Meadhurst Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We have a Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy in place and all staff (including supply staff, volunteers and governors) must ensure that they are aware of this policy and its procedures and attend annual safeguarding training. 

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is:

• Mrs M Dowsett, Vice Principal

Our Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads, and part of the wider care committee are:

• Mrs S Holley, Home-School Link Worker
• Mrs P Simmons, Pastoral Support Assistant

If you are concerned about a child’s welfare, please report to one of the DSLs as soon as possible between 9am and 4pm. Alternatively, you can contact the Surrey Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (C-Spa) on 0300 470 9100.

If your concerns relate to the actions or behaviour of a member of staff (which could suggest that s/he is unsuitable to work with children) then you should report this to Mrs Grace Shaw-Powell, Principal 

Opportunities to Teach Safeguarding

Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) September 2025 outlines that schools must ensure pupils are taught about safeguarding risks as part of a broad and balanced curriculum. This includes PSHE, RSE, computing, and assemblies.

PSHE in the National Curriculum

PSHE is a vital part of the curriculum at Meadhurst Primary School. It is taught using the Jigsaw Programme, through assemblies, lessons and as a discrete subject weekly throughout the year. Staff use daily informal opportunities to reinforce learning. The Jigsaw programme includes 6 units covering Reception to Year 6 and the children will experience assemblies, lessons and discussions in their class with their teachers.

The units covered are:

• Being Me
• Celebrating Differences
• Dreams and Goals
• Healthy Me
• Relationships
• Changing Me

Throughout the Jigsaw curriculum, pupils are taught how to keep safe through spiral curriculum which builds over time and empowers our children to make decision to keep themselves safe, and knowing how and where to seek help.   The scheme is regularly updated in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education and the statutory outcomes for PSHE and RSE.

Digital Literacy and Online Safety

E-safety lessons take place regularly over the course of the year. Children are regularly taught about how to stay safe when using the internet and are encouraged to recognise that people are not always who they say they are online. As part of whole-school policy, pupils are taught to seek adult help if they are upset or concerned about anything they read or see on the internet, or if they are concerned about any online or social media behaviour among their peers.

E-Safety

The internet is a wonderful resource, however ensuring our children know how to use the internet safely is paramount. Alongside ongoing teaching in the classroom parents and children can make use of the following resources.
 
CEOP

CEOP is the National Crime Agency’s ‘Child Exploitation and Online Protection’ service. CEOP works with child protection partners across the UK and overseas to identify the main threats to children and coordinates activity against these threats to bring offenders to account. CEOP protects children from harm online and offline, directly through National Crime Agency-led operations and in partnership with local and international agencies.
 
You can contact CEOP to report any inappropriate online activity. CEOP help children stay safe online. If someone has acted inappropriately towards you online, or to a child or young person you know- it may be sexual chat, being asked to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable, or someone being insistent on meeting up- you can report it to CEOP by following this link:

http://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/
     
ChildLine

ChildLine is a private and confidential service for children and young people up to the age of nineteen. You can contact a ChildLine counsellor about anything - no problem is too big or too small. Call free on 0800 1111, have a 1-2-1 chat online or send an email. Visit http://www.childline.org.uk/Pages/Home.aspx for further information.
 
NSPCC

The NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) helps children who have been abused to rebuild their lives, protects children at risk, and finds the best ways of preventing child abuse. For further information, visit http://www.nspcc.org.uk/ or call 0808 800 5000.

Online Gaming

Online gaming is a great way for children to communicate and have fun with each other on the internet. However, it is important we understand what types of games our children are playing, if the game is appropriate for their age, how much time they are spending playing video games and who they could be talking to whilst playing. Here are a couple of videos which explain the different types of in-game chat and tips for how you can make gaming fun, responsible and safe for the whole family. 

