Safeguarding Statement

Introduction

The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy is committed to the vital contribution all governors and staff can make to safeguarding children. We will strive to make sure that every student in the Academy feels secure, well cared for, and able to reach their full potential.

We will ensure all our own staff, other professionals, parents/carers and students work together to know the rules about keeping children safe. They will understand the importance of following procedures and listening to each other, especially when there are concerns about safety. The Government publishes statutory guidance for schools on keeping children safe in education settings. Please click here to read this guidance.

The Academy provides a wide range of learning opportunities to promote well-being and will develop programmes that enable young people to be informed about safeguarding issues that may arise. This will help them to understand how to keep safe and how to manage in difficult situations. We will also provide pastoral mentoring and support.

We will also offer advice and support for parents if needed and will provide links to organisations that may help you understand and manage some of the issues that children may face.

The Academy will work hard to reduce all the kinds of harm that children can suffer, including abuse, bullying, discrimination and avoidable injuries. Our prevention of bullying policy, including details of our strategy, is included in the document list at the bottom of this page. If you have any concerns at all about the safety or welfare of a child, please do not hesitate to contact us.

You can call the Academy on 0208 6891255 or email: office@lanfranc.org.uk

Our Safeguarding team

Advice lines for children

Get help and advice about a wide range of issues, call Childline on 0800 1111, talk to a counsellor online, send Childline an email or post on the message boards

www.childline.org.uk

https://www.kidscape.org.uk/advice/advice-for-young-people/

Online Safety

Social networking is hugely popular. Many young people are sophisticated in the way they use social media apps and websites, tailoring their communication for different audiences, and accessing them from a range of devices including smartphones, tablets, and games consoles.

But social media, like all forms of public communication, comes with some risks. Not all of these risks turn into actual problems; and if children never face any risks, they never learn how to deal with them. By helping your child understand what the risks are, you can play a big part in preventing them from turning into problems.

Guidance for parents and carers on online sexual harassment and keeping children safe online

The Children's Commissioner has created a guide for parents and carers on online sexual harassment and how they can support children to stay safe online. "The things I wish my parents had known" draws together advice from 16 to 21 year olds on how parents should manage tricky conversations around sexual harassment and access to inappropriate content, including pornography.

The Commissioner's office began a programme of work focussing on peer-on-peer abuse following the avalanche of testimonies on the Everyone's Invited website, which laid bare an epidemic of sexual violence among teens. This was picked up in Ofsted's June 2021 review of sexual harassment in schools and colleges.

A surprising but overriding message from young people is that parents should start these challenging conversations early. They suggest broaching topics before a child is given a phone or a social media account, which is often around the age of 9 or 10.

Children Absent from Education

Schools need to be aware of those children who are absent from school for prolonged periods or/and on repeated occasions as this may be an indicator of welfare concerns. Multi-agency working is essential when children are absent from school and potentially at greater risk of harm. This includes liaising with social workers where a child is on a child in need or child protection plan or is looked after by the local authority. Children absent from education are at significant risk of underachieving, being victims of harm, exploitation or radicalisation, and becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training) later in life.

At TALA we work hard to ensure that all children are safe and happy in school and we follow all statutory guidelines; working alongside external agencies and the Local Authority so that no child gets left behind. All schools must inform their Local Authority of any student who fails to attend school regularly, or has been absent without the school's permission for a continuous period of 10 school days or more, at such intervals as are agreed between the school and the local authority.

Female genital mutilation (FGM)

FGM is when a female's genitals are deliberately altered or removed for non-medical reasons. It's also known as 'female circumcision' or 'cutting' but has many other names. It can have long lasting harmful consequences.

FGM is a form of child abuse. It's dangerous and a criminal offence in the UK. All professionals have a legal duty to report any possibility of a girl being at risk of FGM.

Please see the link below for advice and guidance:

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/female-genital-mutilation-fgm/#what-is

Criminal exploitation - County Lines

Criminal exploitation is also known as 'county lines' and is when gangs and organised crime networks groom and exploit children to sell drugs. Often these children are made to travel across counties, and they use dedicated mobile phone 'lines' to supply drugs. If you need any further information or advice, please use the link below.

https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/our-work/tackling-criminal-exploitation-and-county-lines/county-lines-resources

Child sexual exploitation (CSE)

Is a type of sexual abuse. Often, when a child or young person is exploited, they're given things, like gifts, drugs, money, status and affection, in exchange for performing sexual activities. Children and young people are often tricked into believing they're in a loving and consensual relationship. This is called grooming. They may trust their abuser and not understand that they're being abused.

Children and young people can be trafficked into or within the UK to be sexually exploited. They're moved around the country and abused by being forced to take part in sexual activities, often with more than one person. Young people in gangs can also be sexually exploited.

Anybody can be a perpetrator of CSE, no matter their age, gender or race. The relationship could be framed as friendship, someone to look up to or romantic. Children and young people who are exploited may also be used to 'find' or coerce others to join groups.

For further information:

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/child-sexual-exploitation/#what-is

Counter terrorism and the Prevent strategy

The Safer Croydon Partnership works with the security services and the community to try and reduce the risks presented by those from within our community who might engage in an act of extreme violence, endangering every person in Croydon as well as themselves.

If you have anything you wish to report, please note the following numbers:

Always dial 999 in an emergency

For non-emergencies you can contact the police via:

Anti-terrorist hotline: 0800 789 321

You can also email channel@croydon.gov.uk

All information received will be treated in the strictest confidence.