When you come to school at WMG Academy for Young Engineers, we will ensure that you are well looked after, protected from harm and given the best chances in life.
Staff in the academy think that Safeguarding means that they should:
- Protect you from harm.
- Make sure nothing stops you being healthy or developing properly.
- Make sure you are safely looked after.
- Make sure you have the best life chances and can grow up happy and successful.
Staff agree that to make sure they look after you they will:
- Make sure the academy is a friendly, welcoming and supportive place to spend time in; somewhere you want to be.
- Be there for you to talk to if you need to and know who to ask for help.
- Give you safe messages in your lessons and assemblies to help you learn how to look after yourself both online and in your life outside the Academy
- Have all the right rules in place to help look after you. They will follow these rules all of the time (these rules are called policies).
ABUSE
When someone hurts you it can be called abuse. This is when someone does something to you that is harmful, unpleasant or painful like:
- If someone deliberately hits you, hurts you, injures you or humiliates you in different ways.
- If someone says or does something that makes you feel bad about yourself or hurts your feelings, which makes you feel scared, sad, upset or frightened.
- If someone doesn’t take proper care of you so you feel abandoned, lonely or neglected. You might not be able to eat or wash regularly, or you might not be able to come to the Academy every day or on time.
- If someone tries to take advantage of you sexually or make you do things you are uncomfortable with.
Abuse is never ok and if you are being or have been abused you must remember – it is not your fault. You must always tell someone and they will help it to stop.
SAFETY IN THE BUILDING
All of the staff at WMG Academy will do their best to make sure the building is safe for you to learn in and spend time in. We will make sure that we know who everyone is in the Academy by asking visitors to sign in at reception. You will always know who a visitor to the Academy is because they will have signed in at reception and will be wearing a coloured visitor badge around their neck. People that we do not know will never be allowed to spend time with you on your own and will not be allowed to walk around the Academy without a member of staff. The building and outside areas will be as safe as they can be for you so that you don’t hurt yourself, although accidents can happen if you are not careful. Staff will look after you if the fire alarm goes off and you should know what to do and where to go. When you leave the Academy to go somewhere, for example an offsite trip or visit, the staff will make sure they can keep you safe wherever you are going.
WHAT WE WILL DO
At WMG Academy we will help you in the following ways:
- We will do our best to spot if there is a problem. All of the adults in the Academy have had training in this.
- We will work with other people (including the people at home) to help protect you and solve any problems you may have.
- We will listen to you if you want to talk to us and need our help. We will always take you seriously.
- We will ensure all help needed is put in place as quickly as possible to support you and your education.
- We will support and encourage you and will respect your wishes and views. You can talk to any member of staff, but you should know that there are a number of staff who are responsible for making sure you are safe and well cared for, and they listed below.
- We will always act sensitively but cannot keep promises of confidentiality if we feel information needs to be shared to keep you safe.
It is important that you know:
- It is never your fault if someone is hurting or abusing you.
- There is always someone who can help you.
- If someone is hurting or upsetting you, they might also be hurting or upsetting someone else so it is important that you tell someone to make it stop.
- Every child should enjoy their right to a happy and safe childhood.
- If we share information, it will only be to people who absolutely need to know and nobody else.
DO NOT BE SCARED TO TELL SOMEONE STRAIGHT AWAY – WE WILL ALWAYS LISTEN.
ANY DISCLOSURE MADE WILL BE PASSED TO ONE OF THE TRAINED DESIGNATED SAFEGUARDING LEADS WHO ARE IDENTIFIED ON THE POSTERS AROUND THE ACADEMY AND ON THE WEBSITE.
TIPS FOR KEEPING YOURSELF SAFE
- Bullying – If you think a student or a grown up is bullying you or someone you know, you must tell your teacher/parent/carer or someone you can trust as soon as you can. It won’t stop unless you do.
- Saying things that make you feel uncomfortable – If a student or a grown up says something to you, or you hear something that you do not like or that upsets you, you must tell your teacher/parent/carer or someone you can trust.
- Touching you -Your body belongs to you and not to anyone else. This means all of your body. If someone touches you on a part of your body you do not like, it is NOT OK. You must tell your teacher/parent/carer or someone you can trust as soon as you can.
- Hitting or physically striking you– If a student or a grown up hits, punches or smacks you or hurts you in any way, you must tell your teacher/parent/carer or someone you can trust as soon as you can.
- On your mobile devices – mobile devices help us all to share things and talk to our friends or family, but they can also make it easier for bullies and other people that want to hurt you to get close to you. It is important to know how to keep yourself safe on your computer, your phone and on websites. WMG Academy has an e-safety policy which is there to protect you. If you are unhappy with any comments or photographs you’ve seen on your computer or mobile then you can also contact www.thinkuknow.co.uk as well as adults in the Academy.
- Images/Photographs – Sharing inappropriate digital images of your body, or somebody else’s, is illegal and could result in police involvement and/or prosecution. Please take steps to keep yourself safe and if in doubt do not open attachments or images you are unsure of, block users you are unsure of and never redistribute or send images of yourself or other people you would not be happy to show parents or family members.