At Askwith School we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and take account of the information contained in the DfE documents 'Working Together to Safeguard Children' and 'Keep Children Safe in Education: Statutory Guidance for Schools and Colleges (DfE 2015)' as the safety and protection of children is of paramount importance to everyone in this school.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is best defined as: 

'Protecting children from maltreatment; preventing impairment of children's health or development; ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes'. (Keep Children Safe in Education: Statutory Guidance for Schools and Colleges (DfE 2014))

We want all our children to achieve their full potential by:

• being as physically and mentally healthy as possible
• experiencing good quality education opportunities
• living in a safe environment
• learning and working in a safe environment
• experiencing emotional well-being
• feeling loved and valued
• receiving support from a network of reliable and affectionate relationships
• learning to look after themselves
• coping with everyday living
• having a sense of identity and a positive image of themselves
• developing their confidence and their interpersonal skills

• We believe that all children have the right to be safe in our society. Therefore, we recognise that we have a duty to ensure arrangements are in place for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children by creating a positive school atmosphere through our teaching and learning, pastoral support and care for both pupils and school personnel, training for school personnel and with working with parents.

• We work hard to ensure that everyone keeps careful watch throughout the school and in everything we do for possible dangers or difficulties. We want all children to feel safe at all times. We want to hear their views of how we can improve all aspects of safeguarding and from the evidence gained we put into place all necessary improvements.