Safeguarding
Safeguarding at Nash Mills
The school places the issue of child protection as a top priority and rigorous procedures are put in place to ensure that every child is kept safe. All members of staff, together with volunteers, undergo full Criminal Records Bureau checks before working with children in addition to regularly updated training.
The school works in partnership with parents to protect and support children. However, the Children’s Act 1989 places a clear responsibility on schools to ensure that they work together with other agencies to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children. As a result, if concerns are raised within the school, or a child or parent reports a situation involving possible abuse or neglect, we would not be able to guarantee confidentiality. This would be referred to Children's Services, i.e. Social Services, in line with Government and Hertfordshire policies.
Our Designated Child Protection Staff are:
Mr Maher
Mr Shane
Mrs Jessop
In the interests of our children's safety, please feel you can approach these specific staff or any Nash Mills Staff if you have any concerns. To directly contact Children's Services (Social Services) phone 0300 123 4043.
Safeguarding: Drop Off, Collection and Absences
Guidance from HCC reminds parents that it is the parent’s/carer’s responsibility to ensure that a child is dropped off and collected by a responsible person if it is not safe for the child to walk home unsupervised. The suitability of a sibling caring for a younger child needs to be considered. Although some schools allow siblings over the age of 14 to drop off or collect a child, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the NSPCC recommend that no-one under 16 should be left to care for a younger child and that is the policy we follow.
If a parent is visiting the school for any reason, please ensure you report to the office, rather than walking past it, as it is important for security reasons that no-one is wandering through the school without informing office staff. Thank you.
Absences: If your child is sick or absent, please ring the office by 9 am. Any absences not reported on the first day will be marked as unauthorised.