Safeguarding
Child Protection and safeguarding
All children and young people have the right to be and feel safe. This includes all areas of life, at school, home, on a trip or when on line.
All students, staff, governors and parents/carers are expected take action and tell someone if they are aware that a child is being mistreated. If you are a child who is being mistreated you need to tell someone at the earliest opportunity.
If you (or another child) is in immediate danger don’t delay: call the Police on 999.
Key Child Protection Staff
EWS takes the safety of its children very seriously. All staff and students and aware of the Child Protection Leads in the School and there are posters in every classroom, on the website and in the student planner to remind them. To contact any of the staff below from outside the school ring the switchboard on 02087521525 and ask for the relevant member of staff. In the case of the Child Protector Governor ring the school switchboard on 02087521525 ask for the clerk to the Governors.
Designated Child Protection Officer
Ms Celia Rice
(Assistant Head Teacher)
Reserve Child Protection Officer
Ms Kate Johnson
(Deputy Head Teacher)
Member of staff to contact re Child Protection incidents involving Staff
Ms Rachel Kruger
(Head Teacher)
Child Protection Governor
Mrs Sarah Hussain
(Governor and Chair of the Inclusion Committee)​
Ethos
The Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls is committed to ensuring that consistent and effective procedures are in place to fulfil its moral and statutory obligation to safeguard and promote the welfare of the young people in its care. We adopt a child-centred and co-ordinated approach and ensure that all intervention and actions are in the best interests of the child and that support to match the individual needs of the child is put in place. The school leadership works to protect all its students from harm including harm from radicalisation and extremism, CSE (Child Sexual Exploitation) and FGM (Female Genital Mutilation). Elements of safeguarding clearly link into the areas of behaviour, SMSC and FBV and are all at the heart of the school’s work. A safeguarding committee meet regularly to discuss local and national issues that may impact on children both in school and in the community and appropriate actions are taken to raise awareness of these issues to safeguard them further. There is regular input for students about all aspects of safeguarding through assemblies, the weekly behaviour for learning focus, and PSHE and enrichment days and activities.
The school recognises its duty to ensure that all young people have the right to be and to feel safe in school, at home and in the wider community. All staff are aware that safeguarding issues can manifest themselves as peer on peer abuse as well as adult to child. The school also recognises that expert and professional organisations are best placed to provide up-to-date guidance and practical support on specific safeguarding issues and regularly seek advice and training from them. We are committed to working effectively with parents /carers and other agencies to ensure the best outcomes for the child and to support them to become successful learners.
In the event of a concern
If the school has a safeguarding concern about a child we are required to follow the statutory guidance from the Department for Education 'Keeping children safe in education' September 2024. This document can be found at the bottom of this page.
Please see the flowchart below which outlines the actions that may be taken in the event of a concern:
Types of abuse
Abuse is any form of serious maltreatment of a child and as such the list below is not exhaustive. Also abuse, neglect and safeguarding issues are rarely standalone events that can be covered by one definition or label. In most cases, multiple issues will overlap with one another.
Safeguarding action may be needed to protect children and learners from:
- neglect
- physical abuse
- sexual abuse
- emotional abuse
- bullying, including online bullying and prejudice-based bullying
- racist, disability and homophobic or transphobic abuse
- gender-based violence/violence against women and girls
- radicalisation and/or extremist behaviour (more information below)
- child sexual exploitation and trafficking or CSE (more information below)
- the impact of new technologies on sexual behaviour, for example ‘sexting’ and accessing pornography
- teenage relationship abuse
- substance misuse
- issues that may be specific to a local area or population, for example gang activity and youth violence
- domestic violence
- female genital mutilation or FGM (more information below)
- forced marriage
- fabricated or induced illness
- poor parenting, particularly in relation to babies and young children
- other issues not listed here but that pose a risk to children, young people and vulnerable adults.
The prevent duty to combat radicalisation and/or extremist behaviour
Extremism is the vocal or active opposition to fundamental values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and respect and tolerance for different faiths and beliefs. Terrorism is as an action that endangers or causes serious violence to a person/people; causes serious damage to property; or seriously interferes or disrupts an electronic system. The use or threat must be made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause. Radicalisation is the process by which an extremist ideology is made appealing and credible.
The school leadership is familiar with and takes very seriously their statutory duty to prevent vulnerable people from being drawn into terrorism (as set out in under the Counter terrorism and Security Act 2015). The school has sought advice and undergone training on it’s prevent duty. In the event of such an incident taking place or a concern being raised the school uses its safeguarding procedures and will refer the student or students to the Prevent team, Social Services and if necessary to Ealing Channel Panel.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance
Female Genital Mutilation or FGM
Female Genital Mutilation is a procedure where the female genital organs are injured or changed and there is no medical reason for this. FGM is a criminal offence: it is child abuse and a form of violence against women and girls, and therefore should be treated as such.
The school leadership is familiar with and takes very seriously their statutory duty to report cases of FGM. The school has sought advice and undergone training on to protect children from FGM and to act in the event of a reported disclosure about an instance of FGM. The disclosure could be historic, current or emerging. In the event of such a disclosure taking place or a concern being raised, the school uses its safeguarding procedures and will refer the student or students to Social Services and the police.
Child Sexual Exploitation or CSE
Child sexual exploitation involves a young person under the age of 18 being manipulated, forced or coerced into taking part in a sexual act, which may involve the exchange of gifts or money.
The school leadership is familiar with and takes very seriously their statutory duty to report known cases of CSE and cases of students who present as if they are at risk of CSE. The school has sought advice and undergone training on to protect children from CSE. In the event of an incident of CSE taking place or a concern being raised the school uses its safeguarding procedures and will contact Social Services.
More information
We are aware that there might be occasions when parents/carers themselves need additional support from an external agency rather than from the school.
Please also look out for dates of our Parent information Sessions which we run in school to provide parents/carers with key information about meeting the needs of young people.
Information leaflets are available for parents/carers and students at student reception and main reception on some issues which may be of concern to you or someone you know.
We hope that the links below and on this page will assist parents/carers with any
NSPCC - 0808 800 5000 - www.nspcc.org.uk
Child Line - 0800 1111 - www.childline.org.uk
FGM line - 0800 028 3550 - https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect/female-genital-mutilation-fgm/
Frank - 0300 123 6600 - http://www.talktofrank.com/
Anti-Terrorist Hotline - 0800 789 321
CEOP - www.thinkuknow.co.uk
Crime stoppers – 080055511 - https://crimestoppers-uk.org/
Educate Against Hate - http://educateagainsthate.com
If parents/carers require additional advice, they are urged to contact the relevant Head of Year or the school's Child Protection Officer.
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