Co-op Academy Oakwood

Co-op academy Oakwood is our Academy and we want it to be a safe place for every pupil. We will always do everything we can to make sure that every pupil within our school is safe both inside and outside of our Academy.

Keeping you safe is what matters most to all of the staff at Co-op Academy Oakwood.

This policy is to help you understand what Safeguarding means to you and to help you decide what could be a “problem” and whom you should talk to.

What is safeguarding?

It is everybody looking after your health, safety and well-being.

Keeping children safe is what matters most to all of the grown ups at Co-op Academy Oakwood.

We want to help you understand what Safeguarding means and who you can talk to if you are worried.

How do we safeguard children at our Academy?

• All of the grown ups understand how to keep you safe. They have been taught how to do this.

• We follow the rules that we have in place (sometimes called policies), to keep you safe.

• We listen to all of your worries, we take them seriously and report them properly.

• Sometimes we need to talk to other people about any concerns to understand the best way to help you.

• We teach you how to keep yourself safe. We talk about important things like bullying, and being safe online.

• We take care of our school and make sure it is a safe place for you to learn.

What should you do if you are worried about something at home or in school?

Sometimes things happen inside or outside of school which might make you feel worried or scared. This could be something an adult does to you, something another child does to you, or even something you see online.

If you are being hurt by someone else it is never your fault.

If you are worried about anything it is really important to talk to a grown up in school so we can work together to help you.

You can speak to any of the grown ups in school or you may choose to speak to one of your five safe adults.

You can also tell us about your worries using,

• Worry boxes
• Pastoral Team
• Safe hands
• Report a concern button on the website.

What happens next?

The adults in school will work with you, and sometimes your family to make sure you are safe.

Sometimes, the adult will need to speak to Mrs Duffy, Miss Aasim, Miss Spivey, Mrs Jones and Mrs Dodds.

They are our designated safeguarding leads. These adults know lots about keeping children safe.

We cannot promise to keep your worries a secret. Sometimes, to help you, we will need to tell somebody else about your worries.

This might include people who help us, like children’s social care (Social Workers) or the police.

We know that talking about your worries can be scary. Anything that we do will always be done to make sure you stay safe. We will follow our academy rules.

The adults in our academy that are helping you will explain this to you, and you can ask them any questions you need to.

Other ways to get help if you are worried

There are other people you can contact if you need help outside of our academy.

Childline 0800 1111

Police- in an emergency call 999 and ask for the police