Safeguarding at St Bernard’s Preparatory School

At St Bernard’s Preparatory School we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We expect all members of the school community to share this commitment. We recognise the important role we play in the wider safeguarding system for children. The safety and welfare of our children is paramount, and we therefore create a safe environment where children are valued, respected and listened to.

We have rigorous policies and procedures in place that contribute to our safeguarding commitment, including our Child Protection Policy which can be viewed on this website (include link). We also have effective recording and monitoring processes, including safer recruitment procedures.

All staff, volunteers and governors are trained to a level appropriate to their safeguarding responsibilities, and in line with statutory guidance. All staff are required to report any cause for concern to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputies. Referrals are logged, monitored and actioned to ensure that they are followed up appropriately.

When there are concerns about a child’s welfare, we willingly work in partnership with other agencies and we may share information with these agencies if necessary. We will ensure that our concerns about our children are discussed with parents/carers first, unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child’s welfare.

We actively support the Government’s Prevent Agenda to counter radicalism and extremism.

The Safeguarding Team at St Bernard’s Preparatory School consists of:

• Ms A Underwood – Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
• Mr N Cheesman – Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)
• Mrs M Biscardi – Early Years DDSL

If you have any serious concerns about your child, another child or a member of staff at St Bernard’s Preparatory School, please do not hesitate to contact the Designated Safeguarding Team who will be able to provide you with the best advice and help using the appropriate degree of confidentiality. The DSL or DDSLs can be contacted on 01753 521821.

 The Slough Children First (SCF) can be contacted on 01753 477321.

Contact numbers for all Berkshire and Slough Child Protection Procedures can be found here.

Photographs and Videos

We are very mindful of our duty of care towards all our children and we take safeguarding very seriously. This duty of care towards our children includes the sharing of photographic and video images.

Any photographs or videos taken by parents, carers and relatives at school productions, assemblies, sports days or other events are for the enjoyment of individual families only, and they must not be used in any way that could potentially place a child at risk. The publishing of images or videos in any form of print or on the internet, including on social networking sites is not permitted. We will always remind parents, carers and relatives of this before school events.

We understand and respect that in certain circumstances a parent or carer may not wish their child to be photographed or filmed. All parents are asked to complete a Media Consent form when their child starts at St Bernard’s Preparatory School. This form indicates permissions of how parents and carers wish the school to use their child’s photos for marketing purposes. Occasionally, the local press may be invited to take photographs of school events and special achievements. We use photographs of our children on our website, in school documents, in the newsletter and on our digital display screen.