Safeguarding & eSafety
Return to Key InformationHarry Watts Academy is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all pupils, staff and visitors and promoting a climate where pupils and adults will feel confident about sharing any concerns they may have about their own safety or the well-being of others.
Our school is committed to promoting the welfare of all children by working in partnership with parents and carers, the Local Authority (LA), Prosper Learning Trust and multi-agency partners in early help and child protection, in accordance with the agreed Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures and practices.
Our Designated Safeguarding Lead in School is Charlotte Wares. Charlotte is supported by the wider Safeguarding team, consisting of Louise Hindmarch (Headteacher) Catherine Bhatti (Deputy Headteacher), Melanie Howarth (Family Liaison Officer) and Leanne Southern (Assistant Headteacher).
Any safeguarding concerns should be directed to Louise. In school hours, she can be contacted on 0191 5623003. You can contact Together for Children - Sunderland on 0191 5205560 (available 8.30am to 5.00pm Monday - Thursday, 8.30am to 4.30pm Friday); or the Out of Hours Team on 0191 520 5552 (also available 24 hours Saturday and Sunday. In an emergency situation, the police should be contacted.
Training
All staff at Harry watts Academy complete regular training on all areas of safeguarding and child protection. This includes all staff completing comprehensive safeguarding training with our Safeguarding partner, Clennell Education Solutions. All staff then receive an annual refresher along with fortnight 'Bitesize' training sessions.
All safeguarding leads complete annual refresher training with Clennell Education Solutions, along with targeted contextualised training with the Local Authority and participate in local safeguarding network groups.
Annual Safeguarding Plan
Each year, we produce an annual plan to map out what safeguarding training we are holding for Staff, Safeguarding leads, Local Advisory Comitee, Pupils and Parents and Carers. This can be viewed on request.
Operation Encompass
Harry Watts is an Operation Encompass School, which is a national scheme that operates jointly between schools and police forces. Operation Encompass is the reporting to schools, prior to the start of the next school day, when a child or young person has experienced domestic abuse. As a school we have ensured that a member of our staff, (Designated Safeguarding Lead) known as a Key Adult, has been trained in the Operation Encompass procedures allowing us to then use the information that has been shared, in confidence, to support the child/ren in our care.
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 identifies children who experience domestic abuse as victims of domestic abuse in their own right.
We are keen to offer the best support possible to all our pupils and we believe this will be extremely beneficial for all those involved.
Lockdown Policy
As part of our health and safety policies and procedures PLT has a Lockdown Policy. Please note that PLT Lockdown Policy will not be publicly shared.
This plan is made in case of the rare event that it is necessary to seal off one of our academies so that it cannot be entered from the outside. This will ensure that pupils, staff and visitors are safe in situations where there is a hazard in the school grounds or outside in the near vicinity. A lockdown is implemented when there are serious security risks on the premises. This could be due to, for example, a nearby chemical spillage, proximity of dangerous animals, serious weather conditions or attempted access by unauthorised persons intent on causing harm or damage.
In a lockdown situation any incident or development will be communicated to parents and carers as soon as is possible and in line with advice from Emergency Services. We understand that in a lockdown situation parents and carers will be concerned. However, in the unlikely event that this situation arises in one of our academies we ask that:
- parents/carers do not contact the school as this could tie up telephone lines that are needed for contacting the emergency services
- parents/carers do not attempt to come to the school, unless specifically asked to do so, as they could put themselves and others at risk
- parents/carers should wait until the school has contacted them about when it is safe to come and collect their child(ren), and where this will be from
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