Safeguarding at Leigh Academy Horsmonden

At Leigh Academy Horsmonden, our pupils’ safety and wellbeing at school, at home and online is our priority. We uphold high standards of safeguarding for our students, staff and community.
 
Our Safeguarding Statement: “Leigh Academy Horsmonden and all the personnel are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children.”

Safeguarding Team

  • Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Principal: Mrs Hayley Sharp
  • Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL): Mr Sam Fenton

Contact Us

Our team is dedicated to supporting you and can be reached during normal working hours during term time.
  • Telephone: 01892 722529
Outside of normal working hours 8:30am – 4pm or term time please visit the KCC Social Care Website or dial 999 for emergency services.

ChildLine

24/7 support and counselling for children and young people

ThinkUKnow

Mental Health support and resources for suicidal thoughts

Kooth

Online Mental Wellbeing community for children and young adults

Mind

Mental Health support and resources for suicidal thoughts

What does Safeguarding look like at Leigh Academy Horsmonden?

  • All staff receive safeguarding training on induction as well as ongoing updates and personal development e.g. Online Safety, Prevent, County Lines.
  • Allegations and concerns are reported proactively and taken seriously by all. Appropriate action is taken by the safeguarding team including rationale.
  • We track and review the needs of our most vulnerable students regularly and involve outside agencies where required, beneficial or appropriate.
  • We work with the Local Authority, Police and Support Services to ensure our students and families receive the support they need.
  • We complete and review risk assessments to ensure that all potential dangers in activities have been identified.
  • We teach our students how to identify dangers and keep themselves safe (including online) during weekly PSHE lessons, assemblies and tutor time.
  • We understand that mental health and special education needs can have unique safeguarding requirements and regularly review these.
  • Our students and staff are well trained to evacuate the building safely in case of fire or other emergencies.
  • We have two experienced DSLs. Level 3 DSL Training is updated once every two years for all DSLs, SLT and Office Manager.
  • Our safeguarding governor works closely with the school to ensure safeguarding practices are robust and upheld.
  • All staff are DBS checked and can be identified easily via their ID badge which must be worn at all times. This is scanned upon entry into the school building.
  • Our students have options and easy access to support from our student support mentors, wellbeing staff, safeguarding team and college leadership teams.

Further Information

Safeguarding and Mental Health Websites/Links

Online Safety

Operation Encompass

Operation Encompass is a national scheme that operates jointly between schools and all police forces. Operation Encompass means that our academy will be told, prior to the start of the next school day, when police have attended an incident of domestic abuse where there is a child or young person who attends our academy who is related to any of those involved in the incident.

We have ensured that a member of our staff, (Designated Safeguarding Lead) known as a Key Adult, has been trained about Operation Encompass procedures. This allows us to use the information that has been confidentially shared with us by the police, to understand how a child may be impacted by domestic abuse and to then offer support to the children in our care.

Find out more about Operation Encompass here