Safeguarding and E-Safety
The safety and wellbeing of our students is a key priority for everyone at Friern Barnet School and we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children.
We have a legal duty to protect children from maltreatment; prevent impairment of children’s health or development; ensure that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and take action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
Our staff form part of the wider safeguarding system for children and we work with social care, the police, health services and other services to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.
If you have a concern for a child's safety or welfare, please contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead Mr J Robinson (j.robinson@friern.barnet.sch.uk) or the Deputy Safeguarding Lead Mrs T Josif (t.josif@friern.barnet.sch.uk). Alternatively, you can contact the school at 0208 368 2777 and ask to speak to a member of the safeguarding team.
Safeguarding
We believe students should feel safe and well cared for in school. We expect staff to treat them with respect and listen carefully to their concerns. You can find out more about safeguarding in our Safeguarding and Child Protection policy and in the statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education, both of which can be found below or in the policies section of the website.
Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
Keeping Children Safe in Education
PSHE
PSHE education is a school subject which helps students develop the knowledge, skills and attributes to stay healthy and safe, form healthy relationships, stay safe online and what constitutes sexual harassment and sexual violence and why these are always unacceptable. Our PSHE curriculum is taught to all students from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4 by tutors. Details of the curriculum can be found in the curriculum area of the website.
Child on child abuse
We recognise that children are capable of abusing other children. Abuse will never be tolerated or passed off as 'banter' or 'part of growing up', as this can lead to a culture of unacceptable behaviours and an unsafe environment for students. All child on child abuse is unacceptable and will be taken seriously. Most cases of children hurting other children will be dealt with under our schools behaviour policy, but our safeguarding policy will apply to any allegations that raise safeguarding concerns.
The NSPCC (National Society for the Protection of Children)
Has a dedicated helpline for children and young people who have experienced abuse at school, and for worried adults and professionals that need guidance, including for non-recent abuse. The helpline can be accessed by phone (0808 8005000) or email (help@NSPCC.org.uk).
Parents and Carers
Parents and carers should speak to a member of the safeguarding team if they have any concerns about a child or staff member.
If you think a child or young person may be in immediate danger, call 999.
If you have urgent welfare concerns about a child you can phone the Barnet Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 020 8359 4066 (9.00am - 5.00pm). Outside these hours, contact Barnet Emergency Duty Team on 020 8359 2000. This is a partnership of professionals from a range of agencies which work together to safeguard the welfare of children in Barnet.
The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) is Rob Wratton. The LADO deals with allegations against staff. Rob can be contacted on lado@barnet.gov.uk
The Early Help hubs offer a range of services for children and young people, preventing the escalation of issues that would then require specialist services. They can be accessed by clicking here.
Online Safety
New technology brings many benefits and opportunities. However, there are also potential risks and challenges. We recognise the importance of safeguarding children from potentially harmful and inappropriate online material; we understand that technology plays a significant part in many safeguarding and wellbeing issues. We have robust processes in place to ensure the online safety of students and staff, protecting and education the whole school community in the safe and responsible use of technology.
If you think a child or young person may be in immediate danger, call 999.
Please refer to the useful websites below on how to keep your child safe:
E-Safety
Please click on the information below: