Information
Safeguarding
Keeping all you pupils safe. Insight into our safeguarding arrangements.
We consider
Safeguarding to be everyone’s responsibility
The Learning Community Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of every child and young person in our care.
Safeguarding is at the forefront of practice across all our academies. We expect a strong safeguarding culture in which children are listened to, concerns are identified early, information is shared appropriately and action is taken promptly.
Our approach reflects our Trust values of Never Leave a Child Behind, Respect for All and Coping with the Challenges of Life. Safeguarding is not simply a statutory responsibility: it is a fundamental part of providing inclusive, ambitious and transformative education.
We recognise that safeguarding risks vary according to the age, needs and circumstances of children and the communities our academies serve. Each academy therefore maintains an understanding of its local safeguarding context and ensures that its policies, curriculum, staff training and safeguarding arrangements respond appropriately to identified risks.
We work in accordance with current legislation and statutory guidance, including:
- Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026
- Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026
- the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026
- the Prevent Duty guidance
- Working Together to Improve School Attendance
- Children Missing Education
- statutory guidance relating to alternative provision
- the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage framework, where applicable
- statutory guidance on information sharing to safeguard children and young people
- statutory guidance on allergy safety in schools
- relevant local safeguarding partnership procedures and threshold guidance.
Our safeguarding arrangements are kept under regular review and updated whenever legislation, statutory guidance, local safeguarding arrangements or identified risks change.
Our safeguarding principles
Across the Learning Community Trust we expect:
A child-centred culture
The welfare and best interests of the child are paramount. Children are listened to, taken seriously and supported to understand how and where they can seek help.
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility
Every member of staff has a responsibility to identify concerns, respond appropriately and act without delay. Staff are reminded that safeguarding incidents can happen anywhere and that “it could happen here.”
Early identification and help
Staff remain alert to emerging needs and vulnerabilities and work with families, safeguarding partners, universal services, community-based early help and Family Help services so that children receive appropriate support as early as possible.
Professional curiosity
Staff are expected to look beyond individual incidents, consider patterns and changes in behaviour, attendance or presentation and avoid accepting explanations without appropriate professional consideration.
Effective information sharing
Information is shared lawfully, proportionately and securely when necessary to safeguard children. Fear about sharing information must never prevent appropriate safeguarding action.
Multi-agency working
Our academies work closely with local authorities, children’s social care, police, health services and other safeguarding partners. We recognise that effective safeguarding depends upon agencies sharing information and working together.
Equality and inclusion
We recognise that some children face additional barriers to recognising or reporting abuse. Safeguarding arrangements take account of children’s age, communication needs, SEND, disabilities, family circumstances and other vulnerabilities.
Child protection and safeguarding policies
Each Learning Community Trust academy has an academy-specific Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy based upon the Trust-approved framework and relevant local safeguarding partnership procedures.
Policies are reviewed at least annually and sooner where legislation, statutory guidance, local arrangements or circumstances require amendment.
Academy policies identify the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), Deputy DSLs and appropriate safeguarding contacts and explain how concerns about children and concerns or allegations regarding adults working with children should be reported.
The Trust also maintains policies and procedures covering related safeguarding matters, including:
- staff conduct
- safer recruitment
- allegations against staff and low-level concerns
- whistleblowing
- attendance and children missing education
- alternative provision
- work experience
- online safety
- filtering and monitoring
- Prevent and radicalisation
- child-on-child abuse
- educational visits
- intimate care where applicable
- supporting pupils with medical conditions and allergy safety
- data protection and information sharing.
Academy-specific safeguarding policies are available through each academy website.
Safeguarding
Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026
All Learning Community Trust academies comply with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 (KCSIE).
From September 2026, all school and college staff are expected to read Part One of KCSIE in full. The previous condensed version for staff who did not work directly with children has been removed.
Staff receive safeguarding and child protection training at induction and regular safeguarding and child protection updates thereafter. Training is designed to give staff the knowledge and skills necessary to identify children who may benefit from early help or Family Help, recognise indicators of abuse, neglect and exploitation and respond appropriately to concerns.
Trustees and governors receive appropriate safeguarding training to enable them to provide effective strategic oversight and challenge.
Education and training
Designated Safeguarding Leads
Every academy has an appropriately trained Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) who has lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection.
Academies also maintain sufficient trained safeguarding capacity through Deputy DSLs and safeguarding teams appropriate to their size, phase, pupil needs and safeguarding context.
The DSL has the status, authority, time, training, funding and resources necessary to fulfil the role effectively.
DSLs and Deputy DSLs undertake appropriate training and receive regular updates so that their knowledge and skills remain current.
During term time, an appropriately trained DSL or Deputy DSL is available during school hours for staff to discuss safeguarding concerns.
