Safeguarding Information

Important information about Safeguarding at Cockburn John Charles Academy is shown below.

Please click here to download our Safeguarding and Child Protection policy 2022-23Please click here to download our safeguarding handbookRead Safety Advice and Information from the Metropolitan Police force SAFE website

  • children and young people spend a large proportion of their lives in School. Cockburn John Charles Academy is uniquely placed to play a central role in ensuring that students are protected from harm
  • the academy’s primary responsibility is to facilitate learning and children are more likely to engage in the learning process and achieve their potential if they are safe and well
  • children who feel supported, listened to and valued at home and in school will welcome the educational opportunities provided for them
  • Cockburn John Charles Academy will cater for children of different backgrounds, religions, cultures and abilities.

Our ability to safeguard will be evident on three levels

Universal Safeguarding – this is our aim to keep all students safe by creating safe environments. This includes excellent site safety, safer recruitment of staff, strong school rules and codes of conduct and good safety awareness taught across the curriculum.

Targeted Safeguarding – this is our aim to focus on groups of students whose personal, social or economic circumstances may result in an increased risk to their safety. For example looked after children, students with special educational needs, children subjected to racism etc

Responsive Safeguarding –this is our aim to respond quickly and appropriately to situations where students may be or have suffered harm. This is our support through our strong child protection procedures.

Our aim and philosophy will be to be leading practitioners in

  • child protection
  • anti-bullying
  • behaviour and attendance
  • special educational needs
  • physical contact / positive handling
  • intimate and nurture care
  • children looked after
  • staff recruitment
  • CPD
  • PSHCE / Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL)
  • Healthy Schools.

Safeguarding for Parents/Carers:

If You Are Concerned About The Safety Or Welfare Of Your Child, Or A Child You Know You Should Act Without Delay. In the academy you can contact;

  • Our Executive Headteacher is: Mr D Gurney
  • Our Head of School is: Mrs S Roberts
  • Our designated Assistant Headteacher for child protection is: Ms S Danskin-Lewis
  • These members of staff can be contacted on the following;

Telephone: 0113 487 2800

You can also ask for advice or report your concern to

  • Police: 999 (if want to report a crime but not an emergency 101)
  • NSCPCC child protection helpline: 0808 800 5000

What we will do if we have a concern about your child:

  1. If we are concerned that your child may be at risk of harm we must follow the procedures in our child protection policy. You can look at a copy in school or receive a copy to take home.
  2. In almost all circumstances we will speak to you about our concerns and we will inform you if we feel we must refer our concerns to children’s social care.
  3. Any child protection records on your child are kept separate from your child’s normal school file. You can ask to see what information is held and we will normally agree to this.

Safeguarding of your child in out of school activities/clubs/sports:

It is important for parents/carers to check that any sports club or activity that their child attends has their child’s safety as its priority. Even if the club seems professional, there are questions that parents and carers should ask to make sure that they have all the necessary safeguarding measures in place.

Click here to read a webpage that has been created to help parents and carers ask the relevant questions.

Workshops for Mental Health

Please click on the link to find information regarding workshops in the local area about mental health

11-16s workshopParents discussion workshopParents group workshop