Safeguarding at Roman Road
At Roman Road, all staff know that:
‘Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families and carers has a role to play in safeguarding children. In order to fulfil this responsibility effectively, all professionals should make sure their approach is child-centred. This means that they should consider, at all times, what is in the best interests of the child.’
‘Staff members working with children are advised to maintain an attitude of “it could happen here” where safeguarding is concerned. When concerned about the welfare of a child, staff members should always act in the best interests of the child.’
Keeping Children Safe in Education
Reporting a Concern
To contact school with any immediate safeguarding concerns, please contact Mrs Monaghan (DSL), Mrs Smith (Deputy DSL) or Mrs Stewart (Deputy DSL):
- Mrs Monaghan: emmamonaghan@gateshead.gov.uk
- Mrs Smith: elizabethsmithschools@gateshead.gov.uk
- Mrs Stewart: lyndseystewart@romanroadprimary.org.uk
- School number: 0191 438 0510
If you have any concerns around the safety and well-being of other children who you may have contact with through family, friends, neighbours or within the wider community, please follow the link below to find out more about how you can report your concerns.
If you feel a child is in immediate danger, you should call the police on 999
You can report concerns to the police on their non-emergency number, 101
Designated Safeguarding Leads
Mrs Monaghan is Designated Safeguarding Lead and supports families who have a Child Protection Plan. She is also the Designated Teacher for Children in Care.
Mrs Smith is a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead and works with families who have a Child in Need Plan and she also leads on safeguarding across the curriculum.
Mrs Stewart is a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead and as our SENDCo and Family Support Worker, she supports families working with Early Help and also any safeguarding linked to SEND.
Operation Encompass
We are an Operation Encompass school – this means that if the police have been called to a domestic violence incident, school will be made aware. This is so we can offer support to our children and families.
Home or Out Alone
As your child gets older, it’s likely they’ll want a bit more independence. Staying home or going out without you is a natural step for them to take — when the time is right. It can be hard to decide whether your child is ready. There’s a lot to think about. And a lot you might be worried about. This guide is designed to reduce that worry, by helping you make the right decision for you and your child.
Mental Health — Young Minds
It takes courage to ask for help. But for many young people who do, the support they need just isn’t there. Hundreds of thousands of young people are struggling with their mental health, but too many are being told to wait, struggling to cope and hitting a crisis point before they get help.
But things can get better. And Young Minds are leading the movement for change.
Young Minds provide young people with the tools to look after their mental health. They empower adults to be the best support they can be to the young people in their lives. And they give young people the space and confidence to get their voices heard and change the world we live in.
Together, we can create a world where no young person feels alone with their mental health.
YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People
Online Safety
At Roman Road, we promote the use of the internet and technology both at home and at school as we feel that it is an invaluable tool for teaching, learning and is indeed an amazing resource. Although the internet has many advantages it is also important that we take Internet Safety very seriously. At Roman Road we educate our pupils on how to make safe and responsible use of the internet and promote the key message that:
“It is always best to tell a trusted grown up”
Our families can support by:
- having open discussions about your expectations and how to stay safe online
- closely monitoring the sites your children are accessing
- limiting the amount of time your allow your child to spend online or using gaming devices
- discouraging the use of social network sites under the legal age of 13 such as Facebook however if your child does use social media remind them to only communicate with friends and family (people they know and trust in the real world), and also to ensure that their privacy settings are set high and to make them aware of how to report an incident if they feel uncomfortable.
- ensuring they do not give out any personal details to people they meet online including on games consoles such as Xbox and PS4.
- take notice of PEGI ratings – age rating is there for a reason and could mean that your child is being exposed to inappropriate materials if you do not abide by them.
- The designated safeguarding leads in school are Mrs. Monaghan (Headteacher), Mrs Smith (Deputy Headteacher) and Mrs Stewart (SENDCO). If you have any concerns about online safety please contact one of these members of staff.
Parent and Carer Guides to Keeping Your Children Safe Online
We know that our children have access to the online world – at school this is rigorously monitored and filtered but we know that this is not always the case at home. We would love nothing more than to say our children are too young for SnapChat, WhatsApp, Be Real and the many other social media apps that are out there so as a primary school we have nothing to worry about. However, that is not the case. We know that our children have access to online devices – phones, tablets and gaming are the ones that spring to mind immediately.
As part of our Computing and PSHE curriculum, children are taught online safety in dedicated units over the year with both planned and reactive assemblies that further drive home these messages.
We also want our families to be informed about the ever changing risks so they can take an active role in supporting their children to navigate the online world safely and confidently.
