At Upton Hall School FCJ, safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do. As a Catholic community committed to the FCJ values of dignity, justice, companionship and gentleness, we believe every child deserves to feel safe, valued and supported.

Our Commitment to Safeguarding

We are fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our pupils and Sixth Form students. We want all young people in our care to:

• Feel safe and secure at school.

• Build healthy relationships with peers and trusted adults.

• Access the support they need, when they need it.

• Grow in confidence, resilience and wellbeing.

We work in partnership with families, external agencies and the wider community to protect our pupils from all forms of harm, including abuse, neglect, exploitation, radicalisation and online dangers.

Key Safeguarding Staff

If you have any safeguarding concerns or wish to speak to someone about a child’s welfare, please contact:

• Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Mr P Jones (Assistant Headteacher)

• Deputy DSLs: Mr P McAleese (Deputy Headteacher) and Mrs Andrea Gaunt (Headmistress)

Telephone: 0151 677 7696
Email: safeguarding@uptonhall.org

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding refers to the measures we take to protect the health, wellbeing and human rights of our pupils. This includes:

• Protecting children from abuse and maltreatment.

• Preventing harm to children’s mental and physical health or development.

• Ensuring children grow up in safe and effective care environments.

• Taking prompt action to ensure the best possible outcomes for all pupils.

Child protection is a key part of safeguarding and refers to actions taken when a child is at risk of significant harm.

Our Safeguarding Practice

We follow statutory guidance including:

• Keeping Children Safe in Education (2024)

• Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023)

• Wirral Safeguarding Children Partnership procedures

Our staff are regularly trained in safeguarding and are alert to the signs of abuse, neglect, peer-on-peer harm, exploitation, online risks and emotional or mental health concerns.

We work with many external agencies including:

• Children’s Social Care (including our designated Social Worker in School)

• Merseyside Police (including our designated Safer Schools Police Officer)

• CYPMHS

• Early Help services

We maintain a secure school site, use safeguarding software and ensure safer recruitment procedures are rigorously applied to all staff, volunteers and visitors.

What to Do if You Have a Concern

If you're ever worried about a child’s welfare, please contact the school directly and ask to speak to the DSL or a deputy.

Out of hours, serious safeguarding concerns can be reported to the Wirral Integrated Front Door:

• 0151 606 2008 (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm)
• 0151 677 6557 (Evenings and weekends)

You can also contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000.

Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing

We recognise that emotional wellbeing and mental health are essential components of safeguarding. Pupils can experience many challenges, including anxiety, low self-esteem or the effects of past trauma.

Support available includes:

• Access to pastoral staff, form tutors and counsellors/therapists.

• Access to HSIS Youth Worker.

• Access to our Thrive VLE.

• Targeted wellbeing support from named staff.

• Targeted early help support.

• Referrals to CYPMHS or other appropriate services, particularly through Branch Wirral.

• Mental health education in our Flourish curriculum.

Online Safety

We teach pupils how to stay safe online, both at school and at home. All internet access on school devices is filtered and monitored, and pupils receive regular lessons on:

• Cyberbullying

• Online grooming

• Sexting and image-sharing

• Managing screen time

• Digital consent and privacy

We also work with parents to help you support your child’s digital safety. You can request advice on parental controls or how to talk to your child about online risks.

Safeguarding in the Curriculum

Our safeguarding culture is woven throughout our curriculum. In lessons, pupils learn about:

• Healthy relationships

• Consent and boundaries

• Bullying and peer pressure

• Extremism and radicalisation

• Substance misuse

• Emotional literacy and resilience

We ensure safeguarding content is age-appropriate and rooted in Catholic values of care, respect and justice.

Confidentiality

If a child discloses a concern, we will always take them seriously. Although we treat information with sensitivity, we never promise confidentiality if a child is at risk of harm. We share information with appropriate agencies to keep children safe.

Safeguarding and Catholic Ethos

We are inspired by our FCJ mission to protect the dignity and worth of every young person. Our safeguarding work is an expression of our faith, our values and our deep care for every member of our community.