Safeguarding
The Trust and staff of Aureus School are committed to providing a safe and secure environment for students, staff and visitors and promoting a climate where students and adults will feel confident about sharing any concerns they may have about their own safety or the well-being of others.
This means that we have a Child Protection and Safeguarding policy and Procedures in place which can be viewed below. All staff (including supply staff, volunteers and governors) must ensure that they are aware of these procedures in order to fulfil their responsibilities at our school.
Sometimes, we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about student welfare. We will ensure that our concerns about students are discussed with his or her parents/carers first, unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the student’s welfare. In Oxfordshire, support from external agencies is co-ordinated through the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) and the Strengths and Needs Assessment process. Both of these ensure that young people and family's needs are correctly understood and that the appropriate support is signposted and provided.
Aureus School acknowledges the duties conferred by statute, including the Children Acts 1989 & 2004, Section 175 of the 2002 Education Act, the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 and the guidance contained in ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ (1), ‘What To Do If You’re Worried A Child Is Being Abused’ (2), the current DfE Circular ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (3), as well as procedures produced by Oxfordshire County Council for use with its schools, including the Early Help Pathways Operational Guidance (4). The school safeguarding policy is applicable to all on and off-site activities undertaken by students whilst they are the responsibility of the school.
Please find our safeguarding and child protection policy here:
Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy
Aureus Staff who have responsibility for Safeguarding
Headteacher: Kirsty Rogers (k.rogers1@aureusschool.org)
Deputy Headteacher: Vicki Knight (v.knight@aureusschool.org)
Amjad Ali, Assistant Headteacher (a.ali@aureusschool.org)
Hannah Powell, Assistant Headteacher (h.powell@aureusschool.org)
Kelly-Anne Taylor, Assistant Headteacher (k.taylor@aureusschool.org)
Safeguarding Team SSB Member:
Louise Sinfield
Designated Safeguarding Lead:
Vicki Knight (v.knight@aureusschool.org)
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads:
Callie Fisher, Head of Year 7 (c.fisher@aureusschool.org)
Sian Haycock, Head of Years 8&9 (s.haycock@aureusschool.org)
Carolyn Saul, Director of KS4 (c.saul@aureusschool.org)
Paula Rutter, Welfare Officer (p.rutter@aureusschool.org)
Cher Street, Pastoral Welfare Lead Yr7 (c.street@aureusschool.org)
Charlie Cowper, Pastoral Welfare Lead Yr8 (c.cowper@aureusschool.org)
Amy Humphries, Pastoral Welfare Leader Yr9 (a.humphreys@aureusschool.org)
Ruth Fostekew, Pastoral Welfare Leader Yr10 (r.fostekew@aureusschool.org)
Emma Rea, Pastoral Welfare Leader Yr11 (e.rea@aureusschool.org)
There are four main elements to the school’s safeguarding work with students:
- Prevention - Through the teaching and pastoral support offered to students and providing a safe environment. We also inform students of potential risks and their ‘stay safe’ responsibilities, through assemblies, coaching, Global Citizenship lessons and other activities.
- Procedures in place for identifying and reporting cases, or suspected cases, of harm.
- Support to students who may have been abused or are at risk of harm.
- Ensuring that we practise safe recruitment, checking the suitability of all Aureus staff and volunteers to work with children.
The SHARP (School Help and Advice Reporting Page) System, is an online reporting tool for students to use that alerts the Safeguarding Team to problems and issues that individuals are facing.
The SHARP System is a pivotal tool in enhancing student safety. It provides a confidential avenue for students to report concerns or incidents anonymously.
Your point off contact when reporting an incident on The SHARP System, would be:
p.rutter@aureusschool.org and/or v.knight@aureusschool.org
If you are concerned about a child’s welfare, outside of school hours, please record your concern and any observations or conversations that you may have heard and report this to TVP (or your local police authority) as soon as possible.
Alternatively, you can conntact MASH (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub) https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/business/information-providers/multi-agency-safeguarding-hub
To report an allegation against a person in a position of trust, please contact the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) at the Oxfordshire Schools Safeguarding Team:
Phone: 01865 810603 Email: LADO.safeguardingchildren@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Childline: 0800 1111
NSPCC: 0808 800 5000 Report Abuse in Education helpline: 0800 136 663 of help@nspcc.org.uk
CAMHS: www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/camhs
To report online abuse or if you are worried about how someone has been communicating online, please visit the Child Exploitation and Online Protection command (CEOP):
www.ceop.police.uk/child-safety
If you have concerns regarding e-safety please follow this link:
