Safeguarding & Security

At Woodlands School we are committed to the continuous Safeguarding of our children and families and promote the ethos that;

Safeguarding is EVERYONE'S responsibility!

There are 3 members of staff trained as Designated Safeguarding Leads. 

Governor With Responsibility For Safeguarding 

Mr Michael Curtin

Signs and Symptoms of Potential Abuse

We expect all members of our school community to remain vigilant to the signs and symptoms of potential abuse and report any concerns to our Designated Safeguarding Lead.

There are 4 main categories of abuse to be aware of;

• Physical Abuse

• Sexual Abuse

• Emotional Abuse

• Neglect 

In addition to these 4 areas, the following Safeguarding issues are also high on our agenda;

• The Prevent Duty (Radicalisation & Extremism) 

• Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

• Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)

• Children Missing From Education (CME)

For further information on this, please refer to our School Safeguarding Policies. 

How to make a referral

Should you have any Safeguarding concerns about our children or families please speak directly to our Designated Safeguarding Lead in the first instance.  In the rare event that they are not available, please speak to one of our Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads.  Contact can be made by either directly visiting the school or phoning the School Office on (020) 8381 2188. All disclosures are treated in the strictest confidence.  During weekends and holidays when school is closed, please make any referrals to

Harrow Children Services’ Golden Number on (020) 8901 2690 

In the event that you have a Safeguarding concern about a member of staff, please contact the Headteacher directly.  If you have a Safeguarding concern about the Headteacher, please contact our Chair of Governors, Pauline Atkins, whose contact details are available from the School Office.  In either case the Headteacher or Chair of Governors will then refer to the Managing Allegations Policy when investigating the concern.  

Internal Systems

Within our school, our internal system has a range of features and procedures to ensure that Safeguarding is continuously promoted and managed effectively.  This includes the following;

• A Single Central Record which ensures all Staff, Governors and Volunteers have up to date DBS checks and that relevant teachers have an additional Prohibition check

• All staff have read our key Safeguarding policies

• All staff have completed a Disqualification by Association disclosure form 

• All Safeguarding disclosures and interventions are recorded in a detailed way.

• We seek advice from and at times make referrals to, a range of multi-agency professionals including; 

1) The Children and Disabilities Team in Harrow

2) Harrow Local Authority Designated Officer

3) MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub) (includes Early Invention)

4) CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service)  

• Safeguarding features as a regular agenda item for Governors, Senior Leadership Team, Teachers and Staff meetings

• Staff undertake regular Safeguarding training both internally and externally 

• Safeguarding features within our School Evaluation Form and School Improvement Plan

• DSLs attend the Designated Safeguarding Lead Network meetings

• Health & Safety information is displayed boards  in every classroom

• A prominent Safeguarding poster is displayed in every classroom and the staffroom

• Regular safeguarding audits and reviews are undertaken to support the DSL in leading cases

• Curriculum provision promotes British Values and ensures opportunities for our children to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in relation to relevant aspects of Safeguarding, where it is deemed appropriate

Please see our ‘Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy’ for further information. 

Keeping children safe in education - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Operation Encompass

The school takes part in a project that will run jointly between schools and the Metropolitan Police. Operation Encompass is the reporting to schools, prior to the start of the next school day, when a child or young person has been exposed to, or involved in, any domestic incident.

Operation Encompass will ensure that a member of the school staff, known as a Dedicated Safeguarding Lead, is trained to allow them to liaise with the police and to use the information that has been shared, in confidence, while ensuring that the school is able to make provision for possible difficulties experienced by children, or their families, who have been involved in, or exposed to, a domestic abuse incident.