At Brook Mead Academy we are absolutely committed