Identifying and responding to safeguarding concerns
Staff are trained to recognise that abuse, neglect, exploitation and safeguarding concerns can occur inside and outside the home, within school and online.
- Our safeguarding arrangements address risks including:
- abuse and neglect
- child-on-child abuse, including harassment and violence
- sexual violence and sexual harassment
- bullying, including online bullying
- domestic abuse
- child sexual exploitation
- child criminal exploitation, including county lines
- serious violence
- radicalisation and extremism
- female genital mutilation
- forced marriage
- honour-based abuse
- modern slavery and trafficking
- children who go missing from education
- mental health concerns where these may indicate or contribute to safeguarding risk
- self-generated intimate images and videos, including AI-generated material and deepfakes
- misogyny and harmful attitudes or behaviours
- online harms and unsafe use of technology.
Staff understand that safeguarding concerns may overlap and that children can experience multiple forms of harm.
Where a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm, appropriate referrals are made to children’s social care and/or the police without delay.
Staff do not assume that another professional will take action or share information that may be critical to keeping a child safe.
Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing
We recognise that children and young people’s mental health and emotional wellbeing are an important part of keeping them safe.
Children and young people can experience difficulties for many reasons, including anxiety, low mood, bereavement, family difficulties, bullying, relationships, school pressures, loneliness, trauma or other experiences. Sometimes changes in a child’s behaviour, attendance, presentation or emotional wellbeing may also indicate a wider safeguarding concern.
We encourage children and young people to talk to a trusted adult and ask for help as early as possible. During academy opening hours, pupils can speak to a member of staff, their pastoral team or the academy’s safeguarding team.
If you need urgent help
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, has seriously harmed themselves, or you believe there is an immediate risk to life, call 999 or go to A&E.
For urgent mental health support that is not an immediate life-threatening emergency, call NHS 111 and select the mental health option.
Child-on-child abuse
Learning Community Trust adopts a zero-tolerance approach to child-on-child abuse, harassment and violence.
We recognise that children can abuse other children and that such behaviour may occur face-to-face or online, inside or outside school.
Staff understand that inappropriate or abusive behaviour must not be dismissed as “banter”, “having a laugh” or an inevitable part of growing up.
Reports are taken seriously, victims are supported and risks to all children involved are assessed and managed appropriately.
Our academies use safeguarding data, behaviour information, pupil voice and contextual information to identify patterns, locations, groups or emerging risks and respond accordingly.
Online safety, filtering and monitoring
Online safety is an integral part of safeguarding.
All academies maintain appropriate filtering and monitoring systems which reflect the age, needs, SEND profile, technology use and safeguarding risks of their pupils.
Governing bodies and Trust leaders have strategic oversight of filtering and monitoring arrangements. Responsibilities are clearly allocated between senior leaders, DSLs and IT staff.
Filtering and monitoring arrangements are formally reviewed at least annually, with the DSL, senior leadership, IT support and appropriate governance involvement. Schools also undertake appropriate checks during the year to ensure systems continue to operate effectively.
The Trust recognises the rapidly developing safeguarding implications of generative artificial intelligence (AI), including access to harmful material, manipulation of images, deepfakes, inappropriate content and the protection of personal information. Schools assess these risks when introducing or using AI products and technologies.
Children are taught how to use technology safely, responsibly and respectfully through the curriculum and wider safeguarding education.
Attendance and children missing education
Attendance is a safeguarding matter.
Our academies monitor attendance carefully and act promptly where patterns of absence, persistent absence, severe absence or unexplained absence may indicate that a child is at increased risk.
Particular attention is given to vulnerable children and to circumstances where absence may be linked to neglect, exploitation, domestic abuse, mental health difficulties, criminal exploitation, child sexual exploitation or other safeguarding concerns.
Schools work with families and local authority partners in accordance with Working Together to Improve School Attendance and the statutory Children Missing Education guidance.
Where the whereabouts or safety of a child cannot be established, safeguarding procedures are followed without delay.
Early Years
Where our academies provide early years education, safeguarding arrangements also meet the requirements of the current Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework.
This includes appropriate arrangements for safeguarding, staff suitability, supervision, paediatric first aid, managing allegations, whistleblowing, medicines, attendance and other statutory welfare requirements.
Safeguarding systems
Safer recruitment and the Single Central Record
The Trust operates robust safer recruitment procedures in accordance with KCSIE.
Appropriate pre-employment checks are undertaken for staff, volunteers, governors, trustees, contractors and others according to their role and the nature of their contact with children.
Checks may include, as applicable:
- identity
- enhanced DBS
- children’s barred list
- prohibition from teaching
- relevant overseas checks
- right to work
- professional qualifications
- references and employment history
- Section 128 or other management checks where legally applicable
- childcare disqualification requirements.
