Safeguarding

Great Arley School Safeguarding Statement

At Great Arley School we have a commitment to safeguarding all our pupils in order to promote their welfare and well-being. Every member of staff, all governors and any visitors have a statutory responsibility to protect our pupils from harm so that they are happy, feel safe and able to learn in a safe and secure environment and therefore reach their potential.  Providing and maintaining such a safe environment is our primary aim.

Recruitment procedures involve rigorous security and identity checks and all staff, volunteers, governors, and other professionals who work with our children are required to undertake Enhanced Disclosure Barring Service checks.

Our commitment to safeguarding is under-pinned by a range of policies and procedures which are reviewed regularly and updated in line with statutory requirements. All staff, governors and visitors have due regard for these policies and act in accordance with them if they have any concerns regarding a pupil. Parents and carers can keep up to date with any changes to policies as they are available on our website or from the school office on request.

If we have a concern about a pupil and we need to share information with a third party or other agency, we do so following strict confidentiality procedures. We will always discuss any concerns with a pupil’s parents or carers unless there is a risk of significant harm to the pupil in doing so.

Our safeguarding team is made up of the following people:

Designated Safeguarding Lead: Mrs Amanda Johnstone (Assistant Headteacher)

Backup Safeguarding Leads: Mrs Oonagh Kearney, Mrs Jenny Keogh and Mrs Alicia Gibbons.

Wellbeing & Safeguarding Professional (WASP): Mrs Oonagh Kearney and Mrs Jenny Keogh. 

Prevent Lead: Mrs Amanda Johnstone

Safeguarding Governor: Mrs Helen Williams

Safeguarding Policy

For our current Safeguarding Policy please see the policies section of the website

Links to Advice and Guidance about Safeguarding

To find out more information about safeguarding children, with advice and guidance for children, parents, carers and professionals, please click the links below:

Social, Emotional and Mental Health Support

At Great Arley there are two members of staff whose specific role is to improve the overall wellbeing of students and help remove barriers to learning. They are known as our Wellbeing and Safeguarding Professionals (WASPs):

Mrs Oonagh Kearney

Mrs Jenny Keogh 

Contact us:

We are available Mon-Fri, 8.30am – 4.30pm.

What is a WASP?

WASPs help to support children so they can achieve their full potential. We liaise with pupils, parents, staff, and outside agencies, identify any children with issues that might be affecting their learning, and develop strategies and set targets to overcome those problems.

We work across the whole school supporting children from all years with their social, emotional and mental health and wellbeing. We may provide 1:1 or group sessions and can also work supporting in class. We will work with lots of different children and families for different reasons, and our work will vary depending on their individual needs.

We can help children by:

• Raising self-esteem
• Increasing confidence
• Listening to any worries
• Increasing motivation
• Developing social skills
• Developing academic skills
• Enabling children to understand and manage emotions
• Supporting a child through life events

A WASP is not:

• A teacher
• A person to whom a child is sent when naughty

Family Support:

We are not here to just support pupils but also to support parents/carers and help with any issues that you may have in relation to supporting your children, both at home and in school. Should you have a personal concern or school related issue, then we are here as a listening ear and will support you with advice.

For advice and guidance about wellbeing and mental health, please follow the links below: