Albemarle Primary School

Choosing the right Primary School for your child is one of the most important decisions you will have to make. At Albemarle, we believe that every child deserves the best possible education. Adults and children work together and create an environment in which everyone can flourish and achieve their true potential, both academically and socially.

Staff and Governors provide a relevant, creative and inclusive curriculum which raises achievement, encourages all children to have a ‘Love for Learning’ and inspires them to succeed in all that they do. The school’s eight Core Values, provide an ethos which unites and empowers everyone to gain confidence, take risks and seize opportunities to excel in an ever changing world.

The Governors and staff of Albemarle Primary School, including those involved in Wrap Around Care provision (ABC Breakfast Club, Twinkling Stars After School Care and After School Clubs) fully recognise the responsibilities and duties placed upon them to have arrangements in place to safeguard and
promote the welfare of all pupils at the school. We recognise that all staff,including volunteers, have a full and active part to play in protecting pupils from harm.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:

• Protecting children from maltreatment.
• Preventing impairment of children’s health or development.
• Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

We believe that our school provides a caring, positive, safe and stimulating environment in which pupils learn and one which promotes the social, moral, spiritual and emotional well being of each individual pupil.
The school recognizes its responsibilities and duties to report Child Protection concerns to Children’s Social Care, to assist Social Services in Child Protection enquirers and support Children in Need.

This policy is in line with the London Child protection Procedures 2017 (5th edition amended 31st March 2017), Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015 and Keeping Children Safe in Education 2016. Additional Guidance comes from the ‘PREVENT’ programme and ‘CHANNEL General Awareness’ by the Collage of Policing.

The school will raise Child Protection concerns with parents / carers at the earliest appropriate oportunity. The school will ensure that all staff are provided with the appropriate training in Child Protection and Safeguarding issues, including the Early Help processes as recommended by the Local Authority.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead will also ensure that all staff are provided with Part One of Keeping Children Safe in Education 2016 guidance and that staff are assisted to understand and discharge their roles and responsibilities as set out in this guidance.

Albemarle Primary School is also signed up to the Project Tearose information sharing agreement between the Metropolitan Police and Wandsworth Borough Schools.

We understand that one of the biggest influences on a child’s education is the adults who work with them and we pride ourselves in our passionate and dynamic teachers who deliver high quality teaching and raise standards.

Our team of highly trained support staff work alongside teachers to support the children and as a result, all children including those with special educational needs or English as an additional language make good progress across the curriculum and thrive emotionally.

We want every child's first experience of school to be a happy and positive one and encourage all prospective families to visit. Each term, we hold 'Open Days'. This is a chance for you to visit Albemarle, meet with the Headteacher and have a tour of the school.

At Albermale we:

• Believe that all children have a right to be protected from harm and /or abuse.
• Recognise that abuse occurs in all cultures, religions and social classes and that staff need to be sensitive to the many differing factors which need to be taken into account depending on the child’s cultural and social background.
• Recognise that because of the day to day contact with children, school staff are extremely well placed to observe outward signs of abuse.
• Recognise that a child who is abused or witnesses abuse or violence may find it difficult to develop and maintain a sense of self-worth, they may feel helpless and humiliated and may feel self-blame.
• Recognise that the school may provide the only stability in the lives of children who have been abused or are at risk of harm.
• Accept that research shows that the behaviour of a child in these circumstances may range from that which is perceived as normal to that which is overly aggressive, disturbed or withdrawn.
• Know that it is important that children feel secure, are encouraged to talk and are sensitively listened to, and that children know that there are adults in school whom they can approach if they are worried or unhappy.
• Adhere to the principles of working in partnership with those who hold parental responsibility for each child.
• Our prime concern at all times is the welfare and safety of the child. Where there is a conflict between the needs of the child and the parent/carer, the interests of the child will remain paramount.