The governors and staff, including volunteers, at St Mary Cray Primary Academy fully recognise the responsibility and duty placed on them to safeguard and promote the welfare of all pupils at the school; protecting them from harm. We believe that our school should provide a caring, positive, safe and stimulating environment in which pupils can learn and also promote the social, physical and emotional wellbeing of each individual pupil.

What is Safeguarding?

• Protecting children from maltreatment
• Preventing impairment of children’s health or development
• Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes

What is Child Protection?

• Child protection is part of safeguarding
• It is activity undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering or at risk of suffering significant harm
• Where a child is suffering significant harm, or is likely to do so, action should be taken to protect that child
• Action should also be taken to promote the welfare of a child in need of additional support, even if they are not suffering harm or are at immediate risk

Do's and Don’ts when visiting our School

• Do make sure you sign in at reception
• Do make sure that you wear you lanyard/ID at all times
• Do make sure we have seen your DBS
• Do not use your mobile phone on school premises
• Do not give a child your personal details
• Do only use school equipment for photographs and videos
• Do read the Safeguarding guidance notes

The school recognises its responsibilities and duties to report Child Protection concerns to Children's Social Services and to assist Children's Social Services in Child Protection enquiries and in supporting Children in Need. This policy is in line with the London Child Protection Procedures, Working Together to Safeguard Children and Keeping Children Safe in Education. 

The school will raise Safeguarding and Child Protection concerns with parents/carers at the earliest appropriate opportunity, and work in partnership with them and other agencies to improve outcomes.

The school will ensure that all staff are provided with the appropriate training in Safeguarding and Child Protection issues, as recommended in the guidance. In particular, designated members of staff will be released to attend the necessary enhanced training courses to enable them to carry out their role effectively.

Safeguarding Policies

Our Safeguarding and Child Protection policy can be found under the 'Policies and Procedures' section of this website.