Safeguarding

Meet the Safeguarding Team

The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare and safety of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We work in partnership with parents and external agencies to ensure that the students achieve their full potential and make a positive contribution to both their learning and the wider community.

There may be occasions when we may have concerns about a student and this may mean that we have to consult with external agencies. We follow the Department of Education Safeguarding guidance and work within their framework and good practice guidelines.

Designated Safeguarding Lead	Mr A Tipney Deputy Headteacher atipney@rbhs.co.uk
Deputy Safeguarding Lead	Mr M Atherton matherton@rbhs.co.uk
Year 7 Pastoral Year Lead	Ms D Fraser dfraser@rbhs.co.uk
Year 8 & 9 Safeguarding Officer	Ms C Brides cbrides@rbhs.co.uk
Year 10 & 11 Safeguarding Officer	Mrs R Heys rheys@rbhs.co.uk
Year 12/13 Pastoral Year Lead	Mrs G Hartley ghartley@rbhs.co.uk

Concerned about your own child?

If you have any safeguarding concerns, please report them to your child’s Pastoral Year Lead.

What is safeguarding? The process of protecting children from abuse or neglect, preventing impairment of their health and development, and ensuring they are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care that enables children to have optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfully.

SEE, HEAR, BELIEVE – DO SOMETHING

Sexual Harassment

At Rivington and Blackrod High, we believe student safety is paramount and we aim to ensure that our young people are educated, knowledgeable and socially responsible citizens. We have a duty to ensure that we protect and serve the young people in our school and that they are aware of potential inappropriate sexual behaviours and the measures of support in place within school and the community.

Sexual harassment is not tolerated in any form and we have robust systems in place for both students and staff so they are equipped to effectively report, record and support with disclosures.

What is Sexual Harassment?

When referring to sexual harassment we mean: ‘unwanted conduct of a sexual nature’ that can occur online and offline. When we reference sexual harassment, we do so in the context of child on child sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is likely to: violate a child’s dignity, and/or make them feel intimidated, degraded or humiliated and/or create a hostile, offensive or sexualised environment.

Please visit for information on the forms of sexual harassment and the types of behaviours exhibited:

Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

What support do we off in school for students?

We take a proactive approach to ensuring students know what sexual harassment looks like.

We have a bespoke package of form time work exploring what sexual harassment is, the statistics around sexual harassment, scenario based learning with specialist PSHCE and pastoral guidance and reflection on topical instances of sexual harassment in the community.

We also have wide PSHCE curriculum that explores relationships, sexual education including sexual harassment and what things are and are not acceptable.

We have trained form tutors, Pastoral Year Leads and a Designated Safeguarding Lead who are fully trained on how to manage disclosures and effectively support and challenge instances of Sexual Harassment.

If you think you have been a victim of sexual harassment, we are here to support you and we have lots of ways we can help. It is important that you do not suffer in silence as we are here to help. Please report this to your Pastoral Year Lead, who will be there to listen, support and ensure we deliver or signpost support to help keep you safe and deal with your report sensitively and appropriately. Alternatively, you can report this to a trusted parent or guardian or to the Police.

Pastoral Year Leads in School

Year 12/13: Mrs Hartley
Year 11: Ms L Hallam
Year 10: Mr V Patel
Year 9: Ms V Luke
Year 8: Ms L McGill
Year 7: Miss Fraser

Operation Encompass

Our school is part of Operation Encompass.

Operation Encompass is a national police and education early intervention safeguarding partnership which supports children and young people who experience Domestic Violence and Abuse and which is in place in every police force in England and Wales.

Children were recognised as victims of domestic abuse in their own right in the 2021 Domestic Abuse Act.

Operation Encompass means that the police will share information with our school about all police attended Domestic Abuse incidents which involve any of our children PRIOR to the start of the next school day.

The Operation Encompass information is stored in line with all other confidential safeguarding and child protection information.

As a staff we have discussed how we can support our children who are experiencing Domestic Violence and Abuse on a day-to-day basis and particularly following the Operation Encompass notification.

We have used the Operation Encompass Handbooks to inform our thinking. We are aware that we must do nothing that puts the child/ren or the non-abusing adult at risk.

The Safeguarding Governor will report on Operation Encompass in the termly report to Governors.

All information is anonymised for these reports.

We have used the Operation Encompass Key Adult Responsibilities checklist to ensure that all appropriate actions have been taken by the school.

Useful websites for parents/carers

There are lots of useful websites that you may find useful as a parent.

The Department for Education Guidance on Sexual Violence or Sexual Harassment (all our guidance and support is underpinned by this document): DfE Guidance on Sexual Violence or Sexual Harassment

StopItNow - Preventing harmful sexual behaviour in children

Stop It Now provides a guide for parents, carers and professionals to help everyone do their part in keeping children safe, they also run a free confidential helpline.

Thinkuknow

Thinkuknow from NCA-CEOP provides support for the children’s workforce, parents and carers on staying safe online.

Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)

CAMHS is used as a term for all services that work with children and young people who have difficulties with their emotional or behavioural wellbeing.

NHS: Help after rape and sexual assault provides a range of advice, help and support including advice about the risk of pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STI), reporting to the police and forensics.

The specialist sexual violence sector can provide therapeutic support for children who have experienced sexual violence. Contact Rape Crisis (England & Wales) or The Survivors Trust for details of local specialist organisations. The Male Survivors Partnership can provide details of services which specialise in supporting men and boys.

Home Office Publications: Mandatory Reporting of Female Genital Mutilation – Procedural Information

Parents Guide to Extremism and Radicalisation: Parents Guide to Extremism and Radicalisation

Local Safeguarding Children Board: Click here to access the Bolton Local Safeguarding Children Board (SCB) website.

NSPCC Pokémon Go Guide: The NSPCC have created a useful guide for parents on how to keep your children safe while playing the latest mobile phone game craze, Pokémon Go. Please follow the link below if you wish to learn more about this:

Pokemon Go Parents Guide

Vodafone Digital Parenting Guide: Please click on the links below to download the Vodafone Digital Parenting Guides and. All these documents contain useful guidelines for parents however they are not endorsed by Rivington & Blackrod High School

Download 1

Download 2

Spot The Signs: A useful guide to spotting the signs of exploitation (pdf)

Download

Keeping your child safe from ‘Sexting’ Guide

This is a useful guide for parents on how to keep your children safe from sexting. Please follow the link below if you wish to learn more about this:

How can you safeguard children from sexting?

Student Support

As a student, you can also seek support here:

Childline: Childline provide free and confidential advice for children and young people.
Bolton Adolescent Health Service (Sexual Heath Clinic): www.boltonft.nhs.uk/services/the-parallel-young-peoples-health/ (9A Churchgate, Bolton BL1 1HU | 01204 462444)
Thinkuknow: Thinkuknow from NCA-CEOP provides support for the children’s workforce, parents and carers on staying safe online.
Internet Watch Foundation: Internet Watch Foundation works internationally to remove child sexual abuse online images and videos and offers a place for the public to report them anonymously.
Department of Education Publications and websites
Keeping Children Safe in Education
Working Together to Keep Children Safe
PREVENT Protecting Children from Radicalisation