Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School
Safeguarding
As a school we take safeguarding issues very seriously. We are committed to promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Safeguarding procedures in school are overseen by our Designated Safeguarding Lead (Mrs Drummond), alongside a team of Deputy Safeguarding Leads and overseen by a school Governor (Mrs J Ranabaldo). The school follows statutory guidance on Safeguarding matters, and this is reflected in our Child Protection Policy which can be viewed under the policies section of the school website.
All staff, including non-teaching staff, have received recognised training in safeguarding and child protection. A central record is kept of all adults who either work in the school or who help as volunteers with details of DBS checks in place. Senior members of staff involved in the recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff have received recognised training in safer recruitment, and have put in place appropriate procedures to ensure that appropriate checks have been made before appointments are taken up.
Any visitors to the school are required to report to the office to obtain a named visitor’s badge.
All staff, including non-teaching staff know the procedures for reporting safeguarding or welfare concerns and we endeavour to make sure all our pupils are aware of how to report safeguarding or welfare concerns about themselves or others. All students are aware of the importance of e-safety and have received guidance from the IT department and through lessons on safe use of the Internet.
If you are concerned about the safety of any child in our school, please report this to any member of the safeguarding team as soon as possible. If you are concerned about the conduct of a member of staff or a volunteer in our school, please contact the Head Master.
Designated Safeguarding Leads
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Designated Safeguarding Lead: Mrs L Drummond |
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DDSL: Mr J Rogers (Assistant Headteacher) |
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DDSL: Ms Z Lambard (Head of Sixth Form) |
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DDSL: Mrs A Doran (Assistant Head of Sixth Form) |
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DDSL: Mr H Morton (Assistant Head of Sixth Form) |
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DDSL: Mrs M Jenner (Head of Middle School) |
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DDSL: Mr B Denham (Assistant Head of Middle School) |
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DDSL: Mrs K Bazire-Smith (Assistant Head of Middle School) |
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DDSL: Mrs E Jacobs (Pastoral Support Officer, Middle School) |
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DDSL: Mr Joyce(Head of Lower School) |
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DDSL: Mrs T Collingridge (Assistant Head of Lower School) |
Online Safety
As a school we operate an 'off site and out of sight' mobile phone policy (Annexe B to the Behaviour Policy which can be read here). Mobile phones may be sanctioned for use at the discretion of supervising staff and only where learning needs require.
Outside of school we encourage all parents to be aware of what their children are accessing online, ensuring that privacy levels are set to the highest possible level and that they do not give out personal information to strangers. We strongly recommend that parental controls are set on devices. Parental controls can help to protect your child from seeing something that they shouldn’t – although it is important to emphasise that no system is fail-proof so it is important to engage with your child and talk to them about their online life regularly.
The following websites offer parents advice about keeping children/young people safe online, which includes information about setting age appropriate parental controls on a variety of devices:
www.nspcc.org.uk/online-wellbeing
www.internetmatters.org/resources/navigating-secondary-school-online-safety-guide
www.parents.actionforchildren.org.uk/online-safety-wellbeing
The school’s wireless internet connection is secure and all devices connected run through the School’s filtering and monitoring software. These are subject to regular testing and review. Live reporting is enabled to the DSL and ICT staff for immediate review.
Anti-bullying
At Bishop Wordsworth’s School, we are committed to fostering a safe, respectful environment where every student feels valued and supported. Bullying is not tolerated at BWS and we actively promote kindness, inclusion, and the confidence to speak up. Our anti-bullying policy can be read in full here.
Safeguarding Policy
Please see here
Safer Recruitment
We ensure that all staff recruitment and selection practices reflect our commitment to safeguarding the students in our care as well as our statutory requirements for safer recruitment. All successful applicants will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check as well as other relevant pre-employment checks.
The Safer Recruitment Policy can be found here