Safeguarding
Our Trust wide policy for Safeguarding & Child Protection can be found here: https://www.huish.education/codes-and-policies/
Keeping Children Safe in Education, Part 1 – this document sets out the school’s statutory duties to keep children safe at school.
Safeguarding is taken extremely seriously at West Buckland School and is the responsibility of all adults including staff, governors, visitors and parents. If you have a concern about a child, please speak to one of the school’s trained safeguarding officers.
- Mr Cameron Mann, Designated Safeguarding Lead
- Mr Steven Bate, Miss Lisa King & Miss Jo Littlechild, Deputy Safeguarding Leads
Alternatively, if you are concerned that a child may be at risk or that you are struggling looking after your child please phone Somerset Direct, 0300 123 2224, who will be able to talk through your concerns with you.
http://sscb.safeguardingsomerset.org.uk/
Sexual Abuse & Harassment
As a Multi Academy Trust we have worked collectively to tackle this issue. Please see our full position statement here: Sexual Abuse Position Statement
Security
All visitors to the school should report in the first instance to the school office and to sign in. They are expected to read and comply with the school’s safeguarding requirements.
Safeguarding Leaflet for Visitors
Operation Encompass
Operation Encompass enables Police to share domestic abuse incident information with our school and Nursery to ensure children received immediate support and intervention. All level 3 trained Safeguarding staff here have undertaken Operation Encompass training.
Martins Law
Martyn’s Law, formally the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, is a UK law requiring publicly accessible venues and events to implement security measures to minimize the risk and impact of terrorist attacks. As such, we have a lockdown, invacuation and evacuation process which we practice throughout the year. We also have a regularly reviewed risk assessment around threat level to our setting.
Recruitment
All new appointments are made by a panel, at least one member of which is trained in Safer Recruiting.
‘Prevent’ Duty
All school staff have been trained in their statutory duty to prevent radicalisation. Further information for parents can be found here.
Medicines in School
If your child needs to have medicine, either prescription or ‘over the counter’, you should hand this in at reception and complete a permission form, available from the reception area.
Online Safety
Children regularly learn about keeping themselves safe online and about the appropriate use of mobile phones through the taught curriculum and assemblies. These messages are constantly reinforced through our behaviour policy and through informal conversations. The following websites provide support and information for parents.
For further support for parents, children and families, please contact Wellington Children’s Centre or GetSet Wellington Children’s Centre – 01643 700030 or email getset-westsomerset&taunton@somerset.gov.uk
Our Curriculum
Our Personal, Social, Health Education (PSHE) curriculum follows the 1Decison resources scheme which is a Kitemark assured programme of study for both PSHE and SMSC. Through this programme children also cover Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) as well as e-safety. With their approach of prevention over cure, through this scheme we aim to teach and support children making the right choice. With its interactive, video based resources, 1Decison provides us with a flexible approach allowing plenty of discussion.
Record Keeping
We use CPOMS to log all behaviour and safeguarding incidents.