Safeguarding at Godwin Primary School

At Godwin Primary School, we want every child to feel safe, supported and listened to. Keeping children safe is everyone’s responsibility and we work together with families and other professionals to protect children and promote their wellbeing.

What is safeguarding?

Safeguarding means the things we do to protect children from harm and help them grow up safely. It includes:

• Recognising when children and families need help and offering support early.
• Protecting children from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
• Supporting children’s physical and emotional wellbeing.
• Helping children stay safe at school, at home, online and in the wider community.

Child protection is part of safeguarding. It means taking action when a child is suffering, or may be at risk of, significant harm.

Our safeguarding team

Member of Staff	Safeguarding Role
Mrs Crudgington	Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Parent Liaison and Safeguarding Manager. Click here to meet Mrs Crudgington
Miss Spooner	Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead and Headteacher
Mrs Adeleke	Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
Mr Wade	Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

The school governor in charge of safeguarding is Mrs Adela Kay

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead coordinates the school’s safeguarding work, responds to concerns and works with other services when children or families need support. Our deputies support this work and provide cover when needed.

Worried about a child?

If you are concerned about a child’s safety or wellbeing, please contact the school office on 020 8270 4150 and ask to speak to Mrs Crudgington (our Designated Safeguarding Lead) or one of our deputy safeguarding leads.

You do not need to be certain that something is wrong before sharing a concern. If you would feel more comfortable speaking to another member of staff, please do so. They can pass your concern to the safeguarding team.

If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.

If the school is closed, or you cannot reach us and a concern cannot wait, contact children’s social care on 020 8227 3811. Do not wait for school to reopen.

What happens when you share a concern?

We will listen carefully, take your concern seriously and consider what support or action is needed.

We handle information sensitively. We cannot promise to keep a safeguarding concern secret because we may need to share relevant information with professionals who can help protect a child.

Where appropriate, we work with parents and carers and services such as children’s social care, health professionals and the police. A child’s safety and welfare always come first.

Helping children stay safe

Safeguarding is part of everyday life at Godwin. Our staff are trained to recognise and report concerns, and we help children learn about trusted adults, respectful relationships, personal boundaries and online safety.

We take bullying and abuse between children seriously. We recognise that some children need additional support to communicate worries, including children with special educational needs or disabilities and we work to make sure their voices are heard.

Help outside school

You can contact children’s social care directly, including if you would prefer to speak to someone outside school.

Barking and Dagenham children’s social care

• Monday to Friday, 9am–4.45pm: 020 8227 3811
• Outside these hours, weekends and bank holidays: 020 8215 3000
• Immediate danger: call 999

Further information about reporting a safeguarding concern

Concerns about an adult working at school

If you have a safeguarding concern about a member of staff, volunteer or contractor, please contact Miss Spooner, Headteacher, through the school office on 020 8270 4150

If your concern is about the Headteacher, please ask the school office to put you in contact with Mrs Adela Kay, Chair of Governors, directly.

Our policy and further support

Our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy explains our procedures and responsibilities in more detail.

• Godwin Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
• Godwin school policies
• Childline — free support for children and young people: 0800 1111.
• NSPCC Helpline — advice for adults concerned about a child: 0808 800 5000. Check the linked page for opening hours.

Adults can report concerns about a child's safety, welfare or possible abuse through the NSPCC's Report Child Abuse service.

Direct link: NSPCC – Report Child Abuse

Adults can also contact the NSPCC by:

• Telephone: 0808 800 5000 (Monday–Friday, 10am–4pm)

• Email: help@nspcc.org.uk (11am–4pm, seven days a week)

Reports can be made anonymously.