Safeguarding | Thornham St James C.E. Primary School

Our school is committed to safeguarding EVERY child.

Aligned with our school vision, “Journeying Together, We Shine,” Thornham St. James is committed to promoting the welfare and safety of all pupils by:

Prioritising the well-being and safety of every child as central to our mission.
Embedding social and emotional learning within our curriculum, equipping children with the skills to manage their emotions, make positive choices, and build resilience.
Integrating child protection topics into our curriculum, enabling children to recognise unsafe situations, understand their rights to safety, and identify trusted adults they can approach for support.
Offering comprehensive guidance so children feel supported and have a range of approachable adults to turn to if they encounter challenges.
Raising staff awareness of their safeguarding responsibilities, ensuring all team members can recognise and report potential signs of abuse and are well-versed in the school’s safeguarding procedures.
Fostering each child’s development in a way that builds security, confidence, and independence.
Providing an environment where children feel safe, valued, and respected, and know that they will be listened to if they reach out for help.
Ensuring robust site security measures and promoting students’ physical safety.
Collaborating closely with parents to build a shared understanding of our commitment to safeguarding, including referrals to external agencies when necessary to ensure every child’s well-being.
Establishing a structured safeguarding process that is understood and followed by all members of our school community.
Monitoring and supporting children with identified welfare or protection concerns, with securely stored and appropriately shared confidential records.
Promoting effective partnerships with external agencies, particularly the Police and Social Care, to provide comprehensive support.
Conducting rigorous pre-employment checks to ensure all adults with substantial access to children meet suitability standards, contributing to a secure environment where children can thrive.

Through these commitments, we aim to build a safe and nurturing school community where each child can grow and flourish, reflecting our vision of journeying together and shining.

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is:

Mrs L. Martin (Deputy Headteacher)

Our Deputy Safeguarding Leads are:

Mrs F. Wainwright (Headteacher)

Mrs C. McCann (Assistant Headteacher)

Miss S. Rooney (SENDCo)

If you have any concerns or worries related to safeguarding please contact the above people on the school telephone or email.

safe@stjamesthornham.oldham.sch.uk

0161 633 1578

If you're concerned that a child is at immediate risk of harm, call 999.

If you have any concerns either out of school hours regarding a child living in Oldham, please contact the MASH team by email (child.mash@oldham.gov.uk) or telephone – 0161 770 7777. An online referral form can be found by clicking this link.

https://www.oldham.gov.uk/info/200386/child_protection/620/report_child_abuse

If you have any concerns either out of school hours regarding a child living in Rochdale, please contact the EHASH team. Opening hours for EHASH are from 8:30am – 4.45pm Monday to Friday, please telephone 0300 303 0440 . If you are making contact outside these times with an emergency concern about the safety of a child, please telephone the Emergency Duty Team on 0300 303 8875.

Our school is part of Operation Encompass. This is a police and education early intervention safeguarding partnership which supports children and young people who experience Domestic Abuse.

Operation Encompass means that the police will share information about Domestic Abuse incidents with our school PRIOR to the start of the next school day when they have been called to a domestic incident.

Oldham Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) is a statutory board made up of representatives from a wide range of organisations including LA school, police, probation trust, NHS and the voluntary sector. The Board’s vision is for everyone to work together to ensure that all children and young people are safe and feel safe within their homes, schools and communities