Keeping children safe 

At Hadfield Infant School, safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. 

We are committed to creating a school where every child feels safe, valued, listened to and able to thrive. We recognise that safeguarding is not  simply about responding when something goes wrong; it is about creating a culture where children are taught how to keep themselves safe, trusted adults know our children well, and concerns are identified and acted upon at the earliest opportunity. 

We work closely with children, families, staff and our wider community to ensure that the safety and wellbeing of our pupils remains at the heart of everything we do. 

A whole-school responsibility 

Safeguarding is embedded throughout school life. Every member of staff understands their responsibility to notice, listen, report and act when they have a concern about a child. 

Our Senior Leadership Team have all undertaken Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) training, ensuring that there is always a strong level of safeguarding expertise within our leadership team. Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is our Headteacher, who works closely with the Deputy DSL and wider safeguarding team to ensure that concerns are followed up appropriately and that children receive the right support at the right time. 

Our safeguarding team 

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) 

Headteacher – Francesca Dodd 

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) 

Leanne De Vega Oldham 

Training and professional development 

Safeguarding knowledge and practice are continually developed across our school. All staff undertake annual safeguarding training at the beginning of each academic year, with regular updates and briefings throughout the year to ensure that staff remain aware of current guidance, emerging concerns and changes to local safeguarding procedures. 

Our DSL also attends the half-termly Derbyshire County Council DSL Network Meetings. These meetings provide an important opportunity to remain up to date with local safeguarding developments, emerging themes, changes in guidance and new notifications. 

We believe that effective safeguarding depends on staff having the confidence, knowledge and professional curiosity and know what action to take. 

Working with families 

We understand that families can sometimes experience difficulties or need additional support. Asking for help is a strength, and we want families to feel able to approach us before difficulties become more challenging. 

We work alongside the Glossopdale Early Help Offer, helping families to access appropriate support when they are experiencing difficulties at home or when they have concerns about their child's wellbeing, behaviour, development or wider needs. 

Where appropriate, we can work with families and other professionals to identify what support would be most helpful and help families access this at the earliest opportunity. Our aim is always to work with families, not simply to do things to families wherever this is possible and appropriate.  

Working with other agencies 

Keeping children safe is a shared responsibility. We work closely with a range of external agencies and professionals where this is necessary to safeguard and support our pupils. 

This may include working with children's social care, health professionals, the police, education services, Early Help and other specialist services. 

Where concerns arise, we share information appropriately and proportionately so that children can receive the support and protection they need. 

Responding to concerns 

When a safeguarding concern is raised, we take it seriously and act promptly. 

We listen to children and adults, record concerns appropriately and seek advice or make referrals to external agencies when required. 

Where we receive a Police Notification relating to a child or family connected to our school, we seek to make contact with the relevant parent or carer as soon as we are able, where appropriate, to check on their wellbeing and that of their child. Wherever possible and appropriate, we will also seek to complete a welfare check and offer support and signposting for further assistance. 

Our approach is focused on ensuring that children are safe, that concerns are followed up and that families know where they can turn for help. 

First aid and medical safety

Safeguarding also means ensuring that our children are safe and well cared for while they are at school. 

Every member of staff working on site has received paediatric first aid training alongside training in allergy and anaphylaxis awareness and response. 

This means that we have a strong level of first aid knowledge within our staff team and are prepared to respond appropriately should a child become unwell or require first aid during the school day. 

Volunteers, visitors and safer recruitment 

We take the safety of children seriously when welcoming adults into our school community. 

All volunteers working regularly within the school are required to complete the appropriate enhanced DBS checks before undertaking their role. Where an enhanced DBS check has not been completed, appropriate safeguarding measures are put in place, including the use of a different coloured lanyard, so that these adults can be readily identified by staff. All visitors and volunteers are expected to follow our safeguarding procedures and understand that keeping children safe is everyone's responsibility. 

Attendance continues to be a key priority for the school, recognising the direct relationship between regular attendance, safeguarding and pupils’ educational outcomes. Our attendance policy has been shared with parents via Class Dojo, alongside regular communication, reinforcing the importance of children attending school every day and the impact that absence can have on their learning and wider development.

Our revised attendance procedures are now firmly embedded. Where a child is absent and parents have not contacted the school office, we will make contact with the parent as the first point of contact. If we are unable to establish contact, we will then contact the child’s emergency contacts. Where we remain unable to establish the whereabouts or wellbeing of the child, a welfare check will be undertaken. This ensures that attendance is considered within our wider safeguarding responsibilities and that unexplained absence is followed up promptly.

We have also continued to reinforce the expectations around term-time holidays. To date, two cases have been referred to the Local Authority for consideration of a penalty notice where holidays have been taken during term time for more than five school days. Parents have been reminded of both the educational impact of extended absence and the school’s statutory responsibilities in relation to attendance.

Attendance data is now shared with teachers weekly as part of our staff briefing, ensuring that emerging concerns are identified and acted upon quickly. Attendance also forms part of our wider pupil-level data analysis within staff meetings. This enables teachers to identify pupils whose attendance may be contributing to gaps in learning and to consider appropriate support, intervention and catch-up opportunities. Our approach is therefore increasingly focused not only on improving attendance figures, but on understanding the impact of absence on individual pupils and ensuring that attendance information informs teaching and provision.

Attendance is safeguarding 

Regular attendance at school is an important part of keeping children safe. Knowing where our children are each day enables us to identify quickly when something may not be right. 

If your child is absent from school, we ask that you inform the school office as soon as possible and explain the reason for their absence. 

If we have not received a reason for your child's absence, our safeguarding and attendance protocol is to: 

Contact you directly to establish why your child is absent and check that they are safe. 

If we are unable to make contact with you, we will contact the emergency contacts we hold for your child. 

If we are still unable to establish the whereabouts or safety of your child, we may carry out a welfare check to establish that your child is safe and to understand the reason for their absence. 

These procedures are in place because every absence matters, and we need to know that every child is safe. We appreciate parents and carers keeping us informed promptly wherever their child is unable to attend school. 

Our approach to attendance is supportive and focused on removing barriers to regular attendance. Where families are experiencing difficulties that are affecting attendance, we will work with parents and carers to understand the reasons and identify the appropriate support. 

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility 

We want our children to grow into confident, resilient and responsible young people who understand how to keep themselves and others safe. Our safeguarding culture is built through everyday relationships, teaching, pastoral support, careful supervision, professional curiosity and strong partnerships with families and other agencies. 

If you have a concern about the safety or wellbeing of a child, please speak to a member of our safeguarding team or contact the school office. 

We would always encourage families to talk to us if they are worried. A conversation, however small it may seem, can sometimes make a significant difference.