London Fields Primary School

Safeguarding

For children to flourish, they need to grow in an environment that nurtures and priorities their safety, happiness and wellbeing. This is why at London Fields Primary, safeguarding is at the heart of all we do. 

We are proud of the safeguarding culture that we have established which unites us all in our shared commitment to protect children. 

Designated Senior Person for Safeguarding Children: Alex Hurst 

Deputy Senior Person for Safeguarding Children: Sharon Taylor

Nominated Governor responsible for Safeguarding & Child Protection: Caroline Tyson

Statutory Guidance

Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) September 2025

Please click here to access the departmental guidance for Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).

Please click here to access translated versions of Keeping Children Safe in Education Part 1. 

The guidance above affirms that 'All staff should be aware of systems within their school or college which support safeguarding, and these should be explained to them as part of staff induction.

This should include the:

• Child protection policy (which should amongst other things also include the policy and procedures to deal with child-on-child abuse)

• Behaviour policy (which should include measures to prevent bullying, including cyberbullying, prejudice-based and discriminatory bullying)

• Staff code of conduct should amongst other things, include low-level concerns, allegations against staff and whistleblowing

• Safeguarding response to children who are absent from education, particularly on repeat occasions and/or prolonged periods and

• Role of the designated safeguarding lead (including the identity of the designated safeguarding lead and any deputies).

It is imperative that all staff (including volunteers) read this guidance and provide consent that they have done so (a register exists to determine this). Schools must have regard to the guidance when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This document contains information on what schools should do and sets out the legal duties with which schools must comply. 

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding children is defined in Working Together to Safeguard Children as:

• providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge 
• protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online
• preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development
• ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care 
• promoting the upbringing of children with their birth parents, or otherwise their family network through a kinship care arrangement, whenever possible and where this is in the best interests of the children
• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes in line with the outcomes set out in the Children’s Social Care National Framework.

Safeguarding children and child protection guidance and legislation applies to all children up to the age of 18.

What is Child Protection? 

As per the Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance, child protection is defined as part of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and is defined for the purpose of this guidance as activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suspected to be suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm. This includes harm that occurs inside or outside the home, including online. 

Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy 

Please click here to access the London Fields Primary School Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. 

Please click here to access further supporting school policies. 

Further Statutory Guidance

The Prevent Duty  

Schools' Prevent duties to safeguard children from extremism were placed on a statutory footing by the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 (CTSA 2015), which was accompanied by guidance from the Home Office and Department for Education.

It is important to remember that issues in regard to radicalisation and extremism are safeguarding issues, and the same level of risk assessment and proportionate response are required.

Please click here to access the guidance about the Prevent Duty.

Mandatory reporting of FGM 

From 31 October 2015 it is mandatory for teachers, health and social workers to report to the police if they find, or are told, someone under 18 has undergone FGM.

Please click here to access the guidance about FGM.

Children Missing Education (To be read alongside our Attendance Policy)

From September 2016, amendments to regulations require the following actions from all schools:

• All schools – are required to inform the LA when they are about to remove a pupil’s name from the admissions register.
• Schools also have to inform the LA within 5 days of registering new pupils
• For a pupil who has not returned after 10 days, the amended regulations require the school and LA to make those enquiries collaboratively, not separately. Schools should ensure that they consult with HLT before any decisions are made to de-register a child without a clear destination having been established and agreed. The Pupils Registration Regulations make reference to ‘jointly making reasonable enquiries’.

HLT has written guidance for schools which clarifies expectations, provides guidance on what constitutes ‘joint reasonable enquiries’.

Please click here for the statutory guidance about Children Missing Education.

Use of reasonable force in schools 

The following guidance from the DfE provides clarification on the use of force:

• to help school staff feel more confident about using reasonable force when they feel it is necessary
• to make clear the responsibilities of school leaders and governing bodies in respect of this power

Please click here for the departmental advice for use of reasonable force.

Further Resources

Hackney Education 

City of London & Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership (CHSCP)

Safeguarding children and child protection (NSPCC)