Safeguarding

Northdown plays an essential role in keeping children within our community safe. We have regular contact with children and young people, so are in a strong position to identify signs of abuse and neglect.

Meet our DSL Team

• Christina Goldsmith, Lead DSL
• Matthew Harris, Headteacher/Lead DSL
• Sally Potter, Deputy DSL
• Cara Adelsberg, DSL
• David Read, DSL
• Summer Dyer, DSL
• Kay Hayward, DSL
• Charley Hayward, DSL

We safeguard your children by:

• Creating safe environments for children and young people through robust safeguarding practices
• Ensuring that adults who work in the school, including volunteers, don’t pose a risk to children
• Making sure staff are trained, know how to respond to concerns and keep-up-to-date with policy and practice
• Teaching children and young people about staying safe
• Maintaining an environment where children feel confident to approach any member of staff if they have a worry or problem.
• Working closely with Operation Encompass to support children experiencing domestic abuse – click the link for more information: https://www.operationencompass.org/
• Working with Safer Schools to protect children online. For more information see https://oursaferschools.co.uk/

Safeguarding is part of our culture at Northdown and we take our responsibility to look after the school community very seriously. Our Safeguarding and Child Protection policy is updated at least annually and all staff and governors received updated safeguarding training.

Every child or vulnerable adult has the right to engage with our school in the knowledge that they are supported and protected from abuse or harm.

We are committed to implementing the necessary measures to prevent neglect, harm or abuse coming to the vulnerable members of our community.

We take responsibility for communicating these safeguarding values throughout our organisation on a regular basis to ensure our people are empowered to safeguard.

We will strive to create an environment whereby any safeguarding concern raised will be dealt with in a professional, proportional and private manner.

We commit to expanding our safeguarding expertise through partnerships with external bodies, agencies and local safeguarding boards.

We commit to taking full accountability for and providing full transparency when it comes to any safeguarding matter in our organisation.

If you have a safeguarding concern, please contact one our Designated Safeguarding Leads by emailing dsl@northdown-tkat.org or by phoning 01843 226077 and they will be able to help you further.