Contact number for Solihull MASH: 0121 788 4300
Safeguarding is defined as –
- Protecting children from maltreatment;
- Preventing impairment of children’s health or development;
- Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
- Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
The Heights Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all its pupils/students. We believe that:
- All children/young people have the right to be protected from harm;
- Children/young people need to be safe and to feel safe in school;
- Children/young people need support that matches their individual needs, including those who may have experienced abuse;
- All children/young people have the right to speak freely and voice their values and beliefs;
- All children/young people must be encouraged to respect each other’s values and support each other;
- All children/young people have the right to be supported to meet their emotional, and social needs as well as their educational needs – a happy, healthy, sociable child/young person will achieve better educationally.
- Schools can and do contribute to the prevention of abuse, victimisation, bullying, exploitation, extreme behaviours, discriminatory views and risk taking behaviours; and
- all staff and visitors have an important role to play in safeguarding children and protecting them from abuse.
The Heights Academy will fulfil its local and national responsibilities as laid out in the following documents: –
- The most recent version of Working Together to Safeguard Children (DfE)
- The most recent version of Keeping Children Safe in Education: Statutory guidance for schools and colleges (DfE)
- Home – Solihull Safeguarding Children Partnership (safeguardingsolihull.org.uk)
- The Education Act 2002 s175 / s157
- Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools: Departmental Advice (DfE 2018)
We will comply with any mandatory reporting responsibilities in these and other areas of safeguarding. We encourage parents or carers to speak to us if they have any concerns about these or other areas.
We provide advice and training sessions for parents re: online safety and we welcome any requests for advice or input in this area. Parents and carers can ask and talk to us if they have any concerns no matter how small they feel they may be. Online safety is a very important, influential and ever-changing aspect of children’s lives that can leave any child very vulnerable.
At The Heights Academy the staff and children promote and practice British Values across the curriculum and in all we do every day.