Rufford C.of E. Primary School

Safeguarding at Rufford C. of E. Primary

The safety and well-being of our children here at Rufford C. of E.  Primary School is of utmost importance to us and we will always act in the interest of the child.

What is safeguarding?

Safeguarding can be defined by promoting the health, safety and welfare of all pupils. Safeguarding is the responsibility of all adults, especially those working or volunteering with children. The school aims to help protect the children in its care by working consistently and appropriately with all relevant agencies to reduce risk and promote the welfare of children. 

What is child protection?

Child protection is a part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. This refers to the activity which is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or at risk of suffering, significant harm.

 

Our Team:

The Designated Safeguarding Lead at Rufford CE Primary School is:  Mrs Sarah Cookson, Headteacher, 01704 821300, head@rufford.lancs.sch.uk 

The Back up Designated Safeguarding Lead at Rufford CE Primary School is: Mrs S Newsham, Assistant Headteacher, 01704 821300, s.newsham@rufford.lancs.sch.uk  

Our Safeguarding Governor is: Mrs Fi Clague

All other members of school staff and governors are regularly trained and updated in safeguarding and child protection therefore working inline with key documents such as Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working Together to Safeguard Children.

All disclosures from children or concerns from adults are taken seriously, recorded and investigated thoroughly in line with Lancashire County Council's Safeguarding Children Board guidelines.

 

Concerns Outside School:

If you have concerns for the safety of children either in their family home or at extra-curriciular clubs, please do not hesitate to talk to the club's Safeguarding Officer or ring the Police non emergency number on 101. 

 

Other support:

More information and guidance on safeguarding, child protection, child abuse or neglect can be found on the following websites:

• NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children)
• CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre)
• Child Line (Call 0800 1111)

 

The Prevent Lead is: Mrs Sarah Cookson 

The documents below are all related to keeping our pupils and staff safe. 

If you have any specific safeguarding concerns you can always talk to any member of staff.

If you would like to talk to our Designated Safeguarding Leads about any concerns you may have, you can contact them via the school phone number or their school email addresses.

Operation Encompass

 

Here at Rufford, we are committed to keeping children safe and we are proud to be part of Operation Encompass.

Operation Encompass is a unique Police and Education Early Intervention Safeguarding Partnership which ensures that a child's school is informed, prior to the start of the next school day, that there has been an incident of Domestic Abuse to which the child or young person has been exposed to.

Each school is informed of all domestic abuse incidents, not just those where an offence can be identified or those which are graded as high risk. The partnership recognises that all incidents of domestic abuse can be harmful to children and young people.

This information will be shared throughout the year, including school holidays and weekends with the Key Adult. Information will only be shared with the Key Adult by the Police where it is identified that a young person was present, witnessed or was involved in a domestic abuse incident. This initiative has been implemented across the whole of the Lancashire Police area.

If you would like more information about Operation Encompass, you can view it online at https://www.operationencompass.org/

Our Key Adults are Sarah Cookson (Headteacher/DSL) and Sarah Newsham (Assistant Headteacher/Back-up DSL) 

If you have any questions or which to know about our involvement with Operation Encompass please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

Key Documents:

Please click here to read our Safeguarding Policy      

Please click here to read our Rufford Child Friendly Safeguarding Policy

Please click here to read our Prevent Policy Preventing Radicalisation and Extremism

Please click here  for advice on Online Safeguarding for Parents and Carers

Please click here to link to the latest version of Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68add931969253904d155860/Keeping_children_safe_in_education_from_1_September_2025.pdf

 

Prevent

What is the Prevent strategy? The Prevent strategy 

 

Prevent is a government strategy designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorist or extremist causes. The Prevent strategy covers all types of terrorism and extremism, including the extreme right wing, violent Islamist groups and other causes.

 

How does the Prevent strategy apply to schools?

 

From July 2015 all schools (as well as other organisations) have a duty to safeguard children from radicalisation and extremism. This means we have a responsibility to protect children from extremist and violent views the same way we protect them from drugs or gang violence. Importantly, we can provide a safe place for pupils to discuss these issues so they better understand how to protect themselves. 

 

What does this mean in practice?

 

Many of the things we already do in our school to help children become positive, happy members of society also contribute to the Prevent strategy.

 

These include:

 

• Exploring other cultures and religions and promoting diversity and tolerance
• Challenging prejudices and racist comments
• Developing critical thinking skills and a strong, positive self-identity
• Promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, as well as British values such as democracy.

 

We will also protect children from the risk of radicalisation, for example by using filters on the internet to make sure they can’t access extremist and terrorist material, or by vetting visitors who come into school to work with pupils. We will carry out our Prevent duty in different ways, depending on the age of the children and the needs of our community. 

 

 

Schools have been required to promote British values since 2014, and this will continue to be part of our response to the Prevent strategy. British values include:

• Democracy
• The rule of law
• Individual liberty and mutual respect
• Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs

KEY TERMS

Extremism – vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values such as democracy, the rule of law and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs

 

Ideology – a set of beliefs

 

Terrorism – a violent action against people or property, designed to create fear and advance a political, religious or ideological cause

 

Radicalisation – the process by which a person comes to support extremism and terrorism