Everyone who works with children and young people has a duty to safeguard them and to take action to ensure they receive the right support at the right time.

According to safeguarding legislation and government guidance, safeguarding means:

• Protecting children from maltreatment.
• Preventing any impairment to their health or development.
• Ensuring they grow up in safe, nurturing environments that provide effective care.
• Taking action to help all children and young people achieve the best possible outcomes.
  (Working Together to Safeguard Children, HM Government, 2023)

Bedale High School takes its safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously, and our staff are committed to doing everything possible to protect students and children from harm. We recognise that safeguarding is a shared responsibility, and all staff are trained to remain alert to the signs and indicators of abuse.

We place great importance on listening to our students. Their views, feelings, and wishes are central to our approach, and we work to understand and support their needs. We aim to build trusting, consistent, and professional relationships with students.

We are strong advocates of early help and aim to identify concerns at the earliest stage so that we can act preventatively. We support and advise families and parents/carers while always prioritising the best interests of the student. Safeguarding also includes maintaining safe working practices and ensuring a secure environment for all students and staff.

Bedale High School safeguards students by:

• Maintaining a secure site and recording/monitoring all visitors.
• Following safer recruitment procedures to prevent unsuitable individuals from working with children.
• Teaching students the importance of e-safety both at school and at home.
• Filtering and monitoring internet use to prevent access to harmful materials or communication.
• Ensuring all staff have up-to-date Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, recorded in the Single Central Record.
• Providing regular child protection training and ensuring all staff and visitors know who the designated safeguarding lead and deputy officers are.
• Operating robust admissions and attendance systems to keep students safe and reduce the risk of children going missing from education.
• Empowering young people to recognise risks in school and in the wider community, and to develop the confidence and skills to keep themselves and others safe.
• Helping students understand the importance of raising concerns about themselves or their peers, and giving them confidence to discuss sensitive issues.
• Providing inclusion support so all students can access guidance, advice, and referrals to external agencies when needed.
• Sharing information with partner agencies to ensure students and families receive the support they need and to prevent harm.
• Taking swift action and contacting the appropriate agencies whenever we believe a student is in danger or at risk of harm.

Sexual Abuse in Educational Settings 2021

At Bedale High School, we take Harmful and Abusive Behaviours extremely seriously. In light of national concerns about sexual abuse in educational settings, we want to direct our community to a helpline commissioned by the Department for Education and operated by the NSPCC.

This helpline offers advice and support to both children and adults who have experienced sexual abuse in schools. It is also available to support parents, carers, and professionals. Anyone who contacts the helpline will be guided towards any additional, relevant support services that may help.

The dedicated and confidential NSPCC helpline — Report Abuse in Education — can be reached by calling 0800 136 663 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk.

Keeping Your Child Safe at Clubs and Sporting Events

Alongside the extra-curricular clubs and activities offered in school, your child may also take part in clubs or sports sessions outside of school. To support families, North Yorkshire Sport has produced a guide for parents and carers that includes a helpful safe-activity checklist. We encourage you to read this guidance to help ensure your child remains safe in all settings.

You can access the guide here:
https://northyorkshiresport.co.uk/who-we-are/safeguarding-and-welfare/