Safeguarding
Safeguarding and Pastoral
Safeguarding & Pastoral care
To view Milton Hall's Safeguarding Policy please visit our policy page
At Milton Hall Primary School and Nursery, Safeguarding and Child Protection is paramount and we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this dedication.
We believe that all pupils have a right to learn in a supportive, caring and safe environment which includes the right to protection from all types of abuse; where staff are vigilant for signs of any pupil in distress and are confident about applying the processes to avert and alleviate any such problems.
Milton Hall applies a variety of initiatives in school to promote our children, staff and families well-being and happiness so that everyone has the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential. All school staff and Governors are trained annually on Safeguarding procedures and are made aware of important documentation including the School's Safeguarding Policy (which can be found on the ‘policy’ page) and the most up-dated 'Keeping Children Safe in Education'. The training also includes raising awareness of and providing information about 'A Child Missing in Education, Child Sexual Exploitation and Female Genital Mutilation'. We actively support the Government's PREVENT agenda to counter radicalisation and extremism.
Milton Hall has a range of policies and procedures in place which enhance safeguarding within our school to ensure:
- All of our pupils are safe and protected from harm,
- Other elements of provision and policies are in place to enable pupils to feel safe and adopt safe practices,
- Pupils, governors, visitors, volunteers and parents are aware of the expected behaviours and the school's legal responsibilities in relation to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils.
Milton Hall recognises the importance of ensuring all our pupils know how to seek support, feel that they will be listened to and appropriate action taken. Safeguarding is about guaranteeing that everyone is safe from harm and that we all feel safe in our environment.
Should you ever be concerned about the safety or well-being of a member of our school community then please contact one of the school’s Designated Safeguarding team members.
The safeguarding team at Milton Hall are:
Safeguarding Team
Designated Safeguarding Governor is Fr. Neil Dalley
Working in partnership
Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child's welfare. We will ensure that our concerns are discussed with a parent/carer first unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child's welfare. Milton Hall strives to make sure professional relationships with external agencies are highly effective and productive to ensure the best interests of our pupils. Workshops are delivered by local partners during the academic year around Street Crime and Cyberbullying & internet safety. Safeguarding is interlaced into our curriculum through our PSHE lessons (using SCARF), computing lessons, assemblies and via special events and external visitors. At Milton Hall we aim to build strong relationships with our families and have a comprehensive knowledge of our local community to tailor our support and actions proactively, promptly and in harmony with what our pupils and families require.
Pastoral care
At Milton Hall we are fully committed to the protection and development of all our children and in creating an inclusive, safe and secure environment in which they can develop into responsible, confident, self-aware, capable young people who are well equipped to cope with the challenges ahead of them. We believe that good pastoral support focuses supporting the individual needs of each child. We ensure that the support needed is recognised and implemented, with all teachers and support staff working cohesively together with the school’s Pastoral team.
Our Pastoral team is made up of Mrs Esp (Pastoral Manager & DSL), Mrs Vangalis-Stobbs (Lead SENCo), Miss Potter (Lead Pastoral Learning Mentor & Deputy DSL), Miss Mead (Pastoral Learning Mentor), Mrs Manderfield (Attendance Officer) and Mrs Bonham (School Health Coordinator) Miss Haynes (Pastoral Learning Mentor).
The Learning Mentors are based in the ‘Nest’ and provide pastoral support and guidance to all our children, promoting their wellbeing by liaising with parents/carers, school staff and external agencies. Problems at home or school can have a detrimental impact on a child's wellbeing and on family life, the Pastoral team aim to develop positive home/school relationships by listening and caring in a non-judgemental way. The Pastoral team offer a professional service with access to an extensive range of information, enabling them to signpost parents/carers to a variety of services who may be able to help.
The Learning Mentors work with individual or groups of children to give them the very best possible care, removing barriers to learning and raising aspirations. The Learning Mentors support with behaviour issues in the school; for individual pupils with challenging behaviours the team create bespoke One Page Profile and Risk Assessments to help school staff manage these children’s needs.
Emotional Wellbeing
At Milton Hall we are privileged to have two qualified counsellors, Sarah Baker & Hayley Cousins, who offer a safe, confidential space for referred pupils to talk through their feelings, find resolutions, obtain comfort in a safe place to do this without judgement. Counselling is an invaluable resource within the school and can provide support for children experiencing a whole host of emotional challenges i.e. bereavement & loss, domestic violence within the home, self-esteem issues, anxiety, low mood, friendship difficulties, family members dealing with alcohol & drug dependencies, family members dealing with Mental Health issues and many more.
Milton Hall also has access to the Mental Health Support Team who work in schools as part of the Government’s national plans to support mental health in schools. Their aim is to support schools and parents/carers to improve children’s emotional wellbeing and build resilience. Milton Hall are able to refer parents whose child maybe struggling with difficult or challenging behaviour or mild anxiety. The team can offer parents individual or group sessions to provide information, advice, guidance and tips on how to support your child with their behaviour or their anxiety.
Young Carers at Milton Hall
Young Carers are identified in the 'Keeping children safe in education 2022' statutory guidance as a group of pupils that all school and college staff should be particularly alert to their potential need for additional support. A Young Carer is a child under 18 who regularly helps to look after a family member or friend who is disabled, ill, or has a mental health condition or addiction problem.
At Milton Hall we are aware that some pupils in our school have caring roles at home. Mrs Esp and Miss Burton run a weekly after school club for identified Key Stage 1 and 2 Young Carers. This club provides an opportunity for the Young Carers to enjoy crafts and cooking activities with a focus on fun and comradeship. The Young Carers club also has the opportunity to go on outings and school trips to the cinema.
Online Safety:
Gov.UK Guidance for parents and carers to keep children safe online.
This guidance contains resources for parents and carers to help keep their children safe online.
The following information links are from this government site:
These resources will support you to talk to your child about a range of online safety issues, set up home filtering in a child-friendly way and set up age-appropriate parental controls on digital devices:
· Thinkuknow by the National Crime Agency - Child Exploitation and Online Protection command (NCA-CEOP) - resources for parents and carers and children of all ages to help keep children safe online
· Childnet has developed guidance for parents and carers to begin a conversation about online safety, as well as guidance on keeping under-fives safe online
· Parent Info is a collaboration between Parent Zone and NCA-CEOP - support and guidance for parents and carers related to the digital world from leading experts and organisations
· National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) - guidance for parents and carers to help keep children safe online
· UK Safer Internet Centre - tips and advice for parents and carers to keep children safe online - you can also report any harmful content found online through the UK Safer Internet Centre
· Inclusive Digital Safety Hub and Online Safety Hub, created by South West Grid for Learning in partnership with Internet Matters - support and tailored advice for young people with additional learning needs and their parents or carers
· Parents’ Guide to Age Ratings explains how the British Board of Film Classification rates content, and gives parents advice on choosing online content well