At Kingston St Mary C of E Primary School we are fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We follow the procedures set out by the Somerset Safeguarding Children Board (SSCB) and take into account guidance issued by the DfE in Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2015 and Keeping Children Safe in Education, 2023.

The school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead  (DSL) is Miss Kim Greenslade, in her absence, Mrs Joanne Griffiths or Mrs Janice Miller are the deputy DSLs. Mrs Kirstie Lord is the Safeguarding Governor.

A wide range of measures are in place to support families, children and staff at our school, including the school’s Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy to which there is a link below.
 
Included in our Safeguarding Role is our duty, under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 … to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”. This duty is known as the Prevent Duty.
As part of our duty we have made available a parent information leaflet (devised by a group of Taunton Schools) to which there is a link below.
 
Additionally we recognise that high self-esteem, confidence, supportive friends and clear lines of communication with a trusted adult helps all children, especially those at risk of, or suffering from, abuse.
Therefore we:
 

• Establish and maintain an ethos where children feel secure and are encouraged to talk, and are listened to.
• Ensure that pupils and their carers know that there are adults in the school who they can approach if they are worried or are in difficulty.
• Include in the curriculum, activities and opportunities for PHSE/Citizenship, which equip pupils with the skills they need to stay safe from abuse, including from the internet and social media abuse.
• Ensure that wherever possible every effort will be made to establish effective working relationships with parents and colleagues from other agencies.