A duty is placed on the school and governing body to protect and promote the welfare of all children at Ashlands C of E Primary School. We follow the guidance of the Somerset Safeguarding Partnership and work with agencies such as Social Care, Health, the Police, and Parent and Family Support when needed to keep children safe.

Everyone in our community—staff, pupils, volunteers and parents—should know who to contact if they have a concern. The Designated Safeguarding Lead is the Headteacher, Miss Nicola Ball. In her absence, the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads are Kay Dawson and Tracey Lawrence. The governor responsible for Safeguarding and Child Protection is Mr David Harvey.

All staff receive safeguarding awareness training and understand the signs of abuse or neglect, as well as their responsibilities under the PREVENT duty. If a child discloses concerning information, adults must not question the child; instead, they must inform a designated safeguarding lead and record the disclosure factually and confidentially, as recommended by the Somerset Safeguarding Children’s Partnership. Disclosures that compromise safety cannot be kept secret. Somerset Direct (Children’s Social Care) can be contacted on 0300 123 2224.

We support families through Early Help, Early Help Assessments, and our Parent and Family Support Advisors, working with a range of services. Our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, reviewed annually by the Governing Body, can be found on our  Key Documents & Policies Page