Safeguarding

Arts and Media Islington School fully recognises its responsibilities for Safeguarding Children. We have no higher duty than that of ensuring student safety and happiness, and of educating students so that they are able to make choices that will enable them to be healthy, safe, able to enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution, and achieve economic wellbeing. Child protection is the responsibility of all staff, and our policy applies to all staff, governors and others working in our school.

We have a Safeguarding Team which consists of 7 members of the school staff (4 of whom are members of the Senior Leadership Team and three are non-teaching members of staff) and two parent governors who hold the team accountable. Our principal Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is a non-teaching member of staff and their only responsibility is to ensure that safeguarding practices and concerns are dealt with on a day-to-day basis; this means that students have access to one of the DSL Team throughout the school day. In addition to this, we have a safeguarding telephone (mobile) which students can call and leave a message for the DSL  or they can contact the DSL team via the school website by clicking a button which says, ‘I am not ok’. This alert will go straight through to a member of the DSL team. We also have an e-safety programme where students’ online presence is monitored all the time and any concerning behaviour is reported directly to the DSL team almost immediately for further action.

Safeguarding encompasses many aspects of school life, wherever a child’s welfare might be compromised; child protection is one very important aspect of safeguarding. The promotion of welfare includes ‘creating opportunities to enable children to have optimum life chances in adulthood’ – Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families, 2000.

The Governing Body will act in accordance with Section 175 of the Education Act 2002 to safeguard and promote the welfare of students at  Arts and Media Islington. We endorse and will actively promote the right of all children to be safeguarded from any form of harm and exploitation.

In addition, we state our intention to work with parents, carers and local and national agencies to support families and individuals to promote wellbeing and prevent difficulties in families.

We recognise that because of the day-to-day contact with children, school staff are well placed to observe the outward signs of abuse. The school will therefore:

• Train all staff to develop their understanding of how to recognise the signs and indicators of abuse.
• Temporary staff will receive training on child protection.
• Train all staff to ensure that they know how to respond to a child who discloses abuse
• Train all staff to ensure that they know how to respond to a child who shows sign of being vulnerable to radicalisation or having extreme views
• Support staff who have dealt with issues around abuse
• Establish and maintain an environment where children feel secure, are encouraged to talk, and are listened to
• Encourage the development of self-esteem and resilience
• Ensure children know that there are adults in the school whom they can approach if they are worried
• Ensure there is a member of staff for ‘Children in Care’
• Include opportunities in the PSHE curriculum for children to develop the skills they need to recognise and stay safe from abuse
• Regularly review and update our procedures
• Work with parents and carers in partnership to create positive relationships that safeguard children and support families
• Work with agencies to share information and support families.

Whilst we all worked very hard every day to ensure our school, and all schools, are as safe as they can be for children we are faced recently with compelling evidence that for many school is not a safe space.

A dedciated NSPCC helpline 0800 136 663 for victims of sexual violence and harassment in schools can be used by children or adults or email help@nspcc.org.uk.

We are unequivocal in our message that sexual harassment, abuse or any mistreatment of any member of our community is wrong and will not be tolerated at Arts & Media School Islington. When victims of such treatment bravely come forward we envelop them in support and care. We have onsite counselors, support workers and trained staff to assist them in telling their story and we always report all allegations to the police immediately and where necessary social services or professional bodies.

We have a well trained, experienced and highly effective safeguarding team, their work is reviewed externally every year. This team is led by the Headteacher and Ms Morgan, our designated safeguarding lead. We support students daily in making sure that they are welcomed into a calm and safe place of education.

The education we provide includes strong and regular messages around abuse and mistreatment: what it is, how to spot it and what to do if it is happening to you or someone you know. Our assemblies and form time sessions ensure that this a regular message, not a once-a-year reminder. Our PHSE and SRE curriculum are reviewed every year and keep in line with advice from leading charities and advisory bodies.

We hope that no member of the AMSI family have ever endured abuse from any of their peers or staff members. We hope that no member of the AMSI family will ever endure abuse from any of their peers or staff members. However we also know that to be blind to the possibility is to be blind to the problem.

Together we can and will stop abuse in schools.

Other services which may help

• Childline (24 hours)- 0800 11 11
• Crime Victims – Victim Support 0808 16 89 111
• Crimestoppers – Crime Prevention 0800 555 111
• NSPCC – Child Protection Helpline (24 hours) 0808 800 5000
• Samaritans (24 hours) -116 123
• The dedicated NSPCC helpline 0800 136 663 for victims of sexual violence and harassment in schools.