“Safeguarding…Everybody…Everyday”
At Highfield Priory, the safety and wellbeing of our pupils is always our highest priority, and we view safeguarding is an ongoing, whole-school commitment. This involves working closely with staff, pupils, parents and external agencies to ensure that children feel safe, supported and confident to speak out if they have any worries. Through assemblies, curriculum work, staff training and external partnerships, we aim to continually review and strengthen our safeguarding practices. This newsletter provides an update on some of the recent safeguarding work taking place in school and information about how we continue to support children in staying safe.
Safeguarding Visits
As part of our ongoing safeguarding oversight, we welcomed our Safeguarding Governor, Judy Nairn, to school on 5th February for her half-yearly safeguarding visit.
During the visit, we reviewed current safeguarding developments, including policy updates, staff training and recent whole-school initiatives. We also toured the school together to ensure safeguarding procedures are embedded in daily practice and that the environment continues to be safe and supportive for all pupils. The visit provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on our strengths and discuss areas for continued development, ensuring that our safeguarding provision remains robust, proactive and aligned with best practice.
This work was further strengthened by a Safeguarding Audit on Monday 2nd March, carried out by a Safeguarding Officer from Lancashire County Council, which was also attended by our Safeguarding Governor. The audit forms an important part of our commitment to ensuring that our policies, procedures and practices remain effective and firmly centred on the wellbeing of our pupils. It also provides an opportunity for external review and professional dialogue to support the continued development of our safeguarding provision.
As part of the audit, the Safeguarding Officer spoke with a small number of pupils to gather pupil voice. These conversations explored how safe children feel in school, who they would speak to if they were worried, and their understanding of how the school helps to keep them safe.
I was fortunate to observe these discussions and was incredibly proud of how confidently our pupils represented the school. They spoke with maturity and clarity, demonstrating a strong understanding of how safeguarding is prioritised at Highfield.
Safeguarding Display in School
We have refreshed our safeguarding display in school to serve as a visual reminder for our pupils. The display includes:
- Photographs of our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Deputy DSLs
- Clear reminders that children can talk to any trusted adult
- Age-appropriate guidance encouraging pupils to speak up if they are worried
This has been reinforced in assembly to ensure all children know who they can approach and how to seek help.
Safer Internet Day
On Friday 6th February, we marked Safer Internet Day in assembly. Children explored how to stay safe online, including:
- Recognising safe and unsafe situations online
- Understanding what to do if something worries them
- Identifying trusted adults they can speak to
- Discussing the growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it can be used safely and responsibly
We encouraged children to talk openly about their online experiences and reminded them that they should always tell a trusted adult if something makes them feel uncomfortable.
Safer Internet Day is organised nationally by the UK Safer Internet Centre, which provides excellent resources for parents. You may find their website helpful for guidance at home.
https://saferinternet.org.uk/guide-and-resource/parents-and-carers
Online Safety Training – 21st April 2026
Online safety training has been booked for 21st April for staff, pupils and parents. This session will support our whole-school approach to keeping children safe online and will provide practical advice for supporting children in an increasingly digital world. Further details will follow closer to the date.
NSPCC Assemblies and Workshops – Summer Term
We are currently in the process of organising assemblies and workshops with the NSPCC. The school will deliver 2 assemblies, one for KS1 and one for KS2, which will be followed at a later date by 3 workshops delivered by an NSPCC volunteer with the following year groups:
- Year 2
- Year 5
- Year 6
These sessions are age-appropriate and focus on helping children understand speaking out, recognising unsafe situations, and knowing how to seek help. The NSPCC’s ‘Speak Out Stay Safe’ programme is a valuable part of our preventative safeguarding curriculum.
Online Safety Support
We are proud to be partnering with Knowsley City Learning Centres to further develop our online safety awareness and support.
Each month, we will share an Online Safety Newsletter that provides guidance and information about a range of current online safety issues affecting children. Please find the February issue attached to this newsletter.
Useful Contacts
If you ever have any safeguarding concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school and speak to a member of the safeguarding team.
Together, we will ensure that every child at Highfield Priory feels safe, supported, and able to aim high. Thank you for being such an important part of our safeguarding partnership.
Warm regards
Mrs A Morrice
