Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.

Safeguarding means:

• protecting children from abuse and maltreatment
• preventing harm to children’s health or development
• ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care
• taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes.

At Heron Park Primary Academy, our pupils’ welfare is our paramount concern. Our whole school approach to safeguarding is based upon an understanding of the local context and an attitude of ‘it could happen here’.

Our school is a community and all those directly connected, staff, volunteers, governors, parents, families and pupils, have an essential role to play in making it safe and secure.

Safeguarding is not an isolated activity which is undertaken by a select few within only certain areas of school practice.

Safeguarding children is everyone’s responsibility and everyone at our school who has contact with children and families must play an active role in keeping children safe from harm.  In that respect we take a whole school approach to safeguarding, ensuring that it is at the forefront of all our work, that it underpins all of our policies and processes and that everything we do is always with the best interests of the children at heart.

If you have concerns regarding an adult's behaviour, please contact the LADO via the online referral form:

https://new.eastsussex.gov.uk/children-families/professional-resources/allegations/lado

Heron Park Primary Academy has dedicated, trained members of staff who work to safeguard our children.  If you have concerns about a child during term time, please contact our Designated Safeguarding Leads.

What to do if you have a concern about a child during the holidays?

If you have a concern about a child you can contact ChildLine 0800 1111

You contact the Single Point of Advice at East Sussex to share your concern.

Contacting the SPoA

Telephone: 01323 464 222 Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5pm and Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm.

Out of hours, with serious concerns that cannot wait until the next working day, contact our Emergency Duty Service.

Telephone: 01273 335 906 or 01273 335 905 Monday to Thursday 5pm to 8.30am and Fridays, weekends and bank holidays after 4.30pm to 8.30am