Safeguarding at Balliol Primary School

All children have the right to be strong, resilient and listened to, in an environment where they are protected from abuse and harm.

The DFE guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education sets out the legal duties with which schools must comply in order to keep children safe. 

Our school is expected to have regard to this guidance and to implement a safeguarding children and child protection policy, this outlines our procedures for responding to and recording concerns about children. All school practitioners receive training in child protection matters and have a good awareness of the signs and signals of abuse in children. Having a designated person who is responsible for co‑ordinating child protection procedures ensures that all concerns are addressed promptly and appropriately.

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility at Balliol Primary School. All staff receive regular safeguarding training to ensure they are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to identify concerns and respond effectively to meet the needs of every child.

Safeguarding at Balliol Primary School is led by Miss Lindsay Coates, our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), who is supported by our Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSLs), Mrs Dani Pyke, Mrs Victoria Hall and Miss Emily Taylor. Together, they work to ensure that all children are safe, supported and able to thrive both in school and beyond.

Mrs B Scott - IEB Chair and Safeguarding Governor

Mrs Bartlett – Deputy Safeguarding Lead (North East Learning Trust)

Safer Recruitment

At Balliol Primary School, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to recruiting and retaining staff who share our values and who will make a positive contribution to the lives, wellbeing and education of our pupils.

We follow robust safer recruitment procedures to help ensure that all adults working in our school are suitable to work with children. As part of this process, at least one member of every interview panel has completed accredited safer recruitment training. This helps us to identify, deter and reject applicants who may be unsuitable to work with children and young people.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

The safety of our children is our highest priority. All staff, governors, volunteers and other adults who have unsupervised access to children are subject to appropriate pre-employment checks, including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

The DBS helps schools make safer recruitment decisions and prevents unsuitable individuals from working with children and other vulnerable groups. Balliol Primary School is committed to ensuring that all adults working within our school community meet the required safeguarding standards.

Operation Encompass

Balliol Primary School is proud to be part of Operation Encompass, a partnership between schools, local authorities and police services that supports children who may have been affected by domestic abuse.

Domestic abuse can have a significant impact on a child's emotional wellbeing, safety and ability to learn. Through Operation Encompass, schools receive timely information following a domestic abuse incident attended by the police. This enables us to provide appropriate support, care and understanding to children who may be affected.

Information is shared securely and confidentially with trained safeguarding staff, allowing us to respond sensitively and ensure children feel safe, supported and listened to during the school day.

Our trained key adults for Operation Encompass are:

• Miss Lindsay Coates (Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead)
• Mrs Dani Pyke (Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead)
• Mrs Victoria Hall (Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead)
• Miss Emily Taylor (Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead)

We believe that working in partnership with families and external agencies is essential in safeguarding children and providing the very best support for our pupils.

For further information, please visit:

• Operation Encompass
• BBC Information Film

Operation Endeavour

Balliol Primary School also supports Operation Endeavour, a programme designed to help children and young people who have been reported missing from home.

Children who go missing may be vulnerable to a range of risks, including exploitation, crime, abuse, neglect or harm. Through Operation Endeavour, schools are informed when a child has been reported missing and subsequently located. This enables us to provide appropriate pastoral support and ensure children receive the care and understanding they may need upon their return to school.

Information is shared securely with trained safeguarding staff who can work with children, families and external agencies to ensure the right support is in place.

We are committed to working collaboratively with safeguarding partners to promote children's welfare and help keep all pupils safe.

Further Support and Information

Missing People

• Website: www.missingpeople.org.uk
• Free, confidential 24-hour helpline: 116 000
• Email: 116000@missingpeople.org.uk

NSPCC Helpline

• Telephone: 0808 800 5000
• Email: help@nspcc.org.uk

Supporting Our Families

At Balliol Primary School, we recognise that children achieve their best when families, schools and other professionals work together. We are committed to building strong partnerships with parents, carers and external agencies to ensure that children and families receive the right support at the right time.

We understand that all families may need additional support at different times. By identifying concerns early and working collaboratively, we can often prevent small difficulties from becoming bigger challenges. Our priority is always to help children thrive, both in school and at home.

Early Help

Early Help is support offered to children and families as soon as a need is identified. It is designed to provide practical assistance before concerns escalate and to improve outcomes for children and young people.

Early Help may involve:

• Identifying children and families who would benefit from additional support.
• Working alongside families to understand strengths, needs and concerns.
• Coordinating services and support from professionals and community organisations.
• Helping children and families build resilience, confidence and independence.

Where appropriate, the school may suggest completing an Early Help Assessment to help identify the most appropriate support and ensure that services work together effectively.

How Children and Families Can Be Supported

Children and families may receive support at different levels depending on their needs:

• Prevention – helping families access advice, support and resources before difficulties arise.
• Early Intervention – providing support as soon as concerns emerge to prevent them from escalating.
• Targeted Support – working with specialist services where more significant or ongoing needs have been identified.

At Balliol Primary School, we believe that every family deserves access to support when they need it, and we are always available to discuss concerns and help identify appropriate services.

For further information, click here.