At least one member of an appointment panel will have undertaken safer recruitment training.
Required checks are recorded on the appropriate Single Central Record (SCR) and are subject to academy and Trust quality assurance.
Concerns and allegations about adults
The Trust maintains clear procedures for concerns and allegations relating to adults working with children.
Staff must report concerns about the behaviour of another member of staff, supply staff, volunteer, contractor or other adult in accordance with the academy safeguarding policy.
Where the harm threshold may have been met, the Headteacher/Principal, Trust and Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) procedures are followed as appropriate.
Concerns which do not meet the harm threshold are considered under the Trust’s low-level concerns procedures.
Staff are also able to use the Trust’s whistleblowing procedures where appropriate.
Information sharing and safeguarding records
The Trust maintains clear procedures for concerns and allegations relating to adults working with children.
Staff must report concerns about the behaviour of another member of staff, supply staff, volunteer, contractor or other adult in accordance with the academy safeguarding policy.
Where the harm threshold may have been met, the Headteacher/Principal, Trust and Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) procedures are followed as appropriate.
Concerns which do not meet the harm threshold are considered under the Trust’s low-level concerns procedures.
Staff are also able to use the Trust’s whistleblowing procedures where appropriate.
Information sharing and safeguarding records
Effective information sharing is fundamental to safeguarding children.
Safeguarding information is recorded accurately, securely and separately from the main pupil record, with appropriate chronology and decision-making recorded.
The Trust follows statutory information-sharing requirements and relevant data-protection legislation.
From 30 September 2026, the Trust and its academies will operate in accordance with the statutory Information Sharing Duty and associated statutory guidance.
Staff understand that data protection legislation does not prevent the sharing of information where this is necessary and proportionate to safeguard a child.
Safeguarding records are transferred securely when a child moves school in accordance with statutory guidance.
Safeguarding education and pupil voice
Children are taught how to keep themselves and others safe.
Safeguarding education is embedded through relationships, health education, PSHE, RSE, computing, the wider curriculum, assemblies, enrichment and responsive safeguarding education.
The curriculum is adapted where local, national or emerging safeguarding risks indicate that additional education is required.
We listen carefully to children. Academies use pupil voice to understand whether children feel safe, know how to report concerns and have confidence that adults will listen and act.
We recognise that some children may find it more difficult to disclose concerns. Schools therefore provide different opportunities and mechanisms for children to communicate with trusted adults.
Partnership with parents and carers
Parents and carers are important partners in safeguarding children.
Our academies provide information and guidance to families on safeguarding matters including online safety, attendance, mental health, relationships, exploitation and emerging risks.
There may be exceptional circumstances where information cannot immediately be shared with a parent or carer because doing so could place a child at greater risk or compromise a safeguarding investigation.
Safeguarding governance and quality assurance
The Trust Board retains strategic responsibility for ensuring that safeguarding arrangements across Learning Community Trust are effective.
Each academy has a Safeguarding Link Governor who works with academy leaders and the DSL to scrutinise safeguarding arrangements.
Safeguarding assurance includes:
- academy safeguarding audits
- Trust safeguarding reviews and peer review
- Local Authority safeguarding audits
- Single Central Record checks
- website and policy compliance checks
- analysis of safeguarding concerns and trends
- attendance and children-missing-education oversight
- child-on-child abuse analysis
- allegations and low-level concerns monitoring
- filtering and monitoring assurance
- pupil, staff and parent voice
- review of safeguarding training and DSL capacity
- monitoring of actions and improvement priorities.
Findings are reported through academy governance arrangements and to Trustees so that leaders can identify strengths, challenge areas of concern and ensure required actions are completed.
Trust Safeguarding Leadership
Safeguarding Link Trustee
Christine Davies
Trust Designated Safeguarding Lead
Maddie Griffin
Trust Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead, Attendance, Welfare, Mental Health and Early Help Lead
Nikki Morrison and Paul Roberts
The Trust safeguarding team provides strategic leadership, advice, challenge, quality assurance and professional development across our academies.
Academies retain their own named DSL and safeguarding team. Details can be found on individual academy websites.
Reporting a safeguarding concern
If you are concerned about the safety or welfare of a child who attends one of our academies, please contact the academy and ask to speak to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 999.
Concerns about the conduct of an adult working with children should be reported to the Headteacher/Principal. Concerns about a Headteacher/Principal should be reported through the appropriate Trust procedure.
You do not need to be certain that abuse has occurred before reporting a safeguarding concern. If you are worried about a child, it is important that you share that concern.
Our academies policy sites
Allscott Meads
Burton Borough
Charlton
Crudgington
Ercall Wood
Hadley Learning Community Primary
Hadley Learning Community Secondary
Kickstart
Lantern
New Road
Queensway
Severndale
