Safeguarding & Attendance
Safeguarding Children
At Farington Primary School, the health, safety and wellbeing of every child is our paramount concern. We listen to our pupils and take seriously what they tell us. We strive to ensure that pupils are not only safe, but are happy and confident. To achieve this, we want to work in close partnership with you to help your child to achieve their full potential and make a positive contribution.
To promote a safe environment for pupils, our selection and recruitment policy includes all checks on staff and regular volunteers’ suitability, including DBS checks, in accordance with current legislation.
We have Designated Safeguarding Leaders (DSL) for Child Protection. Mr Williams (Headteacher) is the DSL, with deputies as: Mrs Seager (Pastoral Manager), Mrs Cooper (Deputy Headteacher), Mrs Tate (SENDCo) , Mrs Roberts (FAST). All have received formal training for this role. It is their responsibility to ensure that all staff in contact with children receive child protection awareness training on a regular basis.
On occasions our concern about a child may mean that we have to consult other agencies. Unless it is not safe for a child, we would always aim to achieve this with a parent’s consent. The procedures which we follow have been laid down by the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board. The school has adopted a Child Protection Policy in line with this for the safety of all. A copy of this policy is available on our Policies page.
Attendance
Regular attendance at school is vital for a child’s academic and social development. School actively encourage regular attendance as school, working closely with Lancashire County Council. We wish to make it clear that, contrary to popular belief, there is no entitlement for families to take holidays during term time. Absences will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. Applications must be made by completing the Absence Request form, copies of which are available from the Office.
Where poor attendance, punctuality and/or unauthorised holidays take place, school may be required to refer the matter to the Local Authority, where legal action (in the form of fines or parent contracts) are an option. Please feel able to discuss the matter with the school if you have any questions or concerns.
Pastoral Support at Farington Primary School
At Farington Primary School, we want everyone involved with our school to feel well supported. We believe that good pastoral support focuses on nurturing the individual needs of each child. We aim to build trusting and empathic relationships with all our children and their families.
From time to time, some of our children may experience social, emotional and behavioural challenges due to a range of factors which may include bereavement, loss, trauma, family break-ups and significant events, such as transitions to high school. Working together, the nurturing support provided within school can provide a safe base for our children as a stepping-stone to independent, effective learning and improved confidence and well-being.
Pastoral care underpins personal development and we know from experience that with outstanding pastoral care, children feel they belong and their self-esteem is able to flourish because they feel valued and cared for. Therefore we encourage all parents to talk to us at the earliest opportunity if there are any issues that may affect your child at school.
Supporting the pastoral needs of pupils sometimes also involves working with the wider family and external agencies. In these situations, we will do what we can to support families to bring about positive change in their lives.
If you feel you have any worries or you would like an appointment to discuss your child, please contact Mrs Seager (Pastoral Manager) on 01772 421977 or via e-mail l.seager@faringtonprimaryschool.co.uk