Our Safeguarding Approach

Safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do across our federation. At Wrockwardine Wood Infant School and Nursery and Oakengates Nursery School , we recognise that our children are very young and that some may not yet have the language, confidence or understanding to tell an adult when something is wrong.

We therefore take a vigilant, proactive and child-centred approach to safeguarding, where it could happen here and where every adult understands that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

Our approach is underpinned by our values of Equity, Excellence, Hard Work, Kindness and Honesty and our commitment that every child should feel safe, valued, listened to and able to thrive.

Intent

Our intent is to create a strong and effective safeguarding culture in which the welfare of children is always our highest priority. We aim to identify concerns early, respond appropriately and work in partnership with children, families and other professionals to secure the right help at the right time.

We recognise the particular vulnerabilities associated with the age and developmental stage of our children. We are especially alert to children who may face additional barriers to communicating concerns or accessing support, including children with SEND, speech, language and communication needs, EAL, disadvantaged children, children experiencing poor attendance and children whose family circumstances may increase their vulnerability.

Our safeguarding approach reflects local priorities identified by Telford & Wrekin Safeguarding Partnership, including domestic abuse, child sexual exploitation, emotional health and wellbeing and the provision of family help. We remain alert to other contextual and emerging risks affecting our children and families, including neglect, parental mental health, substance misuse, online safety, children missing or absent from education and other adverse childhood experiences.

We recognise that child-on-child abuse can happen in any setting, including with young children. We do not dismiss harmful behaviour as simply part of growing up. Through developmentally appropriate teaching, clear expectations and responsive adult support, we help children understand kindness, consent, personal boundaries, respectful relationships and how to seek help.

Our aim is not simply to respond when harm has occurred, but to prevent harm, reduce vulnerability and strengthen protective factors around every child.

Implementation

Safeguarding is embedded throughout the daily life of our federation and is not treated as a standalone activity. Leaders ensure that policies, procedures, training and practice meet statutory requirements and are regularly reviewed in response to local and national safeguarding developments and the changing needs of our children and families.

All staff receive appropriate safeguarding training and regular updates and understand their responsibility to notice, listen, record and report concerns. Our Designated Safeguarding Leads maintain oversight of concerns and use CPOMS to identify patterns, emerging vulnerabilities and children requiring additional support. Safeguarding is regularly discussed through staff briefings, leadership meetings, supervision, professional development and governance.

We place particular importance on early identification and family help. We work closely with parents and carers and, where appropriate, with Family Connect, Early Help, health professionals, social care, education welfare services and other partner agencies. We seek to build trusting relationships with families so that support can be offered early, while maintaining professional curiosity and ensuring that the child's welfare remains central to decision-making.

Attendance is a safeguarding priority. Attendance is monitored daily and patterns of persistent or severe absence, unexplained absence and changes in attendance are followed up promptly. Leaders consider attendance alongside other safeguarding, wellbeing and family information so that emerging concerns are identified as early as possible.

Our curriculum is an important part of our preventative safeguarding work. From the earliest age, children are taught in an age and developmentally appropriate way about relationships, feelings, trusted adults, personal boundaries, staying safe, online safety and asking for help. Our expectations – “We are kind, we work hard, we are honest” – support children to understand how we treat one another. Teaching is adapted so that children with SEND and communication needs can access and understand key safeguarding messages.

We actively listen to children. Through everyday interactions, key adults, the curriculum and pupil voice, including our Safety Squad, we create opportunities for children to tell us how safe they feel and what worries them. Staff are particularly alert to changes in behaviour, presentation, communication or relationships where a child may be unable to verbalise a concern.

We maintain a strong culture of vigilance around site security, safer recruitment, visitors, staff conduct, allegations and low-level concerns, online safety, medical needs and attendance. Safeguarding practice evolves in response to our own monitoring, local intelligence, statutory guidance and the needs of our community.

Impact

The impact we seek is that children are safe, feel safe and know that adults will listen to them and help them.

When our safeguarding approach is effective:

• children develop the language, confidence and age-appropriate knowledge to recognise when something does not feel right and to seek help;

• children know who their trusted adults are and feel confident approaching them;

• vulnerable children and families are identified early and receive appropriate help and support;

• barriers faced by children with SEND, communication needs, EAL or other vulnerabilities are recognised and reduced;

• attendance concerns are identified and acted upon promptly;

• incidents of child-on-child abuse and harmful behaviour are recognised, challenged and responded to