Family Support Services

We work closely with a range of agencies and organisations that provide support for children, young people and families:

• Barnardo’s is a British charity set up to care for vulnerable children and young people.
• Arbour/Acorns Project offer a range of services to support families affected by domestic abuse in North Tyneside and Northumberland.
• Connect Mental Health Support Team offers a wide range for support for schools, children and families to support low mood, anxiety or poor self-esteem.
• North Tyneside Padlet for parents/carers offers a vast range of support for families in North Tyneside. 

Additionally, we provide regular updates and signposting to support services on our weekly newsletter. 

Online Safety (E-Safety)

Technology plays an important role in the lives of children and young people. Helping children learn how to stay safe online is a key part of our safeguarding and curriculum offer.

At Balliol Primary School, we teach children how to use technology responsibly, respectfully and safely. We also work closely with parents and carers to promote safe online behaviour both at school and at home.

Useful online safety resources include:

• CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) – support and advice for children, parents and carers.
• Thinkuknow – online safety education resources for children of all ages.
• NSPCC Online Safety – practical guidance for families on keeping children safe online.

Please also visit our school's online safety section for further guidance and resources.

Promoting Health and Wellbeing

Supporting children's health, wellbeing and emotional development is a key part of safeguarding.

At Balliol Primary School, we promote healthy lifestyles, positive mental health and emotional wellbeing across all aspects of school life. We have procedures in place for administering medication, supporting pupils with medical conditions and responding appropriately when children are unwell.

We work closely with parents and healthcare professionals to ensure that individual health needs are understood and met. Information about allergies and medical conditions is carefully recorded so that appropriate support and reasonable adjustments can be put in place.

Risk Assessments

The safety of our pupils, staff and visitors is supported through regular risk assessments.

Risk assessments help us to:

• Identify potential hazards.
• Reduce and manage risks appropriately.
• Ensure the school environment remains safe and secure.
• Support educational visits, activities and individual pupil needs.
• Review and update procedures when circumstances change.

While it is not possible to eliminate all risks, we are committed to taking reasonable precautions to ensure children can learn, play and explore safely while developing confidence and independence.

Prevent Duty

As part of our safeguarding responsibilities, Balliol Primary School is committed to protecting children from radicalisation and extremism.

Prevent is a government strategy designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorist or extremist causes. The Prevent Strategy covers all types of terrorism and extremism, including the extreme right wing, violent Islamist groups and other causes.

How does the Prevent strategy apply to schools?

From July 2015 all schools have a duty to safeguard children from radicalisation and extremism. This means we have a responsibility to protect children from extremist and violent views the same way we protect them from drugs or gang violence.

The Prevent strategy is not just about discussing extremism itself, which may not be appropriate for younger children. However, it is about teaching children values such as tolerance and mutual respect. Importantly, we can provide a safe place for pupils to discuss any issues so they better understand how to protect themselves.

Prevention Through Education

At Balliol Primary School, we are proud to work in partnership with Northumbria Police to help children develop a strong understanding of personal safety, risk, citizenship and the law.

Throughout the year, police officers visit school to deliver age-appropriate sessions on topics that are relevant to the needs of our pupils and community. These sessions support our approach to contextual safeguarding, helping children to recognise risks, make safe choices and develop the knowledge and skills they need to keep themselves safe both in school and beyond.

To support families, we have provided a range of information leaflets covering some of the issues that may affect children and young people. We encourage parents and carers to read these resources and discuss them with their children where appropriate.

If you have any questions or concerns about any of the topics covered, please contact a member of our safeguarding team, who will be happy to offer advice, guidance and support.

County Lines

At Balliol Primary School, we are committed to helping children and families understand the risks that can exist within our communities and how to stay safe.

One issue that has become increasingly prevalent across the UK is County Lines, where organised criminal groups exploit children and vulnerable people to transport and sell drugs. Whilst our location provides many opportunities for children and families to access and enjoy the wider area, good transport links can also be used by criminal networks to operate across communities.

We work closely with our safeguarding partners to raise awareness of County Lines and help children develop the knowledge and confidence to recognise risks, seek support and make safe choices.

We encourage all parents and carers to learn more about the signs of County Lines exploitation and how to help protect young people from becoming involved.

For further information and advice, please visit Northumbria Police's County Lines guidance: County Lines Information and Advice

Are you worried about a child?

If you are worried about the safety or wellbeing of a child, please contact a member of our safeguarding team through the school office on 0191 814 2500.

We encourage parents, carers and members of the community to share any concerns they may have. It is always better to raise a concern, even if you are unsure, so that appropriate support can be considered.

You can also contact North Tyneside Children's Services directly to report a concern or seek advice:

In an emergency:

• Front Door Service: 0345 2000 109 (Mon–Thu 8:30–17:00, Fri until 16:30)
• Emergency Duty Team (out of hours): 0330 333 7475

If a child is in immediate danger or requires urgent assistance, always call 999.

Non-emergency contact:

• You can report concerns directly using the North Tyneside Council online form

Further information and contact details can be found on the North Tyneside Children's Services website.

School Policies