Pastoral Care and Safeguarding
All teaching staff are involved in the whole development of every individual with whom they have contact.
Pastoral Care - Prep School
Children at Magdalene House are happy, safe and confident in their environment. Every child is treated as an individual whose potential our teachers strive to identify and nurture.
Those first years in school lay the foundation for children’s learning throughout the rest of their lives. Pupils learn how to socialise with their peers in their own class as well as those in other year groups. The older children are role models for the younger ones and are often seen helping, guiding and teaching them in the playground. We help pupils to find ways in which they learn best and keep them focused on reaching their goals whilst at the same time forging lifelong friendships.
House System
The children are divided into one of four houses: Clarkson, Peckover, Holmes or Sparks. Pupils gain “points-up” for working hard academically, representing the school in a way that deserves recognition, or to mark a special achievement. The purpose of our weekly Star Assembly is to celebrate such successes. House Captains are chosen from Prep 6 and these pupils take a leading role in House Assemblies.
Circle Time
In Circle Time each child has the opportunity to express his or her ideas and feelings, within the safety of the class group. Discussion is directed as confidential. This system promotes positive behaviour through a deeper understanding of the thoughts and feelings of others.
Supervision:
Pupils are always accompanied by an adult when moving around the school and its environs. Similarly, they are encouraged to think about their own contribution to a safe and healthy environment. All the staff hold current First Aid certificates.
Child Protection
The school has a well-established child protection policy and all staff receive regular training. At least two members of staff are given special training and are the appointed designated Child Protection Officers.
Pastoral Care - Senior School
For the purpose of pastoral care at Wisbech Grammar School, the School is divided into three sections, each headed by a senior member of staff.
Lower School
- 1st, 2nd and 3rd Forms (Years 7, 8 and 9)
- Head of Section: Mr Tom Calow
- Deputy Head of Section: Dr C Lidbetter
Middle School
• 4th and 5th Forms (Years 10 and 11)
• Head of Section: Mr Al Duncan
• Deputy Head of Section: Mrs L Feaviour
Upper School/6th Form
- Lower and Upper 6th Forms (Years 12 and 13)
- Head of 6th Form: Miss Kate Bradley
- Deputy Heads of 6th Form: Mr D Garfoot
Safeguarding
Statement of the responsibilities placed on the school and staff in relation to child protection
Under section 175 of the Education Act 2002 (as amended), the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014, the Non-Maintained Special Schools (England) Regulations 2015, and the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 (as amended) to have arrangements in place to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
We will endeavour to provide a safe and welcoming environment where children are respected and valued.
The school will therefore be alert to signs of abuse and neglect and will follow the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Safeguarding Children Partnership Board’s procedures to ensure that children receive appropriate and effective support and protection.
Parents/carers should know that the law requires all school staff to pass on information which gives rise to a concern about a child’s welfare, including risk from neglect, physical, emotional or sexual abuse. Parents/carers should know that records of safeguarding concerns may be kept about their child. They should be informed that school staff will seek, in general, to discuss any concerns with them including referrals to other agencies.
Local procedures state that “Consent should always be sought from an adult with parental responsibility for the child/young person before passing information about them to Children’s Social Care, unless seeking consent would place the child at risk of significant harm or may lead to the loss of evidence for example destroying evidence of a crime or influencing a child about a disclosure made.” This includes allowing them to share information without consent, if it is not possible to gain consent, if it cannot be reasonably expected that a professional gains consent, or if to gain consent would place a child at risk.
Where there is a need to share special category personal data, the Data Protection Act 2018 contains ‘safeguarding of children and individuals at risk’ as a processing condition that allows professionals to share information.
In accordance with legislation and local Information Sharing protocols, we will ensure that information is shared securely and sensitively. Information will only be shared with other services where it is deemed necessary and proportionate to ensure that children and young people are safe and receive the right service. In all circumstances, the safety of the child will be the paramount concern.
Schools will contact Children’s Social Care when they have reasonable cause to suspect a child may be suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. Occasionally, concerns are passed on which are later shown to be unfounded. Parents/carers will appreciate that the member of staff in the school with responsibility for child protection (known as the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead) was carrying out their responsibilities in accordance with the law and acting in the best interests of all children.
Under Section 3 (5) of the Children Act 1989, any person who has care of a child “may….do what is reasonable in all the circumstances of the case for the purpose of safeguarding promoting the child’s welfare”. This means that on rare occasions, a school may need to “hold” a child in school whilst Social Care and the Police investigate any concerns further.
For further details please read our Safeguarding And Child Protection Policy.