Safeguarding our students
"There is a well-established culture of vigilance at Langley Grammar School. Highly organised systems and an effective team approach involving governors, leaders and pastoral staff ensure that all pupils are kept safe. Pupils feel secure, look out for each other and trust adults will listen to any concerns they may have."
Ofsted, November 2021
At Langley Grammar School the wellbeing and safety of all students is of paramount importance.
The Governing Board takes seriously its responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and to work together with other agencies to ensure adequate arrangements to identify, assess, and support those children who may be or are suffering harm.
We recognise that all adults, including temporary staff, volunteers and governors, have a full and active part to play in protecting our students from harm, and that the child’s welfare is our paramount concern. All staff at Langley Grammar School provide a caring, positive, safe and stimulating environment that promotes the social, physical and moral development of each individual.
The safeguarding principles adhered to by the school are compliant with the statutory guidance provided in the document Keeping Children Safe in Education (Sept 2023).
Langley Grammar School Safeguarding Team
Headteacher | John Constable |
Headteacher |
Designated Safeguarding Lead | Nicola Dobbs | Assistant Headteacher |
Deputy Safeguarding Lead | Zarine Burns | Behaviour & welfare practitioner |
Safeguarding team | Helen Close | Phase Leader - Year 7 |
Safeguarding team | Tanya Haynes | Phase Leader - Years 10/11 |
Safeguarding team | Seann Wilkinson | Lead Practitioner & Director of Music |
Safeguarding team | Daniel Blanchard | Teacher of maths |
To contact any member of the team urgently please phone the school Reception on 01753 598300 or email safeguarding@lgs.slough.sch.uk.
Individual contact details for the safeguarding team leaders can be found in the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.
What do we mean by safeguarding?
Safeguarding is defined by the NSPCC as:
- protecting children from maltreatment
- preventing impairment of children’s health and 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 outcome
Safeguarding at Langley Grammar School aims to:
- support students’ development in ways that will foster security, confidence and independence;
- provide an environment in which students feel safe, secure, valued and respected, and know how to approach adults if they are in difficulties, confident they will be effectively listened to;
- raise the awareness of all staff of the need to safeguard our students, and of their responsibilities in identifying and reporting concerns and possible cases of abuse;
- provide a systematic means of monitoring students known or thought to be at risk of harm, and ensure we contribute to assessments of their need and support packages;
- emphasise the need for good levels of communication between all members of staff;
- outline the structured procedure within the school which will be followed by all members of the school community in cases of suspected abuse or other more general safeguarding concerns;
- develop and promote effective working relationships with other agencies, especially the Police and Social Care;
Staff at Langley Grammar School support students by:
- promoting a caring, safe and positive environment within the school;
- encouraging self-esteem and self-assertiveness, through the curriculum as well as our relationships, whilst not condoning aggression or bullying;
- making clear that sexual violence and sexual harassment is not acceptable, will never be tolerated and should not be considered an inevitable part of growing up;
- challenging behaviours which are potentially criminal in nature,
- identifying students who may benefit from early help;
- liaising and working together with all other support services and those agencies involved in the safeguarding of children who may be at risk of significant harm;
There are a number of safeguarding themes/issues about which Langley Grammar School staff are trained to be especially vigilant. These include:
- Child abuse (physical, sexual, emotional and neglect)
- Child exploitation: sexual exploitation, trafficking and 'county lines'
- Extremism and radicalisation
- Gangs
- Child on child abuse (bullying)
- Harmful sexual behaviours
- Sexual abuse and harassment
- Online abuse (cyberbullying, sexting)
- Female genital mutilation
- Forced marriage
- Domestic abuse
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Online safety (there are a number of useful links on the website in the Online safety section of the website).
For more information on these themes refer to the school’s safeguarding overview Safeguarding at Langley Grammar School and the Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
Links to helpful sites for safeguarding and wellbeing
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