Ridgeway Farm CE Academy is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children. We expect every member of staff, governor, visitor and volunteer to share this commitment. Creating a safe, nurturing environment is central to everything we do.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children means:
protecting children from maltreatment
preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development
ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with safe and effective care
taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes
All adults working in our school maintain an attitude of “it could happen here.” Because staff work closely with children every day, they are well placed to identify concerns early, respond quickly and provide support for children who may be at risk.
Our Safeguarding Approach
We follow the statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE, September 2025) and meet the requirements of the Wiltshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (WSCP).
Our approach includes:
Early Help / Family Help: supporting families as soon as needs emerge
Multi-agency partnership working with health, police and children’s social care
Information sharing in line with WSCP guidance
Robust internal safeguarding systems supported by a strong safeguarding culture
We use the WSCP Multi-Agency Thresholds for Safeguarding Children to determine the appropriate level of support or intervention.
If we have concerns about a child’s welfare, we will contact parents/carers where it is safe to do so. If doing so would put the child at greater risk, we will seek advice from Children’s Social Care before making contact.
Wiltshire Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
If a child is at risk of harm, we work with the Wiltshire MASH, which acts as the central point for safeguarding referrals.
Wiltshire MASH Contact Numbers
0300 456 0108 – Monday to Friday (daytime)
0300 456 0100 – Emergency Duty Service (out of hours)
Parents/carers may also contact the MASH directly if they have urgent concerns about a child.
Record Keeping
We maintain clear, secure and contemporaneous records of all safeguarding concerns, actions taken and communication with families or professionals.
We use CPOMS to ensure effective monitoring, timely reporting and joined-up support.
Operation Encompass
Ridgeway Farm CE Academy takes part in Operation Encompass. This means Wiltshire Police inform our Designated Safeguarding Lead before the next school day if they have attended a domestic abuse incident where a pupil from our school was present or connected.
This enables us to support the child appropriately and sensitively.
Online Safety
Online safety is a vital part of safeguarding. At Ridgeway Farm CE Academy we:
teach pupils how to stay safe online
address risks such as grooming, cyberbullying, harmful content, misinformation and extremist materials
educate children about emerging risks, including AI misuse and online radicalisation
provide guidance for parents and carers on keeping children safe at home
use filtering and monitoring systems on school devices
Our updated Online Safety page for parents is currently being developed and will include practical guidance and resources.
Extremism & Radicalisation – Prevent Duty (Wiltshire)
We actively support the Government’s Prevent Duty and work with the Wiltshire Prevent Team for guidance, training and support.
Wiltshire Prevent Contacts:
Prevent Team Email: wiltshireprevent@wiltshire.gov.uk
National Prevent Advice Line: 020 7340 7264
Staff receive annual Prevent training to identify early signs of radicalisation and know how to respond.
Safer Recruitment
We follow safer recruitment practices in line with KCSIE 2025 and the Blue Kite Academy Trust. This includes:
DBS and identity checks
right-to-work verification
professional references
qualification checks
safeguarding induction for all adults working with children
Allegations Management
All concerns or allegations about the conduct of staff, governors, visitors or volunteers are managed in accordance with:
the Blue Kite Academy Trust Allegations Management Procedure, and
the WSCP Managing Allegations guidance
Visitors and Volunteers
All visitors sign in and are required to read our safeguarding notice and adhere to our expectations.
Visitors without DBS clearance are supervised at all times.
Volunteers complete safeguarding training before working with pupils.
What to Do If You Have a Concern
If you are concerned about the welfare or safety of a child, please contact our Safeguarding Team:
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Mrs Laura Gibbard
Deputy DSLs:
Mrs K Holder
Mrs Katy Mann
Safeguarding Governor: Mrs Bev Kauppinen
If you are worried about a child outside school hours:
Contact Wiltshire MASH – 0300 456 0108
Contact the Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency
Policies
Our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and related safeguarding policies can be found below and on the Policies section of our website. These are reviewed annually (or sooner if required).
The Blue Kite Academy Trust Safeguarding Statement is available on the Trust’s Policy webpage.
Useful Contacts
NSPCC: 0808 800 5000
Childline: 0800 1111
CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection): 0370 496 7622
Wiltshire MASH: 0300 456 0108 (day) / 0300 456 0100 (out of hours)
Wiltshire Prevent Team: wiltshireprevent@wiltshire.gov.uk
