Safeguarding
Safeguarding is Everyone Responsibility
Hall Meadow Primary School is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare and safety of all our pupils. We expect everyone associated with Hall Meadow, all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
We are fully committed to ensuring that consistent, effective safeguarding policies, procedures and practices are in place to support pupils, families and staff in all our schools.
All our schools follow the guidance in Keeping Children Safe in Education (2024), Working Together to Safeguard Children (2024), the Governance Handbook. All staff and volunteers will adhere to the InMAT/Hall Meadow safeguarding policy, whistleblowing policy and staff code of conduct.
Our headteacher is the school's Designated Safeguarding Lead with the CEO of InMAT being our Trust lead. Our trust Inclusion Lead supports our school to make sure our processes and procedures are robust and fit for purpose. We are committed to ensuring that our safeguarding leaders and all staff and volunteers receive the appropriate training to prepare them for their roles.
All Hall Meadow, we will work closely with families for the benefit of the pupils. Staff will make referrals and seek advice and guidance from external agencies such as Social Care if it is deemed necessary. There may be exceptional circumstances when the school will discuss concerns with Social Care and/or the Police without parental knowledge. Our leaders will always aim to maintain a positive relationship with all parents and carers.
Online Safety
In the modern world it is vital that children are kept safe online. If you want further advice about keeping children safe online then these websites are particularly useful:
f you have a concern about a pupil or a member of staff in one of our schools, please use the contact details below for the designated safeguarding leads.
- Mrs Bodman-Knight - Headteacher lead DSL 01536 417627
- Mrs Ricotta - Wellbeing lead 01536 417627
- Miss Letts - Deputy Heady Teacher Deputy DSL 01536 417627
- Mrs Jeffs SENDCo 01536 417627
Alternatively contact the school office via email to pass on to the relevant DSL: HMPS-Admin@hmps.inmat.org.uk
Safeguarding Governor
- Miss Emily Oakley - Emily.oakley@hmps.inmat.org.uk
InMAT Safeguarding Lead
- Helen Williams
If your concern is about a senior leader at one of our schools, please contact Helen Williams, the InMAT designated safeguarding leader, or email:- safeguarding@inmat.org.uk
If you do not wish to speak with a designated safeguarding leader, please email :- safeguarding@inmat.org.uk
If you have an urgent concern about a child you can contact the Police on 101, or 999 in an emergency.
You can also contact the Northamptonshire Multi-agency safeguarding hub directly on 0300 126 7000
Or by using the link:
Report a concern - Help and protection for children (nctrust.co.uk)
Some other useful links:
NSPCC | The UK children's charity | NSPCC
Home - Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Board (northamptonshirescb.org.uk)
Children, families and education (northamptonshire.gov.uk)
Net Aware: Your guide to social networks, apps and games (net-aware.org.uk)
https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/
Parents Against Child Exploitation (Pace) UK (paceuk.info)
STOP CSE – NWG Network | Help Us Put A Stop to CSE (stop-cse.org)
Emotional Abuse
Emotional Abuse is where a child’s need for security, love, praise and recognition is not met. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of someone else such as in Domestic Abuse or Domestic Violence. A parent, carer or authority figure is considered emotionally abusive when they are consistently hostile, rejecting, threatening or undermining toward a child or other family member. It can also occur when children are prevented from having social contact with others or if inappropriate expectations are placed upon them.
Symptoms that indicate emotional abuse include:
- Clingy or attention-seeking behaviours which are excessive.
- Excessive self-criticism or very low self-esteem
- Fearfulness or withdrawn behaviour
- Lack of appropriate boundaries with strangers; too eager to please.
- Self-harm or eating disorders
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a young person or child to take part in sexual activities. Whether the child is aware of what is happening or not. This may include physical contact or viewing pornographic material, including through the use of the internet. Indicators of sexual abuse include: allegations or disclosures, injuries or disclosure, genital soreness, inappropriate sexualised behaviour including play, words or drawing, and sexually transmitted diseases.
Neglect
Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs that can significantly harm their health and development. Neglect can include supervision that is inadequate, (being left alone for long periods of time), lack of stimulation, social contact or education, lack of shelter, appropriate food, clothing for correct conditions and medical attention or treatment when necessary.
Safer Recruitment & Selection
It is a requirement for all agencies to ensure that all staff recruited to work with children and young people are properly selected and checked. At Hall Meadow Primary we will ensure that we have a member of the Senior Leadership Team on every recruitment panel who has received the appropriate recruitment and selection training. We will ensure that all of our staff are appropriately qualified and have the relevant employment history and checks to ensure they are safe to work with children in compliance with the Key Safeguarding Employment Standards.
