin

Chair of Governors:
Mrs Sharon Kelaty-Timsit

If you have a safeguarding concern, please contact the safeguarding team:

Telephone: 020 8202 5646
Email: safeguarding@nrps.co.uk

You may also speak to any member of staff, who will ensure that your concern is passed to the safeguarding team promptly.

What to do if you are worried about a child

If you are concerned about the safety or welfare of a child, however small the concern may appear, please contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead or one of the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads as soon as possible.

You should not investigate the matter yourself or delay sharing your concern while attempting to obtain further information.

In an emergency

If you believe that a child is in immediate danger or at imminent risk of significant harm, call the police on 999.

During school hours

Contact the NRPS safeguarding team:

Telephone: 020 8202 5646
Email: safeguarding@nrps.co.uk / daniela.grossman@nrps.co.uk

Safeguarding information should not be sent through the website’s general contact form if the concern is urgent.

Outside school hours and during school holidays

Contact Barnet’s Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub:

Barnet MASH: 020 8359 4066
Email: MASH@barnet.gov.uk
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday, 9.00am–5.15pm, and Friday, 9.00am–5.00pm

Outside these hours, contact Barnet’s Emergency Duty Team:

Emergency Duty Team: 020 8359 2000

Concerns can also be reported through Barnet Council’s safeguarding concern referral service.

Concerns about a member of staff or volunteer

Any concern or allegation about the conduct of a member of staff, supply teacher, volunteer or contractor should be reported immediately to the Headteacher:

Headteacher: Rabbi Joshua Conway
Telephone: 020 8202 5646
Email: head@nrps.co.uk

Concerns or allegations about the Headteacher should be reported directly to the Chair of Governors:

Chair of Governors: Mrs Sharon Kelaty-Timsit
Email: chairofgovernors@nrps.co.uk

The school will follow its safeguarding procedures and, where appropriate, consult or make a referral to Barnet’s Local Authority Designated Officer. The LADO can be contacted through Barnet MASH on 020 8359 4066.

A concern should not be discussed with the person involved or with other members of the school community.

Low-level concerns

A low-level concern is any concern, however small, that an adult working in or on behalf of the school may have acted in a way that is inconsistent with the school’s Staff Code of Conduct. This includes conduct outside work which may indicate that the adult is unsuitable to work with children.

Low-level concerns should be reported promptly to the Headteacher. The fact that a concern does not appear serious enough to meet the threshold for an allegation does not mean that it should be ignored.

Child-on-child abuse

Nancy Reuben Primary School recognises that children can abuse other children. This may happen inside or outside school and online.

Child-on-child abuse may include:

• bullying, including online bullying;
• physical abuse;
• sexual harassment or sexual violence;
• harmful sexual behaviour;
• sharing sexual images;
• abuse within children’s relationships;
• initiation or hazing-type behaviour;
• prejudice-based or discriminatory abuse.

We have a zero-tolerance approach to child-on-child abuse. Incidents will never be dismissed as “banter”, “part of growing up” or “just having a laugh”. All concerns will be taken seriously and managed in a way that supports and protects everyone involved.

Online safety

Online safety is an important part of safeguarding. We teach pupils how to use technology safely, responsibly and respectfully and work with parents and carers to address online risks.

Parents and carers should report concerns about a child’s online safety to the school’s safeguarding team.

Concerns about online sexual abuse or grooming can also be reported through the CEOP Safety Centre.

 

School security and the Community Security Trust

As a Jewish faith school, Nancy Reuben Primary School recognises the particular importance of maintaining effective security arrangements.

The school works with the Community Security Trust (CST) and other relevant organisations to support the safety and security of pupils, staff and visitors. Appropriate security arrangements and risk assessments are put in place for the school site, educational visits and other school activities.

Detailed security procedures are not published on the website, to avoid compromising the safety of the school community.

Listening to children

We teach children that they have the right to feel safe and that they should speak to a trusted adult if something is worrying them.

Children may speak to any member of staff. Staff will listen carefully, take the child seriously and share the information with the safeguarding team so that appropriate support and action can be provided.

A child will never be promised that information will be kept secret, as it may need to be shared to keep them or another child safe.

Working with parents and carers

Safeguarding works best when home and school work together. We encourage parents and carers to have open and honest conversations with their children so that they feel comfortable speaking about anything that worries them.

The school works closely with parents and carers unless doing so would place a child at greater risk of harm. Where appropriate, we also work with Barnet Children’s Services, the police, health services and other professionals to ensure that children and families receive the support they need.

Visitors and volunteers

All visitors must report to the school office, sign in and wear the identification provided while on the school premises.

Visitors and volunteers must follow the school’s safeguarding procedures and immediately report any concern about a child or an adult’s conduct to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Visitors must not take photographs or recordings of pupils unless specific permission has been given by the school.

Help and support

Childline: 0800 1111
Visit Childline

NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000
Visit the NSPCC website

CEOP: Report online sexual abuse or grooming

Barnet MASH: 020 8359 4066
Barnet Emergency Duty Team: 020 8359 2000

Community Security Trust: Visit the CST website 

Summary of Computer Games - what is safe and age-restrictions: www.kidsonlineworld.com