Safeguarding
at John Taylor Free School
Keeping Students Safe
Keeping students safe is a fundamental priority at John Taylor Free School. We are committed to creating a safe and supportive environment where students feel protected, listened to and able to learn. This page outlines how safeguarding is managed, how concerns can be reported and where support can be accessed.
You can read our full Safeguarding Policy on our Policies and Procedures page:
Safeguarding Team
Our safeguarding team leads safeguarding practice across the school and ensures that concerns are responded to promptly and appropriately.
If you have concerns about a child which are not urgent, please contact the child’s Personal Tutor.
If you have more pressing concerns, please call the school or email [email protected]
If you believe that someone is at risk of significant harm, call the police on 999.
Designated Safeguarding LEad (DSL)
- Mr S McAusland – Deputy Head
The Designated Safeguarding Lead oversees safeguarding procedure within the school. The DSL work with the Safeguarding Team at JTFS and other external agencies and professionals to promote a safe environment for all.
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSLs)
- Mrs M Hassell – Safeguarding Officer
- Mrs W Burton – Home Link Officer
- Mrs A Rogers – Pastoral Support Officer
- Mrs V Scott – Pastoral Support Officer
- Miss J Bradley – Pastoral Support Officer
- Mrs T Taylor – Pastoral Support Officer
- Miss C Anderson – Pastoral Support Officer
Reporting a Safeguarding Concern
Safeguarding concerns may be raised by students, parents, carers or members of staff. All concerns are taken seriously and responded to appropriately.
Once a concern is shared, it is recorded and reviewed by the safeguarding team so that the most appropriate action can be taken. This may include speaking with the student, contacting parents or carers, and seeking support from external agencies where required.
If you are concerned about a child
If you have a concern about the safety or wellbeing of a student at John Taylor Free School, we encourage you to contact the school as soon as possible or seek advice from local safeguarding services.
Where possible, we avoid sharing the identity of those raising concerns and will always handle information sensitively.
If a concern is urgent or immediate, please seek advice without delay using the services below.
Wellbeing and Additional Support
Further wellbeing and mental health support is available for students and families, including guidance and links to trusted external organisations.
Online Safety
All staff, students and families are required to agree to the JTMAT Acceptable Use Policy for IT resources. All use of the school’s network traffic is filtered monitored to encourage appropriate use and to ensure that unsafe use is reported and responded to. The school’s DSL and Safeguarding Team are kept apprised of reports of misuse of technology in school.
Throughout our curriculum, students are reminded of proper use of online spaces, and encouraged to become responsible users by being expected to manage their emails and student accounts. Online safety is also included in our PSHCE and tutorial programmes, with age-appropriate content being delivered accordingly over a student’s time at JTFS.
Online safety is taught explicitly as part of our ICT and computing curriculum to students in year 7, but students and staff remain vigilant to safe use of online technology in school and offsite.
At JTFS, students have always been encouraged to develop face-to-face relationships. Mobile phones are not permitted to be used in the school (except rarely with specific permission from teachers). Students are aware when they arrive in our community that mobile phones – if seen, heard or otherwise known to be used – will be confiscated for families to collect. JTFS fully supports the age restrictions on use of social media and other online platforms, and will contact families where we become aware of unauthorised access.
The Prevent Duty and Fundamental British Values
The aim of Prevent is to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. Prevent also extends to supporting the rehabilitation and disengagement of those already involved in terrorism.
At JTFS, our values and ethos encourage students to Be Nice. The phrase may sound simple, but that’s intentional. Most people know when someone is being kind to them, and most people know how to show kindness to others. However, making positive choices and setting a good example takes effort, and we expect students to be reflective about their own actions, and showing a welcoming, supportive outlook towards other people.
We explicitly teach about the Fundamental British Values through our PSHCE programme, but we also espouse these values through our culture.
If students are showing indications of radicalised behaviour, the school follows the Prevent Duty to ensure that appropriate advice is sought and relevant information is shared.
We recognise that influences on young people can come from many sources, in the real world and online. All members of staff are trained in the Prevent duty and indicators of radicalisation or extremism, and how to raise concerns appropriately.
Operation Encompass
JTFS, as a school in Staffordshire, works with the police as part of Operation Encompass.
Operation Encompass is a police and education early information safeguarding partnership enabling educational settings to offer immediate support to children experiencing domestic abuse.