Safeguarding

Highfield Priory School fully recognises the contribution we can make to protect children from harm and to support and promote the welfare of all children who are pupils at our school. The school has a duty to consider at all times the best interests of the pupil and take action to enable all pupils to achieve the best outcomes. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. The school adopts a ‘whole school’ approach to safeguarding, ensuring safeguarding and child protection are at the forefront and underpin all relevant aspects of process and policy development.

Safeguarding Policy

The school is committed to safer recruitment processes to create a culture that safeguards and promotes the welfare of children in the school whilst deterring and preventing people who are unsuitable to work with children from applying, securing employment or volunteering within the school.

Safer Recruitment Policy

Operation Encompass is a police and education early information safeguarding partnership enabling schools to offer immediate support to children experiencing domestic abuse. Operation Encompass ensures that there is a simple telephone call or notification to a school’s trained Designated Safeguarding Lead prior to the start of the next school day after an incident of police attended domestic abuse where there are children related to either of the adult parties involved. 

Operation Encompass

We have a team of dedicated safeguarding leads at the school, who have all completed up to date training on Child Protection. Our safeguarding team can be contacted by phoning the school number: 01772 709624.

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is Miss Halstead.

Our Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads are:

• Mr Duke
• Mrs Mulla
• Mrs Elstone
• Mrs Hayes
• Mrs Marskell
• Miss Ryan

 View our Staff List

Our governor responsible for safeguarding is Judy Nairn.

Internet Safety

It is the duty of Highfield Priory School to ensure that every pupil in its care is safe; and the same principles apply to the digital world as apply to the real world. IT and online communications provide unrivalled opportunities for enhanced learning in addition to traditional methods, but also pose greater and more subtle risks to young people. Our pupils are therefore taught how to stay safe in the online environment and how to mitigate risks, including but not limited to the risk of identity theft, bullying, harassment, grooming, stalking, abuse and radicalisation. New technologies are continually enhancing communication, the sharing of information, learning, social interaction and leisure activities.

At Highfield Priory School, we understand the responsibility to educate our pupils on e-safety issues; teaching them the appropriate behaviours and critical thinking skills necessary to enable them to remain both safe and within the law when using the internet and related technologies in and beyond the classroom. We also understand the importance of involving pupils in discussions about e-safety and listening to their fears and anxieties as well as their thoughts and ideas.