Safeguarding
Designated Safeguarding Lead and Prevent Lead - Miss K Hinz
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads - Mrs L Hurn, Mr P Cotton, Mrs J Tooth and Mr R Larkin
Senior Mental Health Lead - Mrs J Tooth
Strategic Lead for Attendance - Miss K Hinz, Attendance Officer - Mrs K Edwards, Attendance Intervention Manager - Mrs J Welch
King Edward VI School, Lichfield is committed to the highest standards in protecting and safeguarding the children entrusted in our care. Our school will support all children by:
- Promoting a caring, safe and positive environment within school
- Encouraging positive self-esteem
- Effectively tackling bullying and harassment
At King Edward VI we recognise that:
- Child Protection is everyone’s responsibility and that it is important to follow legal procedures
- Child Protection is the activity that is taken to protect specific children from suffering. This suffering can take the form of physical injury, emotional neglect, physical neglect, sexual abuse and emotional injury
- Safeguarding is the action we take to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm
Everyone working with our children, their parents and carers should be aware that:
- Their role is to listen and note carefully any observations which could indicate abuse
- They should not attempt to investigate once the initial concern is raised
- They should involve one of the Safeguarding Leads immediately
- If one of the Safeguarding Leads is not available, please contact any senior member of staff
- Disclosures of abuse or harm from children may be made at any time.
Operation Encompass
King Edward VI School, Lichfield is part of Operation Encompass, a national initiative that aims to safeguard and support children who have been exposed to domestic abuse.
Operation Encompass is a partnership between schools and local police forces. It ensures that when police attend incidents of domestic abuse where children are present, the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is informed before the start of the next school day. This allows us to use the information that has been shared, in confidence, to support the child/ren in our care. On 24 May 2024 Royal Assent was granted to The Victims and Prisoners Act. The Act placed Operation Encompass into Law. This places a statutory obligation on police forces to share Operation Encompass notifications with schools/educational settings.
Our participation in Operation Encompass is part of our ongoing commitment to keeping children safe, and ensuring they feel secure, supported, and ready to learn.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact the school’s safeguarding team.
Useful links
- NSPCC – excellent source of information and advice on preventing abuse and keeping children safe
- Information on Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) – A helpful website for parents/carers
Ofsted Report - October 2022
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
The school’s culture is focused on keeping pupils safe. Teachers take every opportunity to reinforce messages about how pupils can keep themselves safe through different lessons. Leaders have rightly high expectations that staff will act on the broad range of safeguarding training they receive. An ongoing safeguarding training programme and strong staff knowledge demonstrate this shared commitment.
When there are reported incidents of pupils potentially being at risk, leaders act quickly to ensure that the proper support is put in place for the child and the family. Records are detailed and demonstrate this team approach to keeping pupils safe.
