Safeguarding

Our Safeguarding Team

Joanna Shaw, DDSL and SPO

SPO:  Safeguarding and Pastoral Officer

We work in partnership with parents, carers, staff and outside agencies to help our students achieve their full potential, in a supportive and caring environment.

The health, safety and wellbeing of every child is our paramount concern. We are proactive in ensuring that our young people learn how to keep themselves and others safe and how to respond or seek help when they feel unsafe. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and school staff are particularly well placed to observe outward signs of abuse, changes in behaviour and failure to develop.  Our staff are approachable and listen empathically to students. Staff know that no concern is too small – we have an open door policy and an ‘it could happen here’ approach.   

In accordance with our responsibilities under section 175/157 of the Education Act 2002 and ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, our Designated Safeguarding Lead for Child Protection ensures all staff receive child protection training on a regular basis and our recruitment policy includes checks on all staff and volunteers. 

Ashlyns School follows the procedures established by the Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership – a guide to procedure and practice for all professional staff in Hertfordshire who work with children. 

New technologies and increased media coverage, have brought new challenges to safeguarding procedures in schools and for families at home.  Learning about e-safety – how to keep yourself safe online and protect your digital footprint – is a pivotal part of our school’s curriculum delivered through PSHE, Computer Science, assemblies and tutor time.  Regular updates are provided to parents through the e-bulletin, and we guide parents to be proactive in reinforcing these messages through their own discussions and digital practice in the home. Please read our Online Safety Advice for Parents.