Safeguarding students is a priority at Benjamin Britten Music Academy and means keeping the school community safe from harm, abuse, or injury.

We take our duty of care very seriously, ensuring that all staff receive safeguarding training annually and that safer recruiting practices are followed. Students are reminded of the need for safeguarding and key safeguarding messages through PSHE lessons, tutorial time activities, and assemblies.

The needs and safety of young people always come first. This school is committed to safeguarding our students, staff, and visitors. We expect all staff, volunteers, and visitors to share this commitment and brief them about our procedures and practices when they arrive at the school.

The safeguarding agenda incorporates the prevention of extremism and radicalisation as well as child protection, and concentrates on the wellbeing of the young person. We aim to ensure that we detect any sign that could indicate a young person is not thriving or is failing to meet his/her potential.

If you feel you have any concerns and would like to discuss them with any of the safeguarding team in the strictest of confidence please ring Mrs Thurbon the Designated Safeguarding lead.

Mrs I Thurbon - Designated Safeguarding Lead

Safeguarding Policy 

Click here to view our safeguarding policy

Early Help at Benjamin Britten Academy of Music and Mathematics

At Benjamin Britten Music Academy staff are trained in recognising the signs of Child Abuse and Extremism and are committed to and know the benefit of Early Help as a way of supporting families and young people before their needs become acute and Social Care or other specialist intervention may be necessary.

The Academy has a range of robust safeguarding procedures in place which puts the safety and protection of children at the heart of any decisions. The school’s safeguarding team is made up of the following school personnel:

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) – Ms I Thurbon Assistant Head teacher Upper school

Alternate Designated Safeguarding Leads  –Mr A George Assistant Head teacher, Mrs S Reynolds, Mrs R Banns, Mrs C Overy, Mrs K Brown Mrs E Sparks

 The DSL and all ADSLs complete inter-agency safeguarding training on a yearly programme. All other school staff complete safeguarding training on a two yearly basis and are updated regularly to any changes in legislation.

 Involvement of Families

The school will always involve the family in all Early Help strategies and most will only be put in place with their permission. The school will aim to work with families in a supportive, non-judgemental way so that trust is built up and the best possible outcomes achieved.

There are occasions, however, when the school’s safeguarding team or member of school staff may believe that a child may be at immediate risk of significant harm and that by informing the parents/carers of the concern may put the child at further risk. In these cases the school will implement section 47 procedures. This will involve an immediate referral to social care sometimes without the parents/carers knowledge.

 Example Early Help Points of Contact

The school has divided its Early Help strategies into 4 areas: Universal Support is for all and is what all children and families would normally receive, Community Support is for a child or family who may need some extra support, Specific Support is for children and families who need specialist support and Acute is where a child or their family may need a high level of support to prevent harm.

For more information about specific services offered ant Benjamin Britten, please click on the link at the bottom of this page.

Emotional wellbeing and Mental health 

At Benjamin Britten we have an excellent pastoral care system. This also encompasses emotional and mental wellbeing.

We are fortunate to have a school counsellor Fiona Simpson who works with us four days a week. Fiona runs the Thrive proagramme and a 1:1 service and links to CAMHS. We also have a school nurse who will also work with our children on menatl health issues.

We are aware that some children do not wish to discuss their emotional wellbeing with school staff so we also have access to the KOOTH service.

Kooth, from XenZone, is an online counselling and emotional well-being platform for children and young people, accessible through mobile, tablet and desktop and free at the point of use. 

If you wish to access Kooth please see the link below:

Useful documents you may wish to read

Keeping children safe in education 2019

Working together to safeguard children 2018

Protecting children from radicalisation: the prevent duty

Preventing and tackling bullying July 2017

Drug advice for schools

Fabricated or induced illness

Female genital mutilation

Criminal Exploitation of children and vulnerable adults: County Lines guidance 2018

Useful websites

Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP)

ChildLine

Barnardo's

NSPCC

NAPAC (National Association for People Abused in Childhood)

Keeping yourself safe on holiday

www.safe4summer.com

Keeping safe away from home (NSPCC)

e-safety

e-Safety is an essential aspect of safeguarding in today's digital age. 

All students receive regular advice and input through PSHE and ICT lessons as well as through tutor time. In addition all students receive CE-OP training to help ensure that they remain safe whilst online both in school and at home.

All staff are regularly trained in managing and supporting both students and themselves with regards to e-safety as part of their ongoing safeguarding training.

Please look at the following guides to online safety:

Parent guides of popular online platforms

Please click on the link to see the latest information.

How to be safe online - Please see additional information and Cybercrime leaflet attached at the bottom of the page

PEGI rating App to help inform parents  

Ditto - Online Safety Magazine for parents. https://www.esafety-adviser.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/DITTO-Ed-19-June-2019-1.pdf

Further advice and guidance can be found by following the links below.

CE-OP
Follow this link to report abuse through the CE-OP website.
Find out more > https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/

Insafe
Insafe is a European network of awareness centres promoting safe, responsible use of the internet and mobile devices to young people. Insafe and INHOPE work together through a network of Safer Internet Centres (SICs) across Europe – typically comprising an awareness centre, helpline, hotline and youth panel - to help keep children and young people safe online.
Find out more > https://www.betterinternetforkids.eu/web/portal/policy/insafe-inhope

Thinkuknow
Guide to internet safety and safe surfing for young people from Think U Know. Learn about online safety when using blogs, chatting etc.
Find out more > https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/

ChildLine
Cyberbullying is when a person, or a group of people, uses the internet, mobile phones or other digital technologies to threaten, tease or abuse someone.
Find out more >https://www.childline.org.uk/

Get help and advice about a wide range of issues, call us on 0800 1111, talk to a counsellor online, send Childline an email or post on the message boards.

Digizen
Information for educators, parents, carers and young people, sharing specific advice and resources on issues such as social networking and cyberbullying.
Find out more > http://www.digizen.org/

Gaming Disorders (internetmatters.org)

Gaming Disorder has been added to the World Heath Organisation's classification of diseases; note this is a 'disorder', not an addiction. The clinical conditions say that: 'Gaming disorder is characterised by a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour…" manifested by:

·         "impaired control over gaming"

·         "increasing priority given to gaming to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities"

·         "continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences."

Freelance games expert, Andy Robertson, has written an article on the internetmatters.org website that explains 'What you need to know about WHO gaming disorder'.

You can read the article here: https://www.internetmatters.org/hub/guidance/what-you-need-to-know-about-who-gaming-disorder/

We hope that you will find this information helpful in raising awareness. Please talk to your children and remind them to tell you about any games or messages on social media they are concerned about. Most children are happy to talk to adults as they can become very worried for themselves and others.

KCSIE – Translated

Find out more > https://www.lgfl.net/digisafe/kcsietranslate