Safeguarding at Thomas Harding Junior School 

At Thomas Harding Junior School, Safeguarding and Child Protection are paramount and we are fully committed to ensuring the welfare and safety of all our children and expect all staff, visitors and volunteers to share this commitment.

We believe that all pupils have a right to learn in a supportive, caring and safe environment which includes the right to protection from all types of abuse; where staff are vigilant for signs of any pupil in distress and are confident about applying the processes to avert and alleviate any such problems.

Our key aims are to ensure;

• All of our pupils are safe and protected from harm,
• Other elements of provision and policies are in place to enable pupils to feel safe and adopt safe practices;
• Staff, pupils, governors, visitors, volunteers and parents are aware of the expected behaviours’ and the school’s legal responsibilities in relation to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all of our pupils.

We believe that Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and as such, our school aims to create the safest environment within which every pupil has the opportunity to ASPIRE highly and reach their full potential.   We recognise the importance of us ensuring our pupils know how to seek support, feel that they will be listened to and appropriate action taken. We want everyone to feel safe and secure.

Thomas Harding has a team of Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs). 

Mrs D Milner 

Mrs S Naqvi

Mrs C Murison

Miss A Arnott

 If you have any concerns about the safety or well-being of a child, please share those concerns with a member of the team.  Please note any information will remain confidential but if there are any concerns in relation to the safety of the child, we will have to refer it to the MASH referral hub.

The school pays full regard to the DfES guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education, 2023’ Keeping children safe in education - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).  We ensure that all appropriate measures are applied in relation to everyone who works in the school who is likely to be perceived by the children as a safe and trustworthy adult including volunteers and staff employed by contractors.  Safer recruitment practice includes scrutinising applicants, verifying identity and academic or vocational qualifications, obtaining professional and character references, and checking previous employment history.  It also includes undertaking interviews and DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) checks.

Safeguarding is about ensuring that everyone is safe from harm and that we all feel safe in our environment.