At Norman Street Primary School, keeping our children safe, happy and well is at the heart of everything we do. Every Normie deserves to feel secure, valued and cared for, and we work hard every day to build a school where children can be Kind, Brave and Fair because they feel safe enough to be themselves.
At Norman Street, safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility – it isn’t the job of just one person, but something every member of our staff team is trained and trusted to act on. Our dedicated Designated Safeguarding Lead, Mrs Dobson, oversees all safeguarding matters and works closely with our Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads – Mrs Hodges, Mrs Gibson, Mrs Cottrill and Mrs Ramshaw – so that support is always close at hand, whoever a family or child speaks to first.
Our practice is underpinned by the latest statutory guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2026, and we review our policies, training and systems each year to make sure they reflect current best practice and emerging risks. We also work closely with an independent safeguarding consultancy, who support us in checking that everything we do meets the standards our children and families deserve.
We take a contextual safeguarding approach, which means we don’t just think about what happens within our school gates. We know that children’s safety can be affected by relationships and environments beyond home and school – in the community, online, or with peers – so our staff are trained to look at the whole picture around a child and respond to risk wherever it arises.
Safeguarding at Norman Street isn’t only about how we respond when something goes wrong – it’s also about the knowledge and confidence we give children to help keep themselves and each other safe. Through our PSHE curriculum, children learn, in an age-appropriate way, about healthy relationships, staying safe online, recognising when something doesn’t feel right, and knowing who they can turn to for help. These lessons are woven through school life, from our EYFS provision right up to Year 6, so that every Normie grows in confidence and resilience as they move through school.
We believe that the earlier we can offer support to a child or family, the better the outcome. Where staff, parents or carers identify that a child or family could benefit from some extra support – whether that’s around behaviour, emotional wellbeing, attendance, or something happening at home – we use our Early Help processes to put the right support in place quickly, before difficulties have the chance to grow.
This might mean support from within school, or it might mean working alongside other agencies and services as part of a Family Help or Early Help plan. We will always talk to families openly and sensitively about this process, and our aim is always to work with families, not around them, to find the support that fits their circumstances.
Our Parent Liaison Worker, Mrs Bev Ramshaw, plays a vital role in this. She works closely with families to build trusted relationships, listen to concerns, and connect families with the right support and services – whether that’s early help, community resources, or simply a friendly, familiar face to talk to. Many of our early help conversations begin through this relationship, and we know how much it means to families to have someone approachable to turn to.
Inclusion sits right alongside our safeguarding work. Led by our SENDCo, Mrs Gibson, we work hard to make sure that children with additional needs – whether SEND, EAL, or those facing other barriers – are seen, understood and supported as individuals. We know that some children can be more vulnerable to harm, and our inclusive approach means we build support around each child.
If you have any safeguarding concerns, or would simply like to know more about how we keep children safe at Norman Street, please don’t hesitate to speak to our any member of our safeguarding team. We would always rather you came and talked to us.
Operation Encompass is a police and education early information safeguarding partnership enabling schools to offer immediate support to children experiencing domestic abuse.
Operation Encompass is a police and education early information safeguarding partnership enabling schools to offer immediate support to children experiencing domestic abuse.
