Safeguarding & Child Protection
Diogelu ac Amddiffyn Plant

Safeguarding and Child Protection are key priorities for Usk Church in Wales Primary School.  We aim to support vulnerable children to ensure they are as safe as they can possibly be.  Our school is committed to ensuring the safety and protection of all children and will take action to safeguard their well-being. We acknowledge that children have a right to protection and this is supported in the general ethos of our school. 

The school's policy applies to the whole of the school's workforce, along with volunteers, governors and any contractors working on the school site. In particular Staff recruitment and selection - ensuring that all staff (volunteers etc.) have been appropriately DBS checked for their suitability, using the Safe Recruitment procedures.

We work in partnership with outside agencies to safeguard children.

When there are concerns it may be necessary to make a referral to Children’s Services.

At Usk Primary we have a comprehensive safeguarding/child protection policy. All staff undertake safeguarding training that equips them to recognise and respond to child welfare concerns.

These concerns are then passed to:

Designated Child Protection Officer : Mrs V Evans  (Head Teacher)

or in her absence

Deputy Designated Child Protection Officer :  Mr O Beckett (Deputy Head Teacher)
They follow strict guidelines on how to deal with any concerns as set out in the All Wales Child Protection Procedures.

The nominated Governor for Child Protection is : Mrs Michelle Alford

Bullying - the frequently asked questions

Definition of Bullying

Bullying is “a persistent, deliberate attempt to hurt or humiliate someone and often involves an imbalance of power where a person or group of people repeatedly and intentionally cause emotional and/or physical harm to another person or group of people.”

If I feel my child is being bullied who do I report it to?
You should contact the school as soon as possible and report the incident(s) to the class teacher who will investigate the incident and deal with the outcomes.  The school will question those involved and witnesses to the bullying.

What if the bullying does not stop?
Once we have investigated and dealt with an incident, we try to check on how things are between the two parties after a short period. The vast majority of children realise, when challenged, that their behaviour is unacceptable. However, if you think, or have evidence that the matter is not resolved, please contact the class teacher or Headteacher as soon as possible.  If the bullying has continued, this would be taken as an even more serious matter

Should I speak to the parents/carers of the person bullying my child myself?
In our experience, this can often escalate rather than resolve the issue.  We would advise that parents contact the school.

My child has fallen out with her friend who has said some unpleasant things about her.  Is this bullying?
Unfortunately, children do fall out with friends from time to time.  This can result in children saying unkind things to one another.  Most of these situations are quickly resolved and the children “make up” after a short time, generally both being very sorry for the hurt they have caused one another. 

However, if the situation continues, this can become bullying in nature, and needs intervention to ensure that this stops.  If you let us know of any incidents in school, then we will pick this up with the children concerned.

My child has fallen out with friends and is now being ostracised by a group of children, what should I do?
Children cannot be forced into friendships.  However, on-going deliberate ostracising is a form of bullying and will be dealt with accordingly by the school.

What is cyber bullying? Cyber bullying is when a person, or a group of people, uses the internet, mobile phones or other digital technologies to threaten, tease or abuse someone.  This is illegal and can be reported to the police.

My child has received abusive messages on a social network site.  What should I do?
Report it to the social network site.  You can also report this to the police. Please let the school know if this happens so that the matter can be addressed and so that your child can be supported at school if necessary.

My child has retaliated to being bullied by another child, and is now being punished.  How is this fair?
Retaliation is never acceptable; we don’t accept physical violence as a solution to a problem.  If a child is being bullied, they must report it to the school so that appropriate action can be taken.  We never advise children to take matters into their own hands as this can escalate the problem, or even develop into bullying itself.

Will I be informed of the sanctions given to the child who has bullied?
We will inform the parents that the child has been dealt with and a sanction has been issued; however, the details of this sanction will not be shared with other parents or children.

What if I think my child is treated unfairly by a member of staff?
Please let us know your child’s concerns, or they can talk directly to the teacher, Headteacher or another member of staff. Usually, it is a matter of the child being very aware of any corrections or rebukes towards them, and not recognising that others are treated in the same way. However, this perception can spoil relationships. We would therefore raise the concern with the member of staff, identify any problems that need to be addressed by either the child or staff member, and then ask for feedback after a period of time to check that matters are resolved.

What do I do if I don’t agree with your policy on bullying?
As always, if you feel an approach is unfair or unreasonable, then you can write to the Headteacher and/or Governing Body asking for a review

Young Carers at Usk CiW Primary

At Usk CiW Primary School we are aware that some of our pupils may be young carers. A Young Carer is a child under 18 who regularly helps to look after a family member or friend who is disabled, ill, has a mental health condition or addiction problem.

Children may engage in:

· Practical tasks (cooking, housework and shopping)

· Physical care (lifting or helping someone use the stairs)

· Personal care (dressing, washing, helping with toilet needs)

· Managing the family budget (collecting benefits and prescriptions)

· Managing medication

· Looking after younger siblings

· Helping someone communicate

When completing one or more of these tasks becomes a necessity, then we would classify a pupil as a young carer. Research suggests there are at least 800,000 young carers in the UK but many do not realise they are a young carer.

We know that young carers may need a little extra support to enjoy and do well at school. At Usk CiW Primary School we are committed to ensuring that all pupils who are young carers are identified, and supported effectively.

We can offer additional pastoral support, small group workshops and access to opportunities outside school. We link up with YMCA Young Carers and Action for Children Young Carers to offer our pupils more support both within school and outside of school.

We have our Deputy Head Teacher, Mr Beckett, who has the responsibility for ensuring all young carers are able to enjoy school and make good progress. If you think your child might be a young carer, or could be affected by any of the issues we’ve highlighted, please let us know by contacting school on contact school on 01291 673818.

Any information that is given to us will be treated sensitively and no information will be shared without your knowledge.