Safeguarding

Bussage C of E Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and all staff, governors and volunteers share this commitment.

If you notice anything that you feel is a cause for concern relating to a child’s safety, please ensure you discuss it immediately with the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSL).

All conversations will be handled discretely and only discussed with the relevant agencies as necessary. 

You can contact one of our DSL's via this email address: DSL@Bussage.gloucs.sch.uk    (this email will be live from September 30th 2026)

Which adults are safeguarding leads?

Mrs Zoe White, Headteacher, Designated Safeguarding Lead

Mrs Amy Howe, Deputy Headteacher, Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

Miss Angela Corbett, Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

Mrs Hannah Mirams, Safeguarding Governor

 If you would like to know more about the Safeguarding procedures here at Bussage, please look at our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy (updated policy for 2026-2027 will soon be added):

Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy 2025-2026

Please also see Working together to Safeguard children 2026  - a Government document:

Working together to safeguard children 2026

Prevent: anti-radicalisation
As part of Acton CE Primary Academy’s ongoing safeguarding and child protection duties we are fully behind the government’s Prevent Strategy.  Staff are trained on what the Prevent Duty is about and how to deal with any issues they may see inside or outside school.

Please click here for a link to the official government document.

Please click here for resources to support the Prevent agenda.

Operation Encompass
In conjunction with Gloucestershire Police, Bussage C of E Primary is involved in an initiative called Operation Encompass. The purpose of Operation Encompass is to safeguard and support children and young people who have been involved in, heard or witnessed a domestic abuse incident. Following such an incident, children will often arrive at school distressed, upset, worried and unprepared. Operation Encompass aims to ensure that appropriate school staff (called Key Adults) are made aware early enough to support children and young people in a way that means they feel safe and included. You can find out more by visiting www.operationencompass.org.

Here is an illustrated guided to Working Together to Safeguard children which is more younger reader friendly - please be aware that this guide is created from the 2023 guidance not the newer updated 2026 guidance:

Illustrated guide to Working together to safeguard children

E-safety
Here are some really interesting things on the Internet but not everything is useful and safe. This means we have to be SMART when we are online. Make sure you and your children know the SMART rules and remember these tips.

SAFE – Staying safe involves being careful and not giving out your name, address, mobile phone no., school name or password to people online.

MEETING someone you have only contacted online can be dangerous, they may not be telling the truth about who they are. Do not arrange to meet anyone you have met online.

ACCEPTING e-mails or opening files from people you don’t know or trust can get you into trouble – they may contain viruses or nasty messages.

RELIABLE – Some information you find on the Internet may not be correct.

TELL your parent, carer, teacher or any trusted adult if someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, or if you or someone you know is being bullied online.

Always be careful when you are using the internet. It can help you to keep in touch with your friends and help your education – but it can also cause harm – to you and to others.

Below is a really useful leaflet from the Children’s Commissioner – some great top tips to engage with your children.

Remember help is always available at school if you are having any problems online. Don’t be afraid to talk to your teacher or another adult at school.

If you or anyone you know is worried about Child Exploitation, Online Protection or anything related to Internet safety, please click the link below which will take you to the CEOP reporting website:

https://www.ceop.police.uk/ceop-reporting/

Share Aware – online safety campaign
We also get requests from schools and parents asking for guidance with online safety. Also Schools have an important role in teaching children to protect themselves from all kinds of abuse, including online abuse.

Download the free Share Aware teaching resources and help teach your class to stay safe online.
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/shareaware-schools

Further Esafety Resources for children and parents
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/
https://www.bbc.com/ownit

Net Aware – For Parents
This is an information tool for parents about online, websites and apps. Helps parents to understand what their children are looking at online and helping to keep them safe.
https://saferinternet.org.uk/resource/o2-nspcc-net-aware

Martyn’s Law – Security Statement

What is Martyn’s Law?

Martyn’s Law, also known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, requires publicly accessible premises—including schools—to consider and prepare for the possibility of a terrorist incident. An implementation period of 24 months began after Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. Full enforcement will follow after this period.

Scope & Tier Classification

• Bussage C of E Primary School falls under the Standard Tier of Martyn’s Law.
• All primary schools are classified under this tier, regardless of size or occupancy.

Our Responsibilities

1. Notification

We will notify the Security Industry Authority (SIA) that our school falls under Standard Tier

obligations.

2. Responsible Person

The Headteacher or Deputy headteacher will act as the Responsible Person for compliance.

Preparedness Measures

Under the Standard Tier, we will implement simple, low-cost procedures to reduce harm in the event of a terrorist incident:

• Evacuation plans
• In vacuation plans (safe internal zones)
• Lockdown procedures
• Clear communication protocols for staff, pupils, and authorities

Implementation & Review

• Emergency plans will be reviewed annually and integrated into health & safety and safeguarding procedures.
• Staff training and drills will be conducted regularly to ensure familiarity with protective measures.

Ongoing Support & Compliance

• We will monitor official guidance from the Home Office and SIA via ProtectUK and Gov.uk.
• Advice and support will be sought from local education authorities and the SIA as needed.
• Compliance will be embedded within our governance framework alongside safeguarding and crisis management.

Statement of Commitment

Bussage C of E Primary School is committed to meeting all requirements of Martyn’s Law. We aim to safeguard pupils, staff, and visitors by embedding proportionate, practical measures that enhance our ability to respond effectively to terrorist threats—creating a safer educational environment