Granby fully recognises the contribution it can make to protect and support children both in and out of school. Our pupils' best interests and welfare are of paramount importance. At Granby we aim to safeguard and promote our pupils' welfare, health and safety by fostering an honest, open, caring and supportive climate and our staff members working with pupils maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ where safeguarding is concerned. It is our aim to foster and encourage a culture of safeguarding within our school.

Safeguarding is defined as:

• Protecting children from maltreatment
• Preventing impairment of children's health or development
• Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best life chances

Safeguarding and Child Protection

A copy of Granby's safeguarding and child protection policy can be found below, along with two key government publications relating to safeguarding.

Safeguarding Concerns

If you have any concerns or require advice on a concern regarding the safety, health or wellbeing of a child who is a pupil at our school, please contact one of our Designated Safeguarding Leads: Dale Cross, Karen Carr, Jane Swift and Sue Foreman.

These staff can be reached during school hours by phoning the school office on 0116 229 8160. Our out-of-hours safeguarding contact number is 07927 086099 [please note: this is only for concerns regarding children who attend our school].

Alternatively, if the child you are concerned about is in immediate danger or is not a pupil at our school, please contact Leicester City Children’s Services on 0116 454 1004 or the police on 999 or 0116 222 2222.

Female Gential Mutilation [FGM]

It has been estimated that over 20,000 girls under the age of 15 are at risk of FGM in the UK each year and that 66,000 women in the UK are living with the consequences of FGM. Female genital mutilation [FGM] is a growing cause of concern in schools.

FGM is child abuse and a form of violence against women and girls, and therefore it is dealt with as part of existing child and adult safeguarding/protection structures, policies and procedures. It is illegal in the UK to subject a child to FGM or to take a child abroad to undergo the procedure. Despite the harm it causes, FGM practising communities consider it normal to protect their cultural identity. The age at which girls are subject to FGM varies greatly from shortly after birth to any time up to adulthood. The average age is 10 to 12 years.

At Granby, our staff are trained in dealing with FGM and are vigilant for the following key indicators:

• A child’s family comes from a community that is known to practise FGM
• A child may talk about a long holiday to a country where the practice is prevalent
• A child may confide that she is to have a special procedure or to attend a special occasion
• A child may request help from a teacher or another adult

Any female child born to a woman or who has a sister that has been subjected to FGM will be considered to be at risk, as much as other female children in the extended family. Any information or concern that a child is at risk of FGM will result in a child protection referral to Children’s Social Care.

The mandatory reporting duty for FGM under the Serious Crime Act 2015, requires teachers in England and Wales to report known cases of FGM in under 18 year olds to the Police.  Call the FGM helpline if you're worried a child is at risk of, or has had, FGM. It's free, anonymous and they are available 24/7. Call them on 0800 028 3550, or email them at fgmhelp@nspcc.org.uk.

For further information about FGM, please consult the Female Genital Mutilation Resource Pack provided by the Home Office.

The Prevent Duty

As part of Granby’s ongoing safeguarding and child protection duties we are fully behind the government's Prevent Strategy.

From 1st July 2015, all schools are subject to a duty under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, in the exercise of their functions, to have "due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism". This duty is known as the Prevent Duty for Schools.  The statutory guidance refers to the importance of Prevent awareness training to equip staff to identify children at risk of being drawn into terrorism and to challenge extremist ideas.

At Granby, we build pupils' resilience to radicalisation by promoting fundamental British Values and ncouraging and enabling our pupils to challenge extremist views.

Parent Guides to Keeping Children Safe

Here are some useful links and documents from the NSPCC that will support families in helping children to stay safe.

• NSPCC: Home
• NSPCC: Childline

E-Safety

Here are some useful links and documents from the NSPCC that will support families in helping children to stay safe online.

• NSPCC: Online Safety