Safeguarding children

Safeguarding children is one of your school's top priorities. All children and young people have a right to be and feel safe in your school, and their parents or carers also have a right to expect that their child will be safe in your school's care. Read on for more on the statutory requirements along with support and guidance from across Tes to ensure you’re doing all you can to keep children safe.

Teacher stood with their students with stars above them

Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child* states that:

‘Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child.’

To ensure these rights are fulfilled, your school or college must operate within a culture of safety where safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare is embedded into everything you do.

Schools must teach children how to keep safe and how to report concerns or worries to trusted adults at school and elsewhere. Safeguarding children in schools is an ongoing process that requires the commitment of everyone that works or volunteers in them.

What is effective child protection?

Child protection is part of the safeguarding process. It focuses on protecting individual children identified as suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. This includes child protection procedures which detail how to respond to specific concerns about a child.

Effective child protection is an essential element of the wider work of safeguarding children and promoting their welfare. This means that schools and school staff must be committed to:

Treating the welfare of children as paramount and recognising and respecting children’s rights.
Developing good links with parents and carers, and encouraging their involvement in the school or college.
Promoting positive child-centred relationships between staff and students.
Ensuring all staff listen to children and respond to their needs. It's important that staff know what to look out for, such as changes in wellbeing, peer interaction, mood, mental health, friendship groups, and academic work which can signpost abuse.

Taking all allegations seriously, including rumours and concerning comments.
Training staff in the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures and ensuring staff fully understand their legal and moral responsibility to be vigilant and report anything that causes concern.
Ensuring staff understand that allegations against staff, parents or anyone else who has contact with children are reported immediately.
Taking a zero-tolerance approach to sexual violence and sexual harassment.

Contextual safeguarding is an approach that addresses the significant harm young people may face outside their families. This method is crucial as it acknowledges the relationships young people form in their local communities, schools and online, which can expose them to violence and abuse. In these environments, parents and carers often have limited influence, and experiences of extra-familial abuse can strain parent-child relationships.

To safeguard children and young people effectively, practitioners in schools and other organisations must engage with individuals and sectors that influence these extra-familial contexts. Recognising and addressing the risks in these spaces and situations is essential for keeping young people safe.

Safeguarding children

What is Safeguarding Children?

Safeguarding children: what must schools do?

What is effective child protection?

Child protection training

What is contextual safeguarding?

How we can help

Safeguarding training

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