Safeguarding

Keeping Children Safe

If you have concerns as to the safety and wellbeing of a young person who attends the Academy, please contact us. Any information you provide will be in confidence; safeguarding information is processed confidentially within the academy, but we will also share information with other agencies when appropriate.

Unexplained AbsencesOur academy has a legal safeguarding responsibility for all of their students, and as part of this should investigate any unexplained absences. Our leadership team takes this responsibility very seriously.

Our academy works closely with the education support, behaviour and attendance service (ESBAS), other schools and local social services to ensure that children do not go missing from education. No child of compulsory school age is removed from the school roll at the Academy without the authorisation of the designated safeguarding lead and without confirmation from the school the student is joining, or without the Academy notifying the local authority or ESBAS.

Nationally, students with school attendance average of 90% or less are considered persistently absent and therefore at risk of becoming not in education or in employment (NEET), or being the victim of abuse or exploitation. As such, our Academy refers all students with an average attendance of less than 90% to ESBAS. We work with families who have students who are at risk of becoming persistently absent in order to improve their attendance.

Operation Encompass

Our Academy is taking part in a new operation that will run jointly with Sussex Police called Operation Encompass.

Operation Encompass has been designed to provide early reporting to schools and colleges of any domestic abuse incidents that occur in which a child was present, ordinarily resides at the incident location or with an involved party. We know that children can be significantly affected through witnessing or being exposed to domestic abuse and this operation will allow us to better support our students and their families.

Nominated staff, known as a key adults, have been trained to liaise with the police. Our key adults are the safeguarding team. They will be able to use information that has been shared with them, in confidence, to ensure that the right support is available should it be required by a child and / or their family. We are keen to offer the best support available to our students and we believe this is going to be extremely beneficial for all those involved.

If you have any concerns or questions then please contact the safeguarding team and we will be happy to discuss this further.

All adults at the Academy play a vital role in protecting young people from extremist groups or individuals who deliberately try to radicalise or recruit them using the internet and social media. Furthermore, the Academy is dedicated to serving the local and national community by promoting the fundamental rights and values that characterise British society.

Tackling Extremism and Prevent

The Academy provides a safe environment in which students can discuss issues such as extremism and terrorism in an age-appropriate and balanced way. Examples include lessons on extremism and radicalisation in ‘lifelong learning’, discussions of extremist views expressed in ‘Animal Farm’ during English literature lessons and learning about terrorism and democracy during history lessons. Opportunities to debate stereotyping, propaganda, online safety and freedom of speech can be found across the curriculum.

All students at the Academy are taught to participate in and value democracy. There is an active, elected school parliament who run, amongst other things, weekly tutor groups discussions on issues that affect the whole academy. We hold regular ‘mock’ elections to coincide with national elections and have recently had fantastic turn outs for a mock ‘Brexit’ referendum and a mock general election.

The Academy’s internet filtering system effectively prevents students from accessing dangerous websites and students receive regular lessons and assemblies on e-safety. All teaching staff have completed the Metropolitan Police’s online ‘Channel’ training to help them spot students in danger of radicalisation and new staff receive training in their safeguarding duties. The Academy works closely with the local police and Children's Services to offer support to any students identified as being at risk .

School Health Service

The school health service provides support to students, families and schools around school health needs that may affect a student’s access to education. They provide a range of intervention including confidential drop in within secondary schools, health promotions and packages of care for specific health needs. Contact them on 01424 728368.

Drop in is available to all students on Tuesdays during second break in U6

Useful links

Child Exploitation and Online Protection

Childline

Depart of Education Child Sexual Exploitation

East Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership

Educate Against Hate

FSN Charity

Imago (East Sussex Young Carers)

Internet Matters

Keeping Children Safe In Education

NSPCC

Parents Protect

Stop it now

Sussex Police

ThinkUKnow

Young Minds