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Safeguarding

King Alfred’s Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Parents can feel confident that appropriate procedures are in place to ensure that all staff, including volunteers, are suitable to work with children within the academy. We adopt a transparent approach to safeguarding, which encourages staff, parents and children alike to talk openly and honestly about any concern or worries they may have about keeping children and young people safe. It is imperative that the academy is recognised as a safe place to be.

To ensure student safety remains a priority, we have a dedicated safeguarding email for reporting concerns: 

safeguarding@ka.vale-academy.org

We also have three safeguarding leads and a safeguarding governor who can all be contacted via the safeguarding email:

  • Jon Smart (Headteacher)
  • Sarah Martin (Deputy Headteacher, Designated Safeguarding Lead - DSL)
  • Caroline Smith (Lead Practitioner (Support) Pastoral Care)
  • Rebecca Spencer (Safeguarding Governor)

We adhere to safeguarding legislation in accordance with The Government’s Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance and have a safeguarding policy available on our policies page which details all relevant safeguarding contacts alongside key information and encourage our staff to be ‘professionally curious’, reporting any concern, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to our safeguarding team.

Without exception, all visitors must report to Reception on arrival.  They must sign in, and always wear a visitor’s lanyard whilst on site.

To keep children and young people safe, we provide:

  • safeguarding training to all staff and volunteers who work with children and young people at King Alfred’s. This includes specialist training on Radicalisation, Extremism, Child Sexual Exploitation and Female Genital Mutilation.
  • strict Safer Recruitment procedures for all staff and volunteers who work at King Alfred’s. Trained staff in Safer Recruitment attend all interview panels.
  • a comprehensive PSHE programme to educate young people about issues such as Drugs, Alcohol, E-Safety and other Risky Behaviours.
  • a clear Code of Conduct for Staff including procedures for reporting any incidents of concerns.
  • a strict Risk Assessment, Safeguarding and Approval process for all off site Educational Visits.
  • a dedicated Safeguarding Administrator.
  • a School Site Risk Assessment which includes the signing in of all visitors to the site.
  • the names and photographs of all key Safeguarding Staff at each Site Entrance.
  • a School Health Nurse Service.
  • a Counselling Service.
  • clear guidelines for dealing with any bullying concerns. To download a copy, click HERE.   You can also download a document entitled “Bullying – A Guide to What We Do” by clicking HERE.

Anti Bullying

The Vale Academy Trust Anti-Bullying Policy is available to view on our Policies page – https://www.vale-academy.org/wp-content/uploads/Anti-Bullying-Policy.pdf

Reporting concerns: Mr Sheppard, Head of Student Wellbeing, overseas our anti-bullying policy. If you have any concerns surrounding bullying, please pass this information to studentwellbeing@ka.vale-academy.org or, in writing, to any of the Site Offices marked ‘Confidential – Student Wellbeing Concern’.

The Prevent Duty

At King Alfred’s Academy we have taken the following steps to ensure that our students are protected from radicalisation:

  • The Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead have attended PREVENT awareness training through the Oxfordshire Children Safeguarding Board.
  • The Prevent Duty is reflected within our Safeguarding Policy and so forms part of whole staff training.
  • British Values are promoted through the Assembly programme and other elements of Personal Social Health and Citizenship Education (PSHCE) alongside the Academy’s Values.
  • Appropriate risk assessments are carried out by the Safeguarding Team.
  • Safer internet use forms part of the Computing curriculum, Parent Forums, PSHCE and Sex and Relationships Education.
  • Tolerance for different religions is taught through the Ethics and Philosophy curriculum.
  • Management of IT system involves filtering of key words and blocking of sites.

 

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