Safeguarding and Mental Health

Safeguarding in Our School

Acle Primary Academy is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children at all times. We expect all staff, governors and volunteers to share this commitment, and training, monitoring and reporting procedures are in place to ensure this commitment is realised.

We aim to provide a safe environment that is conducive to learning. We also aim to identify children who are suffering or likely to suffer significant harm, and take appropriate steps to keep them safe in school and at home when required.

As part of our duty to provide a safe and secure environment for our children and to promote the welfare of our pupils, all visitors to the school are required to report to the school office first, for security reasons.

We have safer recruitment procedures in place, as well as a range of policies and procedures to ensure that your child is safe while at school (link to current Safeguarding Policy)

Safeguarding and the Curriculum

As part of our overall curriculum, we aim to educate children about safeguarding issues, particularly using the internet and social media safely, drugs, relationships and sex education. Safety issues and subjects are discussed and safe practices are also taught, for example through the safe use of play and PE equipment.

Health and Safety

We have a Health and Safety Policy and provide a safe secure environment for pupils and staff. We work in accordance with St Benet's Multi-Academy Trust and carry out regular Health and Safety inspections and fire drills.

At all times, we ensure that appropriate pupil/adult ratios are maintained and risk assessments are carried out for all activities and school trips

Safeguarding Support

 

• Mrs Clarke
  Designated Safeguarding Lead
  Mrs Clarke

• Miss Firago
  Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
  Miss Firago

• Mrs Belgrave-Lock
  Safeguarding Governor
  Mrs Belgrave-Lock

 

We have three Designated Safeguarding Leads:

Mrs Clarke, Executive Headteacher, Mrs Tovell, Head of School and Miss Firago, our Wellbeing Co-ordinator. We also have a designated Safeguarding Governor, Mrs Belgrave-Lock, who monitors our safeguarding and child protection processes alongside the governing body.

If you have any questions regarding the safety of a child during term time please contact one of the designated safeguarding leads via the school office.

Click here to see our safeguarding policy.

If you need assistance outside of school hours, at a weekend or during a school holiday you can contact the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) 24 hours a day.

You can do this via their website at: www.nspcc.org.uk/what-you-can-do/report-abuse/ by telephone: 0808 800 5000, by text: 88858 or by email: help@nspcc.org.uk

If you think a child is in immediate danger do not delay: CALL 999 straight away.

Wellbeing and Mental Health

Our Wellbeing Co-ordinator and Mental Health Lead is Monika Firago and she is an advanced Drawing and Talking Therapy Practitioner in our school.

She specialises in special needs and social, emotional and mental health needs which she is passionate about!

She leads several successful interventions including Meditation, Drawing and Talking Therapy and Lego Therapy.

She is passionate about wellbeing and I know how important it is to have a healthy mind!

Supporting children with Drawing and Talking Therapy is one of her favourite things to do.

There is no better feeling for her than to help someone to process their own feelings, seeing them find a resolution and to be able to help them heal.

 

Drawing and Talking Therapy is a therapeutic intervention suitable for children, adolescence and adults which focuses on prevention, early intervention and recovery of mental health issues through therapeutic play work.

Drawing and Talking is a person-centred one to one intervention focusing on supporting the social and emotional wellbeing through story telling. The technique is intended to allow the person to play, by drawing a picture and process any emotions they are holding internally in a safe and non-confrontational  way, working at their own pace.

 

Aims of intervention 

It allows us to build emotional resilience and an understanding of human connection

Greater self-esteem

Ability to make important and safe human connections

Feeling happier 

Reduction in anxieties 

Better able to access and navigate the world both socially and emotionally 

Resolution of internal turmoil

 

Miss Monika Firago

Wellbeing Lead and DDSL

Drawing and Talking Practitioner

 

Further links you may find useful, dealing with a range of issues, including online safety:

  

 

Click the picture below to find out more about the different levels of support in Norfolk in place to keep children safe from harm: