Safeguarding
We, at Parkside Academy, are fully committed to ensuring that your child is safe whilst with us. We recognise our responsibility to protect and safeguard the welfare of the children and young people entrusted to our care by establishing a safe environment in which children can learn and develop.
The staff and Governing Body are committed to establishing and maintaining an environment where children feel secure, are encouraged to talk, and are listened to. We ensure that children know that there are adults in the school who they can approach if they are worried and that the principles of confidentiality are made clear to children and young people. The school promotes a positive, supportive and secure ethos, giving pupils a sense of being valued.
We recognise that because of the day to day contact with children, staff in school are well placed to observe the signs of possible abuse and therefore need to be constantly vigilant. The Pastoral Team work closely with other agencies in protecting children from harm and in responding to concerns about possible abuse, including the Police, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Educational Psychology Service and other agencies/services coming into school to support individual pupils/groups of students.
As well as making every effort to ensure that the school site is safe and secure, there are stringent checks made on all applicants for posts at the school. All staff have been trained in Child Protection and we have highly qualified Designated Officers: all adults are fully aware of their duty of care and receive regular training and updates.
Please note there is a distinction between:
- a concern about the quality of an aspect of school provision
- a complaint
- an allegation against an adult working with children.
In the case of an allegation, it may relate to someone working with children who has:
- behaved in a way that has harmed or may harm a child
- possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child, or
- behaved in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to children
‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ March 2015
| Nature of Complaint | Contact Us |
|---|---|
| General School Complaints | Headteacher, in writing |
| Allegations against staff,See C above – not a complaint | Headteacher or Designated Member of Staff |
| Allegations against Headteacher | CEO |
| Allegations about the School/Governors conduct | LADO and / or Ofsted |
Anyone with a concern about a child’s safety and wellbeing can contact Children’s Social Care to make a referral directly at First Contact on 03000 267979
| School Name | Parkside Academy |
| DSL Name, Location Contact Details | Natalie Mason, 01388 746396 Ext 531169 Deputies Lee Stott, Ext 531115 |
| ALP Safeguarding Lead | Amanda Jackson |
| Families First name and contact – also contactable if schools is closed and during holidays | Families First County Durham 03000 267979 |
| Local One Point Hub address | 03000 261111, Newton Aycliffe One Point Hub, Newton Aycliffe Youth Centre, Burn Lane, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, DH5 4HX |
| Attendance and Inclusion Officers name and contact | Emily Short, 01388 746396 xt 531151 |
| School Counsellor name and contact | Vicky Pollard 01388 746396 xt 531160 |
| Educational Psychologist name and contact | Jane Bramley: jane.bramley@durham.gov.uk |
| Child and Adolescent Mental health Service name and contact | CAMHS, The Acley Centre, Mental health clinic in Newton Aycliffe, Carer’s Way, Newton Aycliffe, DL15 4PE, 01325 529520 |
| Police | 101 |
Safeguarding and Child Protection Training Details
| DSL/DDSL and any other members of the safeguarding team that are level 3 trained – Training to be updated every 2 years – National College – Advanced Certificate in Safeguarding for Safeguarding Leads | DSL: Natalie Mason -September 2024 DDSL: Lee Stott – September 2025 |
| Lead Prevent designated staff member – recommended training every year for PREVENT Lead. Training can be accessed on National College | Natalie Mason, DSL – June 2024 Kelly Armstrong, Headteacher – August 2024 |
| Chair of Governors and Named Governor linked to safeguarding –recommended training every 2 years with interim refreshers where statutory alongside Safer Recruitment PREVENT and LADO training | Chair of Governors: Mrs M Roe Safeguarding Link Governor: Mrs C Sim – May 2024 |
| Safer Recruitment Training – Recommended training every 2 years National College LADO Training – Recommended training every two years DSCP (Durham Safeguarding Children’s Partnership) can organise this training | Kelly Armstrong, Headteacher – August 2024 Natalie Mason, DSL – May 2024 Lee Stott, Deputy Head – Sept 2024 Blake Harrison, Deputy Head – April 2024 Jo Clay, PA to Senior Leadership Team – August 2025 |
| Designated Teacher for Looked after Children – Recommended every two years – National College | Kaisha Richardson, SENCO (maternity) Lauren Beck, Acting SENCO |
The three safeguarding partners
- Local authority
- Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)
- Cheif of Police
The three safeguarding partners must make arrangements to work together with relevant agencies (as they consider appropriate) to safeguard and protect the welfare of children in the area.
When the school is closed, or on holiday, support is also available from Support Services.
