At Swingate Primary School we are committed to safeguarding all the children. We endeavour to provide a safe and welcoming environment where children are protected, respected and valued. All our staff are alert to the signs of abuse and neglect and follow our procedures to ensure that our children receive effective and timely support.  In order to work at Swingate Primary School, all staff have an enhanced with a barred list check and prohibition check carried out, adhere to our Code of Conduct and school policies and must carry out safeguarding training annually which includes online safety and Prevent (training to alert staff to the possibilities of non-violent extremism).

Safeguarding monitoring plays a vital role in ensuring the best possible outcomes for our children. Senior Leaders and Safeguarding Governors ensure that monitoring procedures are robust and carried out effectively. The school uses CPOMs (Child Protection Online Management System) to store and record information about children securely and a Single Central Record (SCR) to record and audit necessary safeguarding checks on staff and volunteers for increased efficiency, and to ensure compliancy.

Our Safeguarding and Child Protection policy is created in line with the latest government documents such as; Keeping Children Safe in Education (publishing.service.gov.uk), Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 (publishing.service.gov.uk) and the Education Act 2002 Education Act 2002 (legislation.gov.uk). Our priority for devising our policy is to ensure that all adults understand their responsibilities, know how and when to report a concern and know how to support the welfare and safety of all of our children.

All staff demonstrate that standards of respect and behaviour contribute to a safe, unthreatening and inclusive school. We encourage all children to speak to a trusted adult should they be worried about something at school, home or in the wider community. We welcome visits from front line services such as the fire service, police, school nurse, social care workers, Early Help coordinators, and the NSPCC. Our children take part in workshops such as personal safety, fire safety, internet safety, road safety and water safety.  Year 6 also take part in 'Start a Heart' each year.  

As a school, we expect good attendance and punctuality from all members of the school community and make sure that children understand its importance. Regular school attendance is an important part of giving children the best possible start in life. The aim should be to attend 100% of the time. Children who miss school frequently are less likely to achieve in all areas of the curriculum including socially and emotionally. We work closely with our Attendance Advisory Practitioner and Pastoral Manager to support families whose attendance needs improving

We aim to ensure that:

• Appropriate action is taken in a timely manner to safeguard and promote children’s welfare
• All staff are aware of their statutory responsibilities with respect to safeguarding
• Staff are properly trained in recognising and reporting safeguarding issues

Designated Safeguarding Lead: Matt Wignell

Deputy Safeguarding Leads: Mary Clarke, Penny Davies and Tina Babara

Our Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) complete advanced training at least every two years.

If you are worried about a child or would like some advice, please do speak to a member of the safeguarding team or follow the link below to report any concerns in the community. If you would like to raise a complaint, please follow our complaint procedure also found in our policy section.  If you are worried about a child in Medway we have information, help, support and advice, and you may contact the school directly. Alternatively, members of the public and professionals can use an online referral by completing a form to report any safeguarding concerns about a child or young person. Once the form has been submitted, it will be reviewed and assessed and necessary action will be taken.

Concerned about a child - click here

Useful Contact Details:

First Response (child at risk of significant harm): 01634 334466

Out of Hours Contact: 03000419191

NSPCC: 08088005000

For further advice and support for parents and carers can be found via the link below. There are various topics such as; Domestic Abuse, Online Safety, Separation & Divorce, Family Matters, Young People, Self-Harm and much more click here

Online Safety:

Understanding the digital world, and the rapid transitions and developments that are made within it, can feel overwhelming at times; keeping up with changes and finding the right information for you can be confusing, particularly with a wealth of resources available. Whilst we work hard to keep children safe in school, we know we need to be in partnership with yourselves as parents and carers to educate and safeguard outside the school environment. 

So what can you do? We've collated some information on a specific webpage.  Click here