Safeguarding

We are committed to providing a safe and secure environment for our children, staff and visitors alike.

Safeguarding is everyone’s concern. Our staff, governors, students, parents/carers, external agencies and members of the local community – all have responsibility for ensuring the highest standards of safeguarding.

We promote a climate where children and adults feel confident about sharing any concerns they may have about their own safety or the wellbeing of others. By providing a caring, safe and stimulating environment which promotes the social, physical and moral development of all our students, we aim to foster an atmosphere of trust, respect and security.

Safeguarding – who to contact

Parents and members of the local community can contact the Safeguarding Team via the Academy telephone number 020 8320 4800 or by email on safeguarding@harrisgarrard.org.uk.

The Academy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is:

• Ms Thomas - Assistant Principal (in Ms Thomas' absence another designated safeguarding officer will act as DSL supporting the DDSLs)

The Academy Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSLs) are:

• Ms Rigby (Secondary Phase/DDSL)
• Mr Purchase (Primary Phase)
• Ms Allen (Primary Phase)

The Behaviour for Learning Leaders are:

• Ms Beattie - Active Science
• Ms Dyer - Creative Voice
• Ms Smith - Enterprise
• Ms Butler - World Studies

Parents and members of the local community can contact the Safeguarding Team via the Academy telephone number or by email on safeguarding@harrisgarrard.org.uk. Students can contact the Safeguarding Team via the SHARPS system.

Safeguarding poster

The safeguarding poster below is displayed in every classroom and key places around the academy. This is to make sure everyone connected to the academy can approach key staff (and any member of staff) to share any safeguarding concerns.

Secondary safeguarding poster

Our full safeguarding team 

The staff with overall responsibility for Safeguarding across the Academy are as follows:

• Wayne Barnett - Executive Principal
• Kristen Gringeri - Head of Academy
• Shereen Thomas - Assistant Principal and DSL
• Claire Allen - Assistant Principal and DDSL
• Kim Rigby - Secondary Phase/DDSL
• Bruce Purchase - Primary DDSL

The Nominated Governors with responsibility for safeguarding are:

• Sandra Miles - Chair of Governors
• Julie McMahon - Nominated governor for safeguarding

Other safeguarding roles

The medical needs officer is Sam Crouchman s.crouchman@harrisgarrard.org.uk

The strategic health and safety lead is Kristen Gringeri k.gringeri@harrisgarrard.org.uk

The operational health and safety officer is Paul Townley p.townley@harrisgarrard.org.uk 

Safeguarding concerns about an adult

For safeguarding concerns about an adult, contact the person mentioned in the diagram below, depending on who the concern is about.

Visiting Speakers to the Academy

Our curriculum is enriched by a wide range of visiting speakers, lecturers, authors and other visitors. To ensure our guests and visitors, and what they say, is in line with our own values and ethos, the academy completes rigorous checks. This means we can be confident that we are protecting our students from extremist views, such as radicalisation and homophobia, while enjoying the wide benefits of external speakers. All visitors to the academy are expected to follow our Visitors' Code of Conduct.

Harris Garrard Academy and the PREVENT Duty

The Academy's designated, accredited PREVENT Duty Lead is Shereen Thomas. The Prevent duty helps to safeguard our students against radicalisation, extremism and any actions or beliefs that are contrary to British Values and our academy ethos. It responds to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat we face from those who promote it, and prevents people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure that they are given appropriate advice and support.

We oppose all form of extremism. We define ‘extremism’ as vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.

The academy will work also closely with the counter-terrorism referral programme “Channel”. Channel is a multi-agency approach to identify and provide support to individuals who are at risk of being drawn into terrorism. The programme uses a multi-agency approach to protect vulnerable people by:

• identifying individuals at risk
• assessing the nature and extent of that risk                           
• developing the most appropriate support plan for the individuals concerned.