Safeguarding
‘Pupils’ welfare, care and safety are at the centre of everything that staff do. Staff forge strong and trusting relationships with pupils based on an acute understanding of their individual needs.’ Ofsted 2024
At Sherwood Foundation School we are committed to creating and maintaining a safeguarding culture that enables all pupils to feel safe, secure and respected; and that their communication attempts will be listened to and valued. We are dedicated to providing an environment where children can interact, play, learn, achieve and thrive, where they are safeguarded and are enabled to exercise their own autonomy and communicate if they are being harmed in any way. We are alert to the signs of abuse and neglect and follow our procedures to ensure that all pupils receive effective support, protection and justice.
We acknowledge that the special educational needs and disabilities and/or health conditions of our pupils result in additional safeguarding challenges as they have an impaired capacity to understand, communicate, resist or avoid abuse. They may also be more prone to assumptions that indicators of possible abuse such as behaviour, mood and injury relate to the pupil’s disability and / or neurodivergence, rather than abuse or neglect, without further exploration. Our staff are aware of the additional barriers which exist and are taught to be vigilant to and recognise abuse and neglect in our population of pupils.
Staff are all trained to be professionally curious, responding to and questioning all forms of communication (conventional, unconventional and maladaptive) and changes in mood and wellbeing to really understand the pupil’s presentation.
Our safeguarding practice is fully embedded within our LEARN values and commitment to the use of Self-Reg and relationship focused total communication approaches which are integral to our school life.
‘Governors and leaders are committed to transparency, pupil welfare and staff collaboration.…..The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.’ Ofsted 2024
You can find our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy and our Wellbeing Behaviour Policy on our Policies Page.
Local Authority Safeguarding contacts
The Sutton Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) can be contacted on: LADO@sutton.gov.uk or 020 8770 4776.