Safeguarding
St. Ursula’s Convent School is a strong community and all those directly connected with us (staff, governors, families, and students) have an essential role to play in making it safe and secure. We recognise our moral and statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children.
Our important ethos and environment help children to feel safe, secure and respected. We encourage them to talk openly and feel confident that they will be listened to. We are alert to the signs of abuse and neglect and follow our procedures to ensure that children receive effective support, protection, and justice.
We maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ where safeguarding is concerned and promote a culture of openness where children have a voice and are listened to.
Our school core safeguarding principles are:
- It is a whole school responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children as its paramount concern.
- All children (defined as those up to the age of 18) regardless of age, gender, ability, culture, race, language, religion, or sexual identity, have equal rights to protection.
- All children have a right to be heard and to have their wishes and feelings considered.
- All staff understand safe professional practice and adhere to our code of conduct and other associated policies.
- All staff have a responsibility to recognise vulnerability in children and act on any concern in accordance with this guidance.
There are four main elements to our safeguarding policy.
- Prevention – positive, supportive, safe school culture, curriculum and pastoral opportunities for children, safer recruitment procedures.
- Protection – by following the agreed procedures, ensuring all staff are trained and supported to respond appropriately and sensitively to safeguarding concerns.
- Support – for all pupils, parents and staff, and where appropriate specific intervention for those who may be at risk of harm.
- Working with parents/carers and other agencies – to ensure appropriate communications and actions are undertaken.
Concerns can be reported at: safeguarding@stursulas.com
Our policies on safeguarding can be found on the policies page.
For our students:
- We provide a safe and supportive environment for you to study in.
- We have rules in place to ensure your safety.
- We want you to talk to us if you have worries or concerns. We will listen without judgement and will support you; this may mean working with others to ensure you are protected.
- Through a range of learning activities, we will guide you to learn how to take care of yourselves, both in the real world and online, and to think about the right choices and the consequences you may face if the wrong choices are made.
- We will offer advice, if appropriate, and signpost you to services that may be able to offer additional support.
- Staff, students and visitors to the school will be easily recognisable by the lanyards worn:
Grey with white writing with the word ‘STAFF’ = Staff
Yellow = Senior Prefects
Red = Visitors without DBS and must be accompanied.
Do not be afraid to speak out and seek help if you are worried about your own wellbeing or safety or that of a friend.
Operation Encompass
We are an Operation Encompass school; this means that we are alerted to a student who may have been involved in or witnessed a domestic incident the previous night.
This allows the provision of immediate early intervention or support, for the student and the family. This may take many forms depending on the needs and wishes of the student.
Safeguarding Team
SHARPS STANDS for School Help Advice Reporting Page System.
We all work together at St. Ursula’s Convent School to help with any problems you may have in or out of school. This is a CONFIDENTIAL way to stop YOU or a FRIEND or SOMEONE you have seen SUFFERING.
Click on the link above to contact us through SHARP system. Please be as specific and detailed as possible with your information so that we know who needs help and what kind of help they need. We will arrange help for them as soon as we can.
The SHARPS System will only be constantly monitored during school term times, please use the resources below during the school holidays if you require an immediate response.
https://stursulas.thesharpsystem.com/
https://www.loom.com/share/6c67efc400444763b70ed94c06672523
Urgent Assistance outside of school hours:
https://livewellgreenwich.org.uk/livingwell/youth-services/
https://greenwichsafeguardingchildren.org.uk/
Radicalisation:
https://www.educateagainsthate.com/
Prevent:
https://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/directory/95/holiday_food_and_fun_2021
https://www.trussell.org.uk/emergency-food
Online Safety
Responsible use of social media and Mobile Phones
In today’s social media age, children now have access to each other more than ever via social media and their mobile phones and devices. As a school we strongly encourage clear boundaries on using phones and the Internet. Parents and guardians should not allow their children to play age-inappropriate video games or to attend age inappropriate events.
Parents and guardians, as bill payers, have a responsibility for how mobile phones are used and can install controls on phones enabling them to filter which games, apps and websites their child can use, as well as monitor their usage. Be open and transparent with your child and discuss how they use their phone to help them understand what is appropriate and what is expected of them.
We regularly publish information for parents and carers about the use of the Internet and social media and hope the links below are helpful to you:
https://www.ceop.police.uk/CEOP-Reporting/
https://www.ceopeducation.co.uk/parents/ask-the-awkward
https://www.ceopeducation.co.uk/parents
https://www.onlinesafetyalliance.org/
Parent Guides:
file:///C:/Users/kmoorey/Downloads/snapchat%20(1).pdf
file:///C:/Users/kmoorey/Downloads/tiktok.pdf
file:///C:/Users/kmoorey/Downloads/whatsapp-2023%20(2).pdffile:///C:/Users/kmoorey/Downloads/hoop.pdf
file:///C:/Users/kmoorey/Downloads/amino.pdf
file:///C:/Users/kmoorey/Downloads/live-streaming.pdf
Wellbeing