Safeguarding

Symondsbury School Strategic Aims

To have a dynamic, outward-facing role in local and wider partnerships; leading, and learning from, best practice.
To establish a first class curriculum which enables all pupils to learn and enjoy.
To ensure that all pupils achieve and develop so they are prepared for the next stage of their education and beyond.
To provide outstanding leadership at all levels, enabling the workforce to flourish and thrive where safeguarding is paramount.
To manage the budget with success to secure expansion and the best outcomes possible for all pupils.

Safeguarding Information

Dorset Child Protection and your school leaflet

Our designated Safeguarding Lead in School is Mrs Emma Roberts

The Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead Persons are Mrs Lisa O'Keefe

The Nominated Governor for Safeguarding is Mrs Sandra Conroy

The school has adopted the definition of the term ‘Safeguarding’ used in the Children Act 2004

In summary this is:

protecting children from maltreatment;
preventing impairment of children’s health or development;
ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
undertaking the role so as to enable those children to have optimum life chances and to enter adulthood successfully.

The school’s safeguarding arrangements cover all aspects of life at school, in particular addressing these issues:

health and safety;
bullying;
other harassment and discrimination, including racism;
physical intervention;
meeting the needs of pupils with medical conditions;
provision of medical first aid;
drug and substance abuse;
off site visits;
intimate care;
internet and communications safety;
physical security of the school site;
protection from maltreatment; and
recruitment and vetting of staff and visitors to the school.

To view our Child Protection and Safeguarding policy please click here. This policy in line with the new guidance 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' 2025.

To view a copy of Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025 please click here.

To view a copy of Keeping Children safe in Education Part 1 2025 please click here.

Working together to safeguard children 2023: statutory guidance

What to do if You're Worried a Child is Being Abused

Guidance for safer working practice

To view a parent information pamphlet on the Prevent Strategy please click here.

To view a copy of our Prevent Duty Risk Assessment click here

To view a copy of our Online Safety Policy please click here.

To view a copy of our whistleblowing policy please click here

To view a copy of our safer recruitment policy please click here

To view a copy of our intimate care policy please click here

To view a copy of our behaviour policy which includes information on our anti-bullying policy please click here

antibullying stop poster.pdf

What is Bullying? Children at Symondsbury School talk about bullying being 'Several Times on Purpose' STOP. Here is a great link to help parents understand what bullying can look like and how to help their children. Bullying: What is it and how to stop it | UNICEF Parenting If you are ever worried about bullying, please speak to your child's class teacher.

Dorset Private Tutors Leaflet

Some Useful Links...

Talk PANTS & Join Pantosaurus - The Underwear Rule | NSPCC

Sports, Clubs and other activities - NSPCC

Dorset Police Safer Schools

Information about private fostering

Dorset Council Information on Private Fostering

Protecting Children from Radicalisation: The Prevent Duty

Educate Against Hate: Educate against hate

Online Safety

supporting young people online.pdf

National Cyber Security Centre: National Cyber Security Centre

The UK safer Internet Centre (www.saferinternet.org.uk)

CEOP’s Thinkuknow website www.thinkuknow.co.uk

Click here to report online material promoting terrorism or extremism

Dorset Police Online safety Page

On 19th April 2024, Ofcom released their annual Media Use and Attitudes Report, detailing the findings of several surveys and their implications for parents, children and young people in the UK. These statistics often include plenty of thought-provoking information relating to online safety.

The report itself is extremely extensive, so instead we've provided a bespoke selection of data gathered by Ofcom about children and young people’s experiences on social media, video games and the like. Check our guide for a thorough breakdown of the headline findings.