Parental Controls

Parental controls can be useful for keeping your child safe online. You can set limits for how long they play for, the amount they can spend on purchases, control chat functions and the content they can access. If you are unsure how to set up parental controls on your child's devices/consoles, here are some guides to help you:

• Internet Matters Parental Controls - https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/ 
• Nintendo Switch Parental Control Guide- https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/parental-controls-nintendo-switch
• PlayStation 4 Parental Control Guide - https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/parental-controls-playstation-4
• PlayStation 5 Parental Control Guide- https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/support/account/ps5-parental-controls-spending-limits/
• Xbox One Parental Control Guide- https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/parental-controls-xbox-one

More Links for Parents:

• CHILD NET - http://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers/hot-topics
• CEOP for Parents - https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/
• Safer Internet Day - http://www.saferinternetday.org.uk
• Digital Parenting Magazine - http://www.vodafone.com/content/digital-parenting/learning-and-fun/digital-parenting-magazine.html#
• GoCompare broadband parental controls and internet safety for children - https://www.gocompare.com/broadband/parental-controls/ 
  
  The link below features a guide to what children do on the internet, the threat of online strangers and how to ensure a healthy balance between internet use, your child's online privacy, digital security and more:
  https://www.safetydetectives.com/blog/parents-guide-for-safe-youtube-and-internet-streaming-for-kids/

 
E-safety links for children:

• CBBC - Click here for more informatiom
• THINK YOU KNOW? - http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk 
• MCGRUFF - http://www.mcgruff.org/#/Main 
• CHILDNET - http://www.childnet.com/young-people/primary

CSE resources:

NSPCC Online safety 
This is a great source of support for parents. 
Keeping children safe online | NSPCC

Parents Protect!
Project from The Lucy Faithfull Foundation
Parents Protect

NSPCC PANTS Campaign
Let's talk PANTS with Pantosaurus! | NSPCC

Relationships and Sex Education

Although relationships and sex education is not statutory at primary level, the need to safeguard pupils through developing their knowledge and understanding of this topic is taken very seriously at Meadhurst Primary School. Learning about relationships is a key aspect of the Jigsaw curriculum and in an age-appropriate manner, pupils are taught about relationships and keeping safe.  As a result of extensive stakeholder voice across the Trust, basic sex education is introduced in Year 6 in one lesson.  Parents have the opportunity to view the lesson before it is taught and the right to withdraw their child.  Please speak to M Dowsett if you have any questions regarding this.

Religious Education

The school is non-denominational and has a diverse ethnic and religious population. As such our Religious Education and assemblies include learning about different beliefs and festivals and provide opportunities to address specific safeguarding themes and issues.

Reporting Concerns

If you have a safeguarding concern during school hours, please contact the DSL team immediately. For urgent external support and outside of school hours contact:

• Surrey Children’s Single Point of Access (C-SPA): 0300 470 9100
• NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000
• Childline: 0800 1111

• Surrey Children’s Services – Children’s Single Point of Access (C-SPA):
  0300 470 9100 (Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm)
  cspa@surreycc.gov.uk
  Out of hours: 01483 517898
  SMS for the deaf or hard of hearing: 07527 182861 

• Surrey Mental Health Crisis Helpline (for all ages):
  0800 915 4644 (24/7, 365 days a year)
  Or call 111 and select the mental health option
  www.sabp.nhs.uk/crisis-helpline 
• Kooth.com:
  An online counselling and emotional wellbeing platform for young people aged 11–24.

Open daily until 10pm, with support from trained professionals via online chat.

• Respect (Domestic Abuse Support):
  www.respect.uk.net

Respect Phoneline: 0808 802 4040 (Monday–Friday, 10am–5pm)
Webchat available 9–10am, Monday–Friday 
A charity supporting victims of domestic abuse and those causing harm, working with partner organisations to provide the right help.

• Childline:
  0800 1111 – Free, confidential support for children and young people in the UK.
  www.childline.org.uk

Available 24/7 by phone, online chat, or email 
Topics include bullying, relationships, abuse, feelings, family, and school.

• Surrey Police:
  101 for non-emergencies
  999 in an emergency 

If someone is experiencing a mental health crisis and you are concerned for their immediate safety, you can:

• Call 111 for NHS advice
• Call 999 in an emergency
• Take them directly to A&E

Useful Links

• NSPCC
• BBC Own It
• ThinkUKnow