Safeguarding

West Drayton Academy prides itself on being committed to maintaining a positive culture of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children. As a school, it is expected that all staff and volunteers share this commitment.

Adults in our school take all welfare concerns seriously and encourage children to talk to us about anything that may worry them. Staff are trained to know what to do should a safeguarding issue arise. Our volunteers undergo a comprehensive safeguarding training so that they, too, are aware of our procedures.

Safeguarding is defined as:

protecting children from abuse and maltreatment
preventing harm to children’s health or development
ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care
taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes

Safeguarding Team

Should anyone have any concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a child at school, please report your concerns to a member of the Safeguarding Team. WDA has four dedicated members of the Safeguarding Team:

Mrs Emily Roca - Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Miss Lisa Howard - Deputy DSL
Mrs Nicole Sall - Deputy DSL
Mr Richard Yates - Deputy DSL

Our Academy Council Safeguarding Governor is Michelle Thomas.

Communication with Parents

Our school will always discuss concerns with parents/carers and consent for any referrals should be sought unless to do so would:

Place the child at risk of significant harm or further risk of significant harm.
Place a vulnerable adult at risk of harm.
Compromise any enquires that need to be undertaken by children’s social care or the police.

The school will endeavour that parents have an understanding of the responsibilities placed on the school and staff for safeguarding children.

In the best interests of safeguarding children there may be occasions when the school has to consult with other agencies without a parent or carer’s prior knowledge. Our first concern and responsibility is the child’s welfare and we have a duty to protect children first and always. Such consultation may result in a formal referral which could prompt visits from social care and/or the police. We fully understand that this can be a very distressing set of circumstances. Our school will follow the procedures required by the Hillingdon Safeguarding Partnership.

Safer Recruitment

West Drayton Academy pays full regard to the statutory guidance for schools and colleges; Keeping Children Safe in Education (2023) - Part Three: Safer Recruitment. We ensure that all appropriate measures are applied in relation to everyone who works in the school and who is therefore likely to be perceived and experienced by the children as a safe and trustworthy adult. Relevant members of staff and governors who are involved in recruitment will undertake safer recruitment training. The school will ensure that at least one person on any recruitment panel has undertaken safer recruitment training in line with staffing regulations. All members of staff, as well as volunteers and those who visit the school regularly, are all subject to enhanced DBS checks to ensure their suitability for working with children. Our safer recruitment policy and procedures is outlined in Appendix 2 of our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy.

Safeguarding in the Curriculum

Child safety issues and child protection will be addressed through the curriculum where appropriate, especially through Personal, Social, Health and Wellbeing Education (PSHE), Computing and Online Safety lessons, Citizenship Programme, R Time, Votes for Schools and Relationships and Health Education (RSE). We use a variety of resources and approaches to teach the children how to keep themselves safe, build resilience and manage risks.

Online Safety

WDA recognises the benefits and opportunities which new technologies offer to teaching and learning. We encourage the use of technology in order to enhance skills and promote achievement. However, the accessible and global nature of the internet and variety of technologies available mean that we are also aware of the potential risks and challenges associated with such use. To find out more please read our Online Safety Policy and Online Safety at Home tab on our website.

Useful contacts

Hillingdon Stronger Families Hub (encompassing Children’s Social Care and Early Help support) - 01895 556 006
NSPCC Whistleblowing Helpline - 0800 028 0285
(Prevent) Channel Helpline - 0207 340 7264
Childline - 0800 1111

West Drayton Academy is now working as part of the Operation Encompass project. Read more about the project here: https://www.operationencompass.org/

CPOMS

At WDA we use CPOMS to electronically record all of our safeguarding information in a safe and secure format. This system works well alongside all of our existing safeguarding processes. Every member of staff has access to CPOMS. Any safeguarding associated concerns can be logged in a secure way and appropriate colleagues can be alerted. The system helps to collage all information which may seem minor in isolation, but could contribute to a wider picture.

The safeguarding team are able to analyse the information input into CPOMS and form plans and strategies to address concerns and support our pupils and their families to keep them safe.