Sharmans Cross Junior School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and
expects all adults to share this commitment
The staff and governors of this school are committed to establishing and maintaining
an environment where children are both secure and feel secure, are encouraged to
talk, and are listened to. We will ensure that children and adults know that there are
people in the school whom they can approach if they are worried. We ensure through
regular training and discussion that because of the day to day contact with children,
school staff are well placed to observe the signs of possible abuse.
We actively discuss with Education and Children’s Services’ Duty, Assessment and
Referral Team (DART : 0121 788 4330) any significant concerns about a child which
may indicate physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse or neglect in accordance
with the Local Safeguarding Children Board child protection procedures and attend
any child protection conferences, initial and review, and core group meetings and
child in need conferences that may be called.
We take our duty to work with other agencies, such as Children’s Services ( ECS ),
Police Child Abuse Investigation Unit, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services,
Education Welfare Service, Educational Psychology Service and any other
agencies/services coming into school to support individual pupils/groups of pupils, in
protecting children from harm and in responding to concerns about possible abuse
very seriously.
We promote a positive, supportive and secure environment, giving pupils a sense of
being valued. We ensure that parents have an understanding of the responsibility
placed on staff for child protection by setting out its obligations through regular
communications and discussions.
Sex relationship education
SRE at Sharmans Cross centres on relationships but also recognises the importance
of clear, factual, non-judgemental information delivered in an age-appropriate,
planned programme of PSHE and science. We strongly believe that effective SRE can
make a significant contribution to the development of the personal skills (such as
self-esteem) needed by pupils if they are to establish and maintain relationships. It
also enables young people to make responsible and informed decisions about their
health and well-being, and to explore attitudes to a wide range of issues. It will help
them learn to respect themselves and others and move with confidence from
childhood through adolescence into adulthood.
Our aim is to ‘empower children with the knowledge to make their own informed
decisions.’ (DfES 2000).
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