Safeguarding
Skerne Park Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our pupils and we expect all staff and visitors to share our commitment. We believe that all pupils have the right to be happy and safe to learn in a secure, nurturing environment. It is the responsibility of everyone to make sure this happens. All children, whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, race, religious beliefs and/or sexual identity have the right to be protected from harm and free from abuse. All suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately in line with school and Trust Safeguarding Policy.
Staff Responsibility for Safeguarding
All staff are responsible for safeguarding pupils and receive appropriate training.
Any and all concerns, however small, should be reported to the school designated officers for safeguarding who are:
| Mrs C. Gooding | Headteacher and Looked After Children Officer | Designated Safeguarding Lead |
| Miss L. Wilson | Deputy Headteacher | Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead |
| Miss P. Humphries | Family Liason Officer | Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead |
| Tahira Bourchier | Governing Body Member | Governing Body Member (Responsible for Safegaurding) |
Any concerns about the Headteacher should be reported to:
Michael Chapman
Chair of Governing Body
School Office: 01325 380831
Please see the Appendix A and B document below for additional information from our Safeguarding Policy on universal services and all relevant safeguarding staff training that has taken place:
SPA Appendix A and Appendix B – Safeguarding Policy | 2025-2026
Information Sharing
We have an obligation to obtain necessary information from parents in advance of a child being admitted to school, including:
- emergency contact numbers;
- the child’s special dietary requirements, preferences or food allergies the child may have;
- the child’s special health requirements;
- Information about who has legal contact with the child; and who has parental responsibility for the child.
Written parental permission is requested, at the time of the child’s admission to the school, to the seeking of any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment in the future.
PARENTS & CARERS MUST TELL US OF ANY CHANGES TO THESE DETAILS.
We take confidentiality very seriously. Any information which we hold is treated as confidential and shared on a ‘need-to-know’ basis.
In order to keep children safe we may sometimes share information with other professionals. This is always done in line with the Keeping Children Safe In Education document that can be found on our safeguarding page.
Links with External Agencies
Because our first concern must be the well-being of your child, there may be occasions when we have to consult other agencies before we contact you. The procedures we have to follow have been laid down in accordance with the local authority child protection procedures.
We are fortunate to be supported by a range of external agencies which can be called upon to support the work we do in school. These include Darlington Front Door, School Nurse, Health Practitioners, Educational Psychology, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services, Behaviour Support, Social Services and Specialists in supporting Special Educational Needs.
Reporting Concerns or Complaints
Further to the above procedures, we have in place a concerns and Complaints Policy. This enables children, staff and carers to report anything they feel is of concern.
Concerns should be raised in the following order:
- To the Class Teacher. Then, if there is no resolution;
- To the Head Teacher. Then, if there is no resolution;
- To the Chairman of Governors. Then, if there is no resolution;
- To the Local Authority.
Contact details are available from the school office.
To contact your child’s class teacher, Headteacher or Chair of Governors please telephone our Main Office in the first instance on (01325) 380831 or via admin@skernepark.org.uk
Mrs S. Shannon
Attendance Officer
Email: admin@skernepark.org.uk
Should you wish to contact our Trust, Advance Learning Partnership, please call 01388 825 285.
To view our Complaints Policy please find this within our Policies & Procedures section.
Everyone has a responsibility to help protect children. If you have any concerns for the welfare of a child you can report these to the Darlington Front Door on 01325 406222 (option 2)
If you believe a child is in immediate danger you should contact the police on 999, or for non-urgent matters call 101.
Review of Policy and Practice
In order to ensure that best practice is maintained, our policies are reviewed annually to incorporate the latest statutory guidance emerge. If you would like more information on safeguarding, please contact the school for all our policies or view our policies section on our website.
