A Culture of Safeguarding

At Great Sankey High School, the safety, wellbeing and welfare of every child are fundamental to everything we do. We want every student to feel safe, known, valued and confident that there is always an adult who will listen and help.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. All staff, governors, volunteers and adults working within our school community share a commitment to protecting children from harm and promoting their welfare. Our approach is proactive and vigilant: we seek to identify concerns early, listen carefully to children and families, and act promptly when support is needed.

Our safeguarding culture reflects our values of Growth, Respect, Excellence, Aspiration and Teamwork. We treat every child with dignity and respect, work together to remove barriers to their wellbeing and education, and maintain the highest expectations for their safety and care.

Listening to Children

The voice of the child is central to effective safeguarding. We work hard to create a culture in which students know that their concerns will be taken seriously and that they can speak openly to trusted adults.

Students are encouraged to report anything that makes them feel worried, unsafe or uncomfortable, whether the concern relates to themselves or somebody else. Staff understand that children may communicate concerns in different ways and are alert to changes in behaviour, attendance, presentation or wellbeing that may indicate that additional support is needed.

We make it clear that students should never feel they have to manage a safeguarding concern alone.

Early Identification and Support

Effective safeguarding begins with knowing our students well. Staff are trained to recognise signs that a child may need help and to respond appropriately, professionally and without delay.

Where concerns emerge, we take timely and proportionate action. This may involve support within school or working alongside parents, carers and specialist services. Our aim is always to ensure that children receive the right help at the right time and that actions taken make a positive difference to their safety, wellbeing and ability to thrive.

We work closely with relevant external agencies, including children’s social care and other safeguarding partners, and share information appropriately where this is necessary to protect a child.

A Knowledgeable and Vigilant Staff Team

Safeguarding is an ongoing professional responsibility for every member of staff.

All staff receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training when they join Great Sankey High School, together with regular updates and professional development. This ensures that staff understand current statutory guidance, emerging safeguarding risks, school procedures and their individual responsibility to identify, report and respond to concerns.

Our safeguarding arrangements are led strategically by the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), and operationally by our Senior Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (SDDSL). They are supported by an appropriately trained safeguarding team who work together to ensure that concerns are identified, assessed and acted upon effectively.

The DSL provides strategic leadership and oversight of safeguarding across the school, while the SDDSL supports the effective day-to-day operation of safeguarding systems and practice. Together, they provide advice and support to staff and work closely with students, families and external agencies to secure appropriate support and protection for children.

Safeguarding is also subject to appropriate governance oversight, including a designated governor with responsibility for safeguarding.  Further information on our safeguarding team is located below.

Safer Recruitment and a Safe School Environment

We are committed to ensuring that adults working with our students are suitable to do so.

Our safer recruitment procedures follow statutory requirements and include the appropriate pre-employment checks. Relevant adults working regularly within school are subject to the required Disclosure and Barring Service and other safeguarding checks.

We maintain clear arrangements for visitors and contractors, including identification, signing-in and appropriate supervision requirements. Staff understand their responsibility to remain professionally curious and to report any concerns about the conduct of an adult working with children.

Our safeguarding and child protection procedures apply to staff, governors and volunteers across the school.

Understanding the Risks Children May Face

Safeguarding extends beyond the school gates. Our staff remain alert to the wide range of risks that children and young people may encounter in school, at home, within the community and online.

This includes concerns relating to abuse and neglect; bullying and child-on-child abuse; sexual harassment and sexual violence; exploitation; harmful behaviour; online safety; mental and emotional wellbeing; domestic abuse; substance misuse; radicalisation and extremism; and other circumstances that may place a child at risk.

We recognise that safeguarding risks change over time. Our practice, training and curriculum therefore respond to national guidance, local safeguarding priorities and the experiences and needs of our own school community.

Online Safety

Technology offers enormous opportunities for learning, communication and creativity, but it can also expose young people to risk.

Through education, appropriate filtering and monitoring arrangements, staff training and partnership with families, we help students understand how to use technology safely and responsibly. Students learn about issues including privacy, harmful content, online relationships, misinformation, inappropriate contact and conduct, and how to seek help when something online concerns them.

Online safety is an integral part of our wider safeguarding culture rather than a standalone issue. Our approach is regularly reviewed so that we can respond appropriately to emerging technologies, changing patterns of online behaviour and new risks to children and young people.

Parents, carers and students can find further information, guidance and resources on our dedicated Online Safety webpage.

Safeguarding Through the Curriculum

Our curriculum plays an important role in helping students develop the knowledge, confidence and resilience to keep themselves and others safe.

Through Personal Development, Relationships, Sex and Health Education and the wider curriculum, students learn about healthy and respectful relationships, consent, personal boundaries, online safety, discrimination, exploitation and how to recognise and respond to situations that may place them or others at risk.

Learning is carefully sequenced and age appropriate, helping students build the knowledge and confidence they need as the risks and responsibilities they encounter change throughout adolescence.

We want our students to become informed, compassionate and responsible young people who understand both their rights and their responsibilities and who are equipped to make safe, respectful and informed choices.

Further information about how we develop students' character, confidence, relationships, understanding of the wider world and readiness for adult life can be found on our dedicated Personal Development webpage.

Prevent and Fundamental British Values

Great Sankey High School fulfils its statutory responsibilities under the Prevent duty and takes appropriate action where there are concerns that a young person may be vulnerable to radicalisation or extremist influence.

Our curriculum supports students to encounter, explore and discuss a wide range of ideas and perspectives in an age-appropriate and intellectually rigorous way. We promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

Students are taught how to discuss challenging and controversial issues respectfully, evaluate information critically and challenge prejudice, discrimination and extremist narratives.

Working in Partnership with Families

Strong safeguarding depends upon Teamwork.

We value open, respectful relationships with parents and carers and recognise the vital role families play in keeping children safe. Where appropriate, we work collaboratively with families to understand concerns, identify support and secure the best possible outcomes for children.

There may be circumstances where safeguarding responsibilities require the school to share information or make a referral without first seeking parental consent. In such situations, the welfare and safety of the child will always guide our actions, in accordance with statutory guidance.

Parents and carers are encouraged to contact the school whenever they have a concern about their child or another young person. Concerns can be raised with a member of the Safeguarding Team, Pastoral Year Team, Form Tutor or another trusted member of staff.

Our Values in Action

Our safeguarding culture brings our Great Sankey values to life:

Growth – We help students develop the knowledge, resilience and confidence to recognise risks, make safe choices and seek help.

Respect – We listen to children, take their concerns seriously and treat every member of our community with dignity.

Excellence – We maintain rigorous safeguarding practice, high-quality training, effective systems and strong professional accountability.

Aspiration – We believe every child deserves to be safe, supported and able to participate fully in education and pursue an ambitious future.

Teamwork – We work in partnership with students, families, staff, governors and external agencies because effective safeguarding is a shared responsibility.

If You Have a Safeguarding Concern

If you are worried about a child, please tell us.

Students, parents and carers should never hesitate to raise a concern, however small it may initially seem. Information can be shared with the school’s Safeguarding Team or another trusted member of staff.

If a child is at immediate risk of significant harm, emergency services or the appropriate local safeguarding service should be contacted without delay.

Our commitment is simple: we listen, we act and we work together to keep children safe.