Safeguarding

At John Hampden Grammar School the safety and welfare of every student is our primary concern. Our desire is to work in partnership with parents and carers to help all our students to achieve their full potential and flourish, both in and out of school.

To promote a safe environment for students, our selection and recruitment policy includes checks on staff and volunteers’ suitability, including DBS checks as recommended by Buckinghamshire Council.

In line with the guidance in Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE) 2023, we have a Designated Safeguarding Lead, Mr Neil Hathaway, Deputy Headteacher, and he has received appropriate training for this role. His responsibility is to ensure that all staff in contact with students receive child protection awareness training on a regular basis. We believe safeguarding and promoting our students' welfare is everyone’s responsibility and work as a team to achieve this. We listen to our students and take seriously what they tell us. A number of other pastoral staff are also trained to ensure there are sufficient staff to undertake this work.  Miss Helen Burrow, Assistant Headteacher - Director of Sixth Form, is our Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.  In addition, our Safeguarding Governor is Miss Sylvia Tai.

There are occasions that our concern about a child may mean that we have to consult with external agencies. It would always be our aim to work in partnership with parents and carers, on occasion there may be exceptions to this when concerns are raised for the protection of a child.

On very rare occasions Social Care, whilst undertaking an investigation under S47 of the Children Act 1989, may wish to speak with a student without prior knowledge of the parents or carers. This decision would be taken in collaboration with partner agencies and would only be done in situations where a child might be at an immediate risk of harm, and obtaining consent at this point may increase the risk to the child or possibly cause evidence of a crime to be lost.

All processes and procedures we follow here at JHGS have been laid down by statutory guidance and the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board.  We have a Safeguarding Policy in line with this for the safety of everyone. If you want to know more about our procedures, please speak to Miss Hartley, Headteacher, or Mr Hathaway. Our Safeguarding Policy can be found here in the Policies section.

If you wish to raise a safeguarding concern and want to speak to someone, please contact Mr Hathaway or his assistant, Mrs Templing via the main school telephone number, 01494 529589 or email Mrs Templing directly using the email address headspa@jhgs.bucks.sch.uk.

You can also call the Buckinghamshire Social Care First Response Team on 08454 600001 or if you believe that a child is at immediate risk of significant harm call 999.