Safeguarding

Our commitment to young people

• Child Friendly Policy 
• Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
• Online Safety Policy
• TSS Equality Policy, Statement and Objectives
• Link to student reporting page (this will require your swale.at login)

A message from the Designated Safeguarding Lead

The Sittingbourne School is committed to safeguarding our students, staff and visitors and expect anyone connected to the school to share this commitment. We are dedicated to fostering a nurturing environment where safeguarding is central to everything we do. Our dedicated safeguarding team consists of staff from various pastoral care areas within the school. They collaborate closely with colleagues internally and maintain strong connections with external organisations in line with Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 and Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024 to promote the safeguarding and wellbeing of all students and staff (you can find both of these policies below). Please also see the Local Safeguarding Children Partnership for more information. We ensure our staff receives regular training and updates on all aspects of safeguarding. We believe that building strong relationships with students is key to fostering their safety.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child, please speak to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead. 

 

The Safeguarding Team

Mrs Wheeler - orla.wheeler@swale.at 

Miss Faulks - teresa.faulks@swale.at

Mrs Parsloe - kimberly.parsloe@swale.at

Mrs Anderson - alex.anderson@swale.at

Ms Gruber - charni.gruber@swale.at

Mrs Sherwood - debra.sherwood@swale.at

Mrs La-Haye - lisa.lahaye@swale.at

Mrs Harvey - tara.harvey@swale.at

Mr Campbell - alex.campbell@swale.at

Mr Judd - matthew.judd@swale.at

Mr Ball - andi.ball@Swale.at

Miss Moss - kirsty.moss@swale.at

Miss Whiting - gemma.whiting@swale.at 

Mr Barnes - liam.barnes@swale.at

Mr Dengate - robert.dengate@swale.at

Miss Baker - sarah.baker@Swale.at

Mr La-Haye - ben.lahaye@swale.at

Mrs Belcher - jodie.belcher@swale.at

Mr Ross - oliver.ross@swale.at

 

 

Online Safety

If you would like to find out more about online safety, visit CEOP's Thinkuknow website. https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/

Use the Internet Watch Foundation's guidance to prevent your children from being a victim of self-generated child sexual abuse imagery. The guidance explains how to use the TALK approach with your children.  https://talk.iwf.org.uk/ 

 

Pastoral Support

Our pastoral team is extensive and experienced in supporting students. It includes dedicated year teams but also extends to other members of the school staff. All staff work to improve student attendance and foster an atmosphere of support so that students can meet their full potential.  

Our pastoral support programme includes:

• A pastoral team to support students with any concerns they may have
• Strong staff and student relationships to enable open discussion
• Referrals made to outside agencies to gain further support for students if needed
• A dedicated wellbeing team to support students with their personal safety, managing emotions, building positive relationships and mental health concerns
• A designated extensive safeguarding team of 18 highly-trained staff
• Safe spaces around the school site 
• Open and honest lines of communication with parents and carers 
• A behaviour support team working with external agencies 
• Extensive staff training to identify emotional wellbeing and safeguarding concerns 
• Support groups and designated staff for students such as LGBT+ and students from ethnic minorities   

 

Curriculum

We value the importance of delivering key safeguarding and protection messages to all students through our robust and adaptive curriculum. Educating young people about how to safeguard themselves and others is key to their character development and will enable them to have a positive personal ethos.  

• Character education lessons develop student understanding of safeguarding and wellbeing through a range of topics such as bullying, online safety, healthy relationships and emotional and mental health
• Students have the opportunity to learn and develop their knowledge through Personal Development sessions. Sessions have a particular focus that links to the development of their character which can include discussions, debates and reading. 
• Values education is taught across the wider school curriculum, through topical work such as poetry in English and bullying and mental health in drama 

 

Site Safety

Our students are taught to show respect for our school community. Through our safety measures we are able to protect and teach our young people during the school day so that they can learn secure environment. 

Our site safety includes:

• A secure school boundary
• Cameras throughout the school communal areas
• Filtered internet access 
• Wellbeing and safeguarding concerns reported are acknowledged and followed by the appropriate DSL/DDSL. 
• An extensive first aid team
• Staff identification badges 
• An Electronic signing in system for staff and visitors
• An electronic signing in system for Sixth Form Students. In addition, Sixth Form students will wear identification badges.