At Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, the children are at the heart of everything we do and therefore ensuring their health, safety and wellbeing is our priority. We must safeguard all our children from any actual, or potential, risk or harm, ensure they feel safe at school and, should it be necessary, put in to place the most effective support as early as possible.  We continuously develop and maintain a ‘culture of vigilance’ to ensure that signs and symptoms of abuse are picked up, thus the opportunity for those wishing to cause harm to children is drastically reduced.

Sacred Heart is a ‘School Family’ and we see the safety, health and wellbeing of our children as being everybody’s responsibility. We are a small school and benefit from knowing all the children in our care very well. Everyone who works at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School has a professional responsibility and curiosity for our children; to be vigilant and notice if a child is causing concern and may appear to be at risk of harm.  All staff receive regular training and follow strict safeguarding procedures to protect the children and know to pass on concerns to relevant personnel who can act to protect them. All staff are highly trained in Safeguarding and The Prevent Duty.  At Sacred Heart we have a number of key staff, responsible for safeguarding and these are in the documentation and policies below:

We additionally adhere to all statutory guidance listed below:   

Keeping Children Safe In Education

Working Together to Safeguard Children

What To Do If You're Worried A Child Is Being Abused

Information Sharing for Practitioners

The Prevent Duty

Supporting Our Families

We know that working together in partnership with our families is the best way to keep our children safe. If you are worried about anything, big or small, any class teacher can be relied upon to be discrete and confidential and can be approached to source support. We also have a wonderful service with the school nursing team, through Just One Norfolk, who can be contacted if you are worried about anything.

Operation Encompass

At Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, we continue to be involved in the Operation Encompass project that runs jointly between schools and police. Operation Encompass is a process where police officers who attend domestic abuse incidents will complete an email notification and send it to schools, by 10.00am of the next school day, when a child or young person in our school has experienced domestic abuse in any way. Operation Encompass will ensure that a member of the school staff is trained to allow them to liaise with the police and to use the information that has been shared, in confidence, while ensuring that the school is able to make provision for possible difficulties experienced by children, or their families, who have been experienced a domestic abuse incident. We are keen to offer the best support possible to all our pupils and we believe this will be extremely beneficial for all those involved.

Online Safety

As the world keeps turning and developing new technology it is vitally important to ensure our children are using the internet safely. In school the children receive internet safety lessons which teach them the rules of being safe online. We also need to make sure that the children are aware of how to be safe at home too. 

On this page you will find some useful resources which will help you ensure that any technology the children are using at home, is safe. At school, we keep the children safe through web filtering, vigilance from staff and important internet safety assemblies and lessons. 

Safeguarding Curriculum 

Pupil safeguarding and the promotion of fundamental British Values are a core aspect of our work at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School. Great importance is placed on identifying opportunities in the taught curriculum for children to learn about safeguarding. Our broad curriculum is enriched with opportunities to experience life in all its diversity, to acquire knowledge, understanding and skills that significantly impact on personal development, behaviour and welfare and equips every child with the knowledge and skills required for personal safeguarding. Our PSHE and RSE curriculum covers all areas of safeguarding through each of the strands. We are sensitive in our teaching and recognise that some more sensitive subjects are taught at an age appropriate level, or at a small group level or 1:1 level where a need arises. We challenge children to think deeply about safeguarding matters and their own personal physical and mental wellbeing. We give children opportunities across the curriculum to explore values, personal rights, responsibilities and equal opportunities that develop moral concepts that impact positively on safeguarding, promote British Values and prevent radicalisation and extremism.  

Here are some examples of the work we will do to ensure children remain safe:

• Online safety lessons and pupil digital leaders in school
• Safe use of technology including password security and privacy settings
• Emotional well being explored through resources in each classroom environment, weekly dedicated assemblies and set whole school tasks and projects
• Robust anti-bullying policy and child friendly anti-bullying policy and procedures, including a week focus during anti-bullying week, with a whole school focus and project
• Robust behaviour policy with strategies for reward and sanction based around our 3 Golden Rules
• Health and Safety policies and procedures including risk assessments
• Relationship and Health Education Policy
• NSPCC visit 
• Positive mental health and well-being, with a focus on the learning environment as a place of calm and regulation. Support for those feeling dysregulated to become ready to learn.
• Bikeability
• Fire awareness visits from the local fire service and fire drills
• Visits to school from medical staff/ outside agencies
• Where needed, advice and support from Norfolk – health, attendance, social care
• Computing, PSHE, DT, Science and PE policies and schemes of work which include safety guidelines and risk assessments
• PSHE Policy and themes which include strategies for developing self-esteem and confidence
• Regular learning walks seeking pupil voice on safety and ensuring they understand safety rules
• Pupil Council who are proactive in listening to other children’s views and being the spokespeople for their peers
• Clear safety procedures built into the start and end of each day
• Hats and cream worn for sun protection and the use of the outdoor environment in all weathers to promote health and well-being.
• Safeguarding induction procedures for new staff and volunteer helpers. 
• Fruit and water are made available for all KS1 children on a daily basis. All children are encouraged to bring in a water bottle of fresh water every day.
• Our RE curriculum includes units which celebrate diversity, caring for others, making healthy choices and the upholding of Catholic values
• Two hours of PE each week, swimming and water safety lessons and a range of clubs to join.