Safeguarding

Who teaches your child

One named adult teaches: Leah, who holds an Enhanced DBS certificate with a check of the children’s barred list and is the designated safeguarding lead. William Burgess, a director who does not teach, is the deputy designated safeguarding lead and holds an Enhanced DBS certificate of his own. Either certificate is available to any parent on request. Nobody else teaches, observes or has contact with students, and no work is ever passed to a third party.

How lessons are conducted

Tutorials take place by video call at a time agreed with the parent. A parent may be present at any session without notice and does not need to ask. Recordings are not made. Communication about the work goes to the parent’s email address; children under sixteen are not messaged directly.

If something is disclosed

A child who discloses harm is listened to and not questioned further. A written record is made the same day. Where there is reason to believe a child is at risk, the matter is reported to the local authority children’s services in the family’s area, and to the police where a crime may have been committed. Consent is not required for a referral and the referral will be made whether or not it is welcome.

Written work

Children write about what they are reading, and reading is not always comfortable. Where an essay suggests distress rather than an argument, the parent is told. No child’s work is published, quoted or shown to anybody — anonymised or otherwise — without the written permission of a parent.

Concerns about this practice

A concern about Leah’s or William’s own conduct does not come to us first. It goes to the local authority designated officer, whose job is to consider allegations against adults who work with children. The practice is based in North Yorkshire, so that is the North Yorkshire LADO, and their details are set out below rather than provided on request. You do not need our permission and you do not need to tell us.

The email address expects secure mail, so telephoning is the more reliable route for a parent. Out of hours, 0300 131 2 131 reaches the Emergency Duty Team. Where a child is in immediate danger, call the police on 999 first.

A LADO considers allegations about an adult who works with children. A worry about a child’s own safety at home or elsewhere is a different thing and goes to the children’s services team for the area where that child lives, which for families outside North Yorkshire will not be the office above. Parents may also contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000.

Review

This policy is reviewed every August, and immediately after any incident. Superseded versions are kept and can be seen on request.