Site Security

 

 

 

Site Security Policy

 

Purpose and aim

 

Aspin Park Academy has adopted the Elevate Child Protection Policy which gives clear direction to all adults and others about expected codes of behaviour in dealing with child protection issues. The policy also aims to make explicit the Trust’s commitment to the development of good practice and sound procedures. The purpose of the policy is, therefore, to ensure that child protection concerns and referrals are handled sensitively, professionally and in ways that support the needs of the child. The policy is reviewed annually alongside the Trust’s Health and Safety Policy.

 

NB Please note that where we use the term ‘parents’ this should be understood to refer to parents, carers and guardians with primary care responsibility for the child.

 

Introduction

 

This School Site Security Policy applies to all adults, including volunteers, working in or on behalf of the school and is an over-arching document which demonstrates how everyone working in or for our school service, shares an objective to help keep children safe from harm and abuse. We follow the definition of ‘Safeguarding’ adopted by Ofsted which they summarize as follows:

 

• protecting children and learners from maltreatment
• preventing impairment of children’s and learners’ health or development
• ensuring that children and learners are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• undertaking that role to enable those children and learners to have optimum life chances and to enter adulthood successfully.

 

We aim:

• to ensure that children within our school feel safe always
• to ensure that all stakeholders are safe and feel that they are able to put the welfare of the children first without concern that there will be any negative consequences attached to their actions
• to ensure that all adults who have contact with children in school have been properly vetted and cleared as suitable to work and support children in our care/charge
• to ensure that all adults who have contact with children in school have been trained to undertake their safeguarding responsibilities effectively

 

School Setting Commitment

 

• We establish and maintain an ethos where children and young people feel secure and are encouraged to talk and are listened to.
• We include in the curriculum and ‘core’ activities opportunities for children and young people to acquire skills and attitudes to both resist abuse in their own home and to prepare themselves for the responsibilities including parenthood in their adult lives.
• All staff whether permanent or temporary and volunteers who work with children, are appraised of the ways in which they are expected to work with children.

 

Creating a Safe, Supportive Site Security

 

Aspin Park Academy aims to provide a secure school site but recognises that the site is only as secure as the people who use it. Therefore, all people on the site must adhere to the rules, which govern it. It is recognised that laxity can cause potential problems with regards safeguarding. Therefore, the school ensures that:

 

• Gates are closed but not locked except at the start and end of each day. Only the pedestrian entrance on Wetherby Road is open to the public during the school day. All pedestrian gates are opened at the end of the school day. Car park gates on Grimbald Road are shut during the school day, the Wetherby Road gates are left open for deliveries and access.
• Doors are kept closed to prevent intrusion at key times.
• Visitors and volunteers only enter through the main entrance and must sign in at the office.
• Children are only allowed home with adults/carers with parental responsibility or when confirmed permission has been received in advance.
• Empty classrooms have closed windows.
• Children are not allowed to leave school alone during school working hours and only if collected by an adult over the age of 16, signed out.
• Should a child leave the school premises without permission then staff have been informed never to panic and chase after a child, but rather to report immediately to the office. Parents and Police (where appropriate) will then be immediately informed of the circumstances.
• Any unknown adult on the school premises should be confronted, by two members of staff wherever possible, and appropriate action taken.
• Where KS2 children need to visit the Abbey building, they should do so in twos wherever possible. Similarly where a child arrives in Abbey later than the start of the school day, and needs to go to Fountains, it is our intention they should either go with another child or be accompanied by an adult.

 

 

Policy review

This policy document will be reviewed by the Local Governing Body on an annual basis to ensure it is up to date with current legislation and best practice.