Safeguarding
All staff at Berwick Hills Primary School are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children (see Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy and Peer on Peer Abuse).
What do I do if I have a concern about the safety, care or welfare of a child or young person?
Please call or come into school to speak to Mrs Parker-Hack, Miss Williams, Mrs Dalton or any member of the Care Team (see below).
Contact the Children’s Services MACH duty team on 01642 726004
What is the Multi-Agency Children’s Hub (MACH)?
The Multi-Agency Children’s Hub is the first point of contact for anyone who has a concern about the welfare or safety of a child/young person or thinks they may need extra help or support. When they are contacted they will listen to what they are being told and the different agencies might share information with each other to try and work out whether they can help.
This is a partnership between Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, Middlesbrough Council, Cleveland Police, and Health Partners.
For further information see: South Tees Safeguarding Partnership-https://stcp.co.uk
Berwick Hills Child Protection and Care Team
We have a Care Team whose purpose is the keep children safe, and help them to be happy and thrive at school. The Care team ensures that the children’s happiness, welfare and safety are at the heart of the work of Berwick Hills Primary School.
- Miss Tessa Smith: Headteacher
- Mrs Parker-Hack: Deputy Head, Designated Safeguarding Lead, SENDCO (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator) and the designated teacher for Child Protection and Children Looked After
- Mrs Helen Dalton: Families Services Lead, Designated Safeguarding Lead
- Miss Beth Williams: Parent Support Advisor, Designated Safeguarding Lead
- Mrs Sara Dawson: Emotional and Behaviour Support
- CATs Counsellor
- Mrs Hayley Hughes: EYFS Team Leader
- Mr Steven Dunn: KS1 Team Leader
- Mrs Rebecca Taylor Upper KS2 Team Leader
- Mrs Louise Wootten Lower KS2 Team Leader
We work closely with parents/carers and are always available to offer support and advice. We work closely with external agencies available to the school to ensure our children and families receive the support they need to succeed. The Care Team support children by ensuring that playtimes are a positive experience and any issues between children are quickly resolved. We offer support to children who are reluctant learners or experiencing difficulties that are impacting their well-being and happiness. We support all school staff in implementing the behaviour policy in order to promote the ethos of the school.
In addition to the Care Team, the Inclusion Team supports children’s learning to remove barriers and ensure all children achieve their potential (see Inclusion Policy).
Prevent Strategy (see policies)
What is the Prevent Strategy?
Prevent is a government strategy designed to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorist or extremist causes.
The Prevent Strategy covers all types of terrorism and extremism, including the extreme right-wing, violent Islamist groups and other causes.
Educate Against Hate- http://educateagainsthate.com/
This is an important government website that provides advice and information about protecting children from extremism and radicalisation.
How does the Prevent strategy apply to schools?
From July 2015 all schools have a duty to safeguard children from radicalisation and extremism.
This means we have a responsibility to protect children from extremist and violent views the same way we protect them from drugs or gang violence.
The Prevent Strategy is not just about discussing extremism itself, which may not be appropriate for younger children. However, it is about teaching children values such as tolerance and mutual respect.
Importantly, we can provide a safe place for pupils to discuss any issues so they better understand how to protect themselves.
Accidents and Illnesses in School
If your child is ill or has an accident during the school day they will be checked by a member of staff. We have staff that are either First Aid trained or paediatric trained. If we feel it necessary we will contact you using the details you give us on your child’s contact form. It is therefore extremely important that these numbers are kept up to date and you inform the school office of any changes.
In the case of small scrapes or bruises, we normally inform parents through the use of a slip that will be passed to them at the end of the school day. In the case of a bump to the head, it is the school’s policy to try to contact you by message/telephone even if your child seems fine. If we are unable to contact you, your child will be closely monitored and a slip will be passed to you at the end of the day.
If we have a concern or we feel your child would benefit from being at home we will contact you as soon as possible.
