Safeguarding - including child protection

Lakenham Primary School is wholeheartedly committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of every child in our care. We believe that all pupils have the right to feel safe, valued, and respected, and we work tirelessly to create an environment where they can learn and thrive with confidence. Safeguarding is at the centre of everything we do, and all staff, governors, and volunteers share a collective responsibility to protect children from harm.

We maintain robust safeguarding procedures, follow all statutory guidance, and work closely with families and external agencies to ensure the best outcomes for our pupils. Through our curriculum, policies, and daily practice, we teach children how to stay safe, make positive choices, and seek help when needed. Our priority is to ensure that every child feels secure, supported, and empowered throughout their time at our school.

Core Safeguarding Team

 At Lakenham Primary School we have a dedicated team to support with pastoral and safeguarding needs. See this page to find out what support the team offer. 

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

Miss Jess Morrison- Deputy Headteacher (Inclusion). 

Alternative Designated Safeguarding Leads (ADSL)

Miss Berenice Ludlow (Pastoral Support Assistant)

Miss Hollie Parle (Pastoral Support Assistant)

Mrs Emma Cashman (Pastoral Support Assistant)

Mrs Julie Lincoln (Pastoral Support Assistant)

Mrs Alice Kimberley (Attendance Officer)

Mrs Cassandra Williams (Headteacher)

Miss Nicki Hart (Deputy Headteacher)

Miss Amelia Bright (CALM Practitioner) 

Safeguarding Link Governor

Ms Olivia Sumpter

Important documents/links

Safeguarding/Child Protection Policy

Behaviour Policy

Attendance Policy

Operation Encompass

Lakenham Primary School is signed up to receive Operation Encompass Notifications.

Operation Encompass is a joint scheme between Norfolk Constabulary and Norfolk Children’s Services where Schools are notified anytime police are called to the family home of a pupil. Notifications typically come through within 24 hours of an incident. The aim here is to encourage joint up working between agencies to ensure children get the pastoral support they needed, as soon as possible. 

Norfolk Constabulary and Norfolk Children’s Services Responsibility:

• To provide a spreadsheet of all domestic incidents where a child was present before 8am the following morning. – To establish the correct educational provider.
•  To provide schools with enough information before 9am or as soon as possible thereafter so they are able to provide emotional support for children involved.
•  To keep an accurate record of all calls made.
• To keep an accurate record of named Key Adults for each education provider.

Schools will make their designated Key Adult available to receive notifications before 9am or as soon as possible thereafter. This information must be recorded via a record of notification form, stored within the school’s child protection recording system and disseminated to the appropriate staff. School staff will then decide on the appropriate support the child requires, this could be silent or overt.

School’s responsibility:

• To ensure there is a Key Adult and deputy within the school and that they have attended the appropriate briefing prior to receiving notifications. This must be someone who is a trained DSL with responsibly for safeguarding.
• Ensure the Key Adult is available to receive the notification from Children’s Services staff each morning
• To ensure they keep an accurate record of each notification and store it utilising the current process used to store child protection paperwork within the school.
• To provide silent or overt support to child, following a notification.
• To provide Children’s Services staff via email with an up to-date list of the Key Adults within their school and contact numbers and email addresses.

If you would like to find out more about Operation Encompass, then more information can be found via the National website - Click here for National Website Operation Encompass

Prevent Strategy

As part of Lakenham Primary School’s commitment to safeguarding and child protection we fully support the Government's Prevent Strategy, and take guidance from Teaching Approaches to help build resilience to extremism.

The Prevent strategy is a Government Strategy designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. It:

• responds to the ideological challenge we face from terrorism and aspects of extremism, and the threat we face from those who promote these views
• provides practical help to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure they are given appropriate advice and support
• works with a wide range of sectors (including education, criminal justice, faith, charities, online and health).

At Lakenham Primary School we ensure that we teach the children about the Prevent Aims. This is done through quality circle time and PSHE activities. In each year group we teach our children to be safe and to recognise the possible dangers they may face. Teachers make sure that this is done in a sensitive and age appropriate way.

Our designated Safeguarding leaders and all of our staff have been trained to recognise signs of Extremism.

Click here for additional information on Prevent https://educateagainsthate.com/

Safeguarding Requirements for Visitors

All staff and visitors working within our school have been checked as to their suitability, including verification of their identity, qualifications, and a satisfactory DBS check (according to guidance) and a central record is kept.

All visitors and volunteers to the school are made aware of our schools safeguarding procedures.

All visitors agree to:

• Report any safeguarding concerns to one of the DSLs noted above. 
• Not to use their mobile telephones around the school.
• Provide a good example and be a positive role-model by being respectful, safe and considerate to all.
• Treat all children fairly with respect.
• Avoid photographing children, exchanging email addresses, text messages, and phone numbers or giving out their own personal details.
• Wear their visitors badge and/or lanyard at all times.

Important Telephone Numbers

NSPCC Whistleblowing Hotline - 0800 0280285

Norfolk Children’s services – 0344 800 8020

Norfolk Police – 101

EMERGENCY – 999 or 112