We are fully committed to our duty to ensure that our students stay safe in the real world and whilst online.

If you have a safeguarding concern about any individual connected with Pewsey Vale School then please contact the school at 01672 565000 or email safeguarding@pewsey-vale.wilts.sch.uk

Alongside our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy, the following definitions and arrangements apply until further notice:

Vulnerable children include children who have a social worker and young people up to the age of 25 with education, health and care (EHC) plans.

We will liaise with the Local Authority and with parents to decide whether a child with an EHCP needs to continue to be offered a place at Pewsey Vale School to meet their needs, or whether they can safely have their needs met at home This could include, if necessary, carers, therapists or clinicians visiting the home to provide any essential services. We understand that many children and young people with EHC plans can safely remain at home. Eligibility for free school meals is not a key determining factor in assessing vulnerability.

Our senior leaders and DSLs (Designated Safeguarding Leads) have the flexibility to offer a place to children who do not have a social worker but for whom some safeguarding needs have already been identified.

There is an expectation that vulnerable children who have a social worker will attend an education setting, so long as they do not have underlying health conditions that put them at risk. Local authorities and education settings do not need to complete their usual day-to-day attendance processes to follow up on non-attendance. We will follow the process set out in Wiltshire Councils' flowchart for School attendance and children with a CiN or CP plan, until further notice.

To support the above, we will, when communicating with parents/carers of vulnerable children, confirm that emergency contact numbers kept on the children’s files are correct and ask for any additional emergency contact numbers where they are available.

Designated Safeguarding Leads

To ensure school/setting staff have access to specialist advice and support about safeguarding, the following details apply. Where a trained DSL (or deputy) is not on-site, we have made arrangements for a trained DSL to provide advice remotely.

Mr T Robinson - Assistant Headteacher (DSL) - 01672 565005 - safeguarding@pewsey-vale.wilts.sch.uk

Mr N Pritchard - Headteacher (DDSL) - 01672 565000 - head@pewsey-vale.wilts.sch.uk

Mrs J Del-Mar - Safeguarding Governor - 01672 565000 - JDMGov@pewsey-vale.wilts.sch.uk

Reporting a concern

Where staff have a concern about a child, they will continue to follow the process outlined in the school/setting Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy.

If a member of staff cannot access our electronic data management system for safeguarding from home, they will contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead, who is available from the list above.

Any email containing confidential information will be sent using official school email addresses.

Where staff are concerned about an adult working with children in the school, they will continue to follow the Wiltshire process set out in the allegations flowchart published on www.wiltshirescb.org.uk. In the absence of the headteacher and/or Chair of governors, staff will follow the alternative leadership contact arrangements.

Safeguarding Training and induction

Our DSL and DDSL have completed all necessary training to undertake the role as well as the required refresher training.  All training has been undertaken with Wiltshire Council's Safeguarding Effectiveness Team.

All existing school staff have had safeguarding training and have read part 1 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (2022). The DSL will communicate with staff any new local arrangements, as appropriate.

Where new staff are recruited, or new volunteers enter our school they will continue to be provided with a safeguarding induction. If staff are deployed from another education or children’s workforce setting to our school, we will take into account the DfE supplementary guidance on safeguarding children.   We will follow Wiltshire Council's advice about safeguarding in relation to visiting staff/volunteers as it is published and updated on Right Choice until further notice.

Safer recruitment/volunteers and movement of staff

When recruiting new staff, we will continue to follow the relevant safer recruitment processes for our school including relevant sections in part 3 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (2019).

We will continue to keep the single central record (SCR) up to date as outlined in KCSIE and will follow Wiltshire Council advice about safeguarding in relation to the SCR and visiting staff/volunteers as it is published and updated on Right Choice until further notice.

Online safety in schools and colleges

We will continue to provide a safe online environment for staff and children. This includes the use of an online filtering system. Where children are using computers in school, appropriate supervision will continue to be in place.

All staff who interact with children, including online, will continue to look out for signs a child may be at risk. Any such concerns will be dealt with as per our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy and where appropriate referrals will still be made to children’s social care and as required, the police. Online teaching will follow the same principles as set out in our Staff Behaviour Policy. We will ensure any use of online learning tools and systems is in line with privacy and data protection/GDPR requirements.

Online safety at home 

Virgin Media O2 has created a Children's internet safety test to help build awareness for parents and children of all ages to ensure they are better protected online. To be directed to the test please click here

Our full policy is available on our policies page