The first question lots of parents ask is 'What is safeguarding?' One of the best definitions I have heard is:

'It's looking out for everybody and making sure everyone is ok. Like, asking Tommy how his family are because I know they are going through a tough time.'

A mid day supervisor 

Safeguarding, as our insightful mid day supervisor points out, is about making sure everyone is ok and develops to the best of their ability. To make sure that happens, we do many different things like:

Teaching to the best possible standard so children have the tools to succeed now and in later life

Working to make sure pupil attendance at least matches national averages

Employing the counselling service, Place2Be, to maximise our children's mental health and well-being

Make sure the school site is safe and secure

Running the DARE program to ensure our children are aware of the dangers of drug abuse

Enabling our children to take part in the GREAT project so they are more likely to choose healthy relationships in the future

Following statutory safeguarding policies and procedures

'Keeping Children Safe in Education' explains that safeguarding is:

Protecting children from maltreatment

Preventing impairment of children's health or development

Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care

Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes

All schools must have a memeber of staff who has overall responsibility for safeguarding. This role is called the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). At Burford, that is Mr Farrington, the headteacher. If you have any safeguarding questions, or concerns, he is the best person to speak to. If he is unavailable, Ms Chapleo and Miss Ashurst are the school's deputy DSL's. Rob Denzel is our safeguarding governor.