The Duchy School
Safeguarding & Wellbeing
The Duchy School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We expect our staff, governors and volunteers to share this commitment to safeguarding our pupils:
SAFEGUARDING IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY
The Designated Safeguarding Lead is Mr Simon Roberts (Headteacher). Our other trained Level 3 Safeguarding staff are Mrs Kate Dunning (KS2 Lead), Mrs Rebecca Prior (SENDCo), Miss Samantha Cunningham (Higher Level Teaching Assistant) and Mrs Emma Emery (Lead Administrator). Our Safeguarding Governor is Rebecca Davies.
We have a number of policies and procedures in place that contribute to our safeguarding commitment, including our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy which can be found in the policies section of our website.
All staff listen carefully to what children tell us and take what they tell us seriously. All staff are trained in child protection and are required to tell the Designated Safeguarding Lead what children tell us.
There are times when we may need to share information with other agencies when we are concerned for a child’s welfare. We always share our concerns about a child’s welfare with parents/carers first unless we have reason to believe it would not be beneficial for a child’s welfare.
The school actively supports the government’s Prevent Strategy to counter radicalisation and extremism.
The Devon Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) can be contacted on 0345 155 1071 or email mashsecure@devon.gov.uk MASH Parent Fact Sheet
We are an Operation Encompass school.
Operation Encompass runs jointly between local schools and Devon and Cornwall Police. It is a unique Police and Education early intervention safeguarding partnership which supports children and young people exposed to domestic abuse. Operation Encompass is the reporting to schools by the Police by 8am on the next school day when a child has been involved or exposed to a domestic abuse incident the previous evening.
The information is given in strict confidence to the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead to enable support to be given dependent on the needs and wishes of the child.
As well following our own school policies procedures, we aim to support our families in keeping their children safe. Click on the icons below to access websites that offer support to parents. We hope you find them helpful.
Keeping your child safe using social media
Mental Health
The Duchy School – Mental Health Strategy & Flowchart
The Jersulema Challenge – Watch our video here!
Keeping our minds mentally healthy is very important to us at The Duchy School. Our Y5 pupils have the opportunity to train as a Mental Health Ambassador with other pupils in Ventrus. They then support children at break times if they are struggling by first of all promoting the 10 a Day choices towards balancing our mental health:
The Young Devon Wellbeing Toolkit gives Tips, Tricks and Techniques for maintaining positive mental health during lockdown and beyond.
Talking Mental Health
Talking Mental Health is an animation designed to help begin conversations about mental health in the classroom and beyond.
’10 a day’ for Mental Health
As a school we promote ’10 a day’ for mental health. How many of your ’10 a day’ have you done today? Click on the link below if you would like a copy of the poster to use at home.
Happy Maps
A library of resources recommended by parents and professionals for parents worried about their child’s behaviour or mental health.