Safeguarding
This page is designed to be a source of information about safeguarding for the community, parents and students alike - to help inform and educate everyone in our school community. You can also download our Safeguarding Policy from the bottom of the page.
Further details of our approach to safeguarding and wellbeing can also be found on the Wellbeing and Support area of the website. You will also find links to other sources of information and support.
Your child and their health and safety is our number one priority. We strive to make sure that every student in the academy feels secure, well cared for, and able to reach their full potential. A copy of our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.
All our staff, other professionals, parents/carers and students work together to know the rules about keeping children safe. They understand the importance of following procedures and listening to each other, especially when there are concerns about safety. We aim to ensure that all safeguarding and welfare concerns or referrals are handled sensitively, professionally and in ways that support the needs of the individual student. Through providing a caring, safe and stimulating environment which promotes the social, physical and moral development of all our students, we foster an atmosphere of trust, respect and security.
The academy works hard to reduce all the kinds of harm that children can suffer, including abuse, bullying, discrimination and avoidable injuries. If you have any concerns at all about the safety or welfare of a child please do not hesitate to contact us.
Our safeguarding team
The Harris Academy Orpington safeguarding team is:
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Designated Safeguarding Lead Officer (DSL): Martin Paterson on 07718 670849
- Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSL): Alex Spooner & Amanda Woodyatt
- Prevent Lead: Richard Carey. You can contact Mr Carey on 07540 151004
- Designated anti-bullying member of staff: Martin Paterson
- Designated staff members to support students with medical needs: Kendall Tucker
- Designated staff member responsible for supporting looked after children: Martin Paterson
- Governor responsible for safeguarding, child protection, first aid and medicines: Lauren Allen and Jan Tomlinson
- Designated member of staff with responsibility for health and safety: Tony Conboy
- Attendance Officer: Jill Daniels
Safeguarding poster
A safeguarding poster is displayed in key places around the academy. This is to ensure that every stakeholder connected to the academy can approach staff to share any safeguarding concerns.
To email any concerns in confidence, please email talk@harrisorpington.org.uk
For concerns about an adult
For concerns about an adult, please contact the Executive Principal, Mr Astin, directly via Clair Standing at c.standing@harrisbromley.org.uk or 0208 768 7701.
If your concern is about the Executive Principal or the Head of the Academy or you feel unable to approach either Mr Astin or Mr Carey, then you can contact Rebecca Hickey, Secondary Director for the Harris Federation, on Rebecca.Hickey@harrisfederation.org.uk.
Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO). The LADO for Harris Academy Orpington can be contacted at: Lead for Education Safeguarding, Quality Assurance Unit. Telephone 020 8461 7669 or 020 8313 4325 (via the Orpington Safeguarding Children Board). Email: LADO@bromley.gov.uk.
A whistleblowing helpline is available from the NSPCC (tel 0800 028 02825).
Safeguarding during the school holidays
Safeguarding is of paramount importance to HAO and we hold informative assemblies before the school holidays reminding students to stay safe. Please see the link below for an example of the presentations we give to our student community, highlighting the essential safety points to remember. Click to see the Staying safe over the summer presentation.
Monitoring safeguarding
We are committed to ensuring that consistent, effective safeguarding procedures are in place to support families, children and staff at school. To ensure prompt communication between staff, we use CPOMS, an online system that allow us to monitor safeguarding, wellbeing and pastoral issues. This enables swift communication and action between all parties.
Do you know what apps your child is using?
You’ve probably heard of Snapchat and Tiktok, but there is a range of other apps being used by young people which are weak at verifying a user’s age and allow interactions with strangers.
Understanding the security settings on each app will help to keep children safe. You can download booklets to guide you through the security settings on most of the popular apps at www.swgfl.org.uk/resources/checklists
One top tip for keeping your child safe on the internet is to have open dialogue with your child about the apps, games and sites they like to use. Discuss with them when they unfollow, block or report.
Research suggests that 44% of all child sexual content on the internet involves self-generated material, and this is on the rise. Remind your child that they can always speak to you or our safeguarding team if anything happens online that makes them feel worried. Young people can also report a concern about grooming or sexual abuse at www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre.
Ten apps teens are using that parents need to know
Parenting support
We all want the best for our children, but parenting can be really tough. In this section you’ll find information and links to useful websites and sources of support.
Parenting Smart
Place2Be’s Parenting Smart is a new site for parents and carers of 4-11 year olds, offering practical advice on supporting your child and manging behaviour. Designed with busy parents in mind, the site has short videos and articles on topics from meltdowns to bullying, from sleeping difficulties to encouraging self-confidence. Learn more at www.parentingsmart.org.uk
Parenting Smart Online Course
This is a free online course for parents and carers of 4–11-year-olds. It will provide you with extra tools to help you deal with everyday parenting challenges, helping you strengthen your relationship with your child and respond helpfully to challenging behaviour.
You can also join discussions with other parents in your group from across the UK. Designed to fit around busy family lives, the six-week course can be broken down into short 15-minutes sections and you can access it from your mobile phone, tablet or any other device. Click HERE to learn more.
