Safeguarding

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 is defined for the purposes of this guidance as:

• providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge
• protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online
• preventing the impairment of children’s mental and physical 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

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.

Children can speak to any trusted adult in school if they feel worried, unsafe or need help. The adult will listen and make sure they receive the right support.

Our Safeguarding Approach

We follow the statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education and meet the requirements of the Wiltshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (WSCP).

Our approach includes:

• Early Help and Family Help: providing support through universal services and community-based Early Help, or targeted support through Family Help, 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.

We recognise that children may experience prejudice-based harm, including racism, faith-based prejudice and other forms of discrimination. Where appropriate, these concerns will be considered and responded to as safeguarding matters.

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: 0800 011 3764

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 2026 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 Katherine Holder

  • Mrs Catherine 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):Report to CEOP, with 999 for immediate danger.

• Wiltshire MASH: 0300 456 0108 (day) / 0300 456 0100 (out of hours)

• Wiltshire Prevent Team: wiltshireprevent@wiltshire.gov.uk

Our Commitment

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. At Ridgeway Farm CE Academy we work tirelessly to provide a safe, caring and supportive environment where all children can thrive, feel valued and achieve their potential.