What is Safeguarding?
At Eaton Square Prep School, safeguarding is our top priority. It means keeping the children in our care happy, healthy, and protected from harm. This responsibility is central to everything we do, and every member of our school community plays a role in creating a safe, nurturing environment.
According to Keeping Children Safe in Education, safeguarding involves:
- Providing help and support to meet children’s needs as soon as problems arise.
- Protecting children from maltreatment, both at home and online.
- Preventing the impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development.
- Ensuring children grow up in safe and effective care.
- Taking action to enable all children to achieve the best outcomes.
Safeguarding at Eaton Square Prep School
At Eaton Square Prep School, our responsibility extends beyond the classroom. It includes every moment and interaction in a child’s day, whether at home or online. Knowing we are always there to support them gives children the freedom to be themselves.
Our supportive culture ensures every child feels valued and able to share their worries. They know that school staff are always available to help. Every staff member understands the importance of safeguarding and diligently fulfils their role to keep children safe.
We Are an Operation Encompass School
Eaton Square Prep School is part of Operation Encompass.
Operation Encompass operates in all police forces across England. It helps police and schools work together to provide early intervention for emotional and practical help to children. The system ensures that when the police are called to an incident of domestic abuse, where there are children in the household who have experienced the domestic incident, the police will inform our Designated Safeguarding Lead, Mr Chris Hancock, before the child or children arrive at school for the day. This ensures that we have up-to-date relevant information about the child’s circumstances and immediate support can be put in place to meet the child’s needs.
Operation Encompass provides an advice and helpline service for all staff members from educational settings who may be concerned about children who have experienced domestic abuse. The helpline is available 8.00AM to 1.00PM, Monday to Friday on 0204 513 9990. Additionally, further information can be found in our Child Protection and Safeguarding policy, as well as online.
Further Information on Safeguarding
For more details about safeguarding at our school, please refer to our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.
If you have any questions or concerns about a child, please contact a member of school staff or email our Designated Safeguarding Lead, Mr Chris Hancock, at c.hancock@eatonsquareschools.com.
