At Elmtree Infant and Nursery School, the health, safety and well-being of every child is our paramount concern. Our aim is for children to enjoy their time as pupils in this school. We want to work in partnership with you to help your child achieve their full potential and make a positive contribution.

To promote a safe environment for pupils, our selection and recruitment policy includes all checks on staff and regular volunteers’ suitability, including checks with the Disclosure and Barring Services, as recommended by Buckinghamshire County Council in line with current legislation.

In accordance with our responsibilities under section 175/157 of the Education Act 2002, and “Keeping Children Safe in Education” 2022, we have a Designated Safeguarding Lead for Child Protection Mrs. Whitehill - Headteacher), Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead Mrs. Dowling - Deputy Head and SENCo and Sophie Snowdon Assistant Safeguarding Lead & Family Liaison Officer (FLO), who have all received appropriate training for this role.  It is their responsibility to ensure all staff in contact with children receives child protection awareness training on a regular basis. We believe safeguarding and promoting our pupils' welfare is everyone’s responsibility, we work together as a team to achieve this. We listen to our pupils and take seriously what they tell us. 

There are occasions when concern about a child may mean that we have to consult other agencies.  Whilst we would always aim to work in partnership with parents, there may be exceptions to this when concerns are raised for the protection of a child.

On very rare occasions Social Care, whilst undertaking an investigation under S47 of the Children Act 1989, may want to speak to a child without parents’ knowledge. This decision would be made by the police and social care; we are required to work collaboratively with partner agencies and would therefore cooperate with direction given. This would however always only be done in situations where a child might be at immediate risk of harm.  To gain consent at this point may increase the level of risk to the child or cause evidence of a crime to be lost.

The procedures, which we follow have been laid down by the Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Children’s Board, and the school has adopted a Child Protection Policy in line with this for the safety of all. If you want to know more about our procedures, please speak to Mrs Whitehill or your child’s class teacher. Our policy can be found below.

If you have any concerns about a child's health, safety or wellbeing please do not hesitate to speak to one of our DSL's.

Elmtree Safeguarding Policies

Useful Links

Children with family members in prison

Children Heard and Seen support children, young people and their families who are impacted by parental imprisonment. We strive to support their needs, listen to their concerns and ensure that their voices are heard. All support is offered at no cost to the family and without need for agency referral.

We offer 1-1 support with trained staff, volunteer mentoring, parent support, peer support groups for children, online activities for children, and activity days.

Please get in touch for more information on how to access support for yourself or your child on 07557339258 or info@childrenheardandseen.co.uk  

Hope after Harm

Hope after Harm’s Family Matters team provides one-to-one, confidential and impartial support for families and friends who are affected when someone is under investigation, arrested or sentenced for an offence.

Please remember, you are not alone: Family Matters has experience of supporting people who find themselves in your situation.

Our support includes:

• Emotional Support – providing a listening ear and a caring presence to help you cope with your emotions.
• Practical Advice – guidance on navigating legal processes, social services and understanding your rights.
• Confidential Support – assistance with dealing with your relationships, friendships and navigating the criminal justice system.
• Signposting – help with finding and accessing local support such as housing, benefits or counselling.
• Understanding and Compassion – we understand the unique challenges faced by families and friends during police investigations.

Contacting Family Matters

If you would like more information, please telephone 01844 487985 or email familymatters@thamesvalleypartnership.org.uk or download our Family Matters Leaflet.