At Eastern High, safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do. Every member of staff shares responsibility for keeping pupils safe, helping them feel supported, and ensuring they know who to talk to if they have any worries or concerns.

Our commitment to your child

We are committed to providing a safe, caring and inclusive environment where all pupils can learn, thrive and feel valued. We work closely with families and external agencies when needed to support children and young people and promote their wellbeing.

What safeguarding means

Safeguarding includes protecting pupils from:

• Physical, emotional or sexual abuse
• Neglect
• Bullying and peer-on-peer harm
• Criminal or sexual exploitation
• Online risks
• Domestic abuse
• Radicalisation and extremism
• Any situation that may place a child at risk of harm

What happens if we have a concern?

If a member of staff is concerned about a pupil's safety or wellbeing, they have a duty to report this to the school's safeguarding team. The school will work with specialist agencies, including Children's Services and the Police, where appropriate.

In most cases, we will work openly with parents and carers. However, there may be occasions when we need to seek advice or make a referral before speaking to parents if this is considered necessary to keep a child safe.

How we support pupils

We help pupils stay safe through:

• Strong pastoral support
• Personal development and wellbeing education
• Teaching about healthy relationships and online safety
• Promoting positive mental health and emotional wellbeing
• Providing trusted adults who pupils can approach for help and advice

Information sharing

We treat safeguarding information confidentially and sensitively. However, information may be shared with relevant agencies when this is necessary to protect a child from harm.

Safeguarding contacts

If you have concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a pupil, please contact a member of the school's safeguarding team - Charly Flynn-Giles, Clare Rees or Kay Adams.

Working together

Safeguarding is most effective when schools and families work together. We encourage parents and carers to share any concerns they may have about a child's welfare, behaviour, attendance, emotional wellbeing or safety so that support can be provided as early as possible.

Our aim is simple: every pupil should feel safe, supported, respected and able to achieve their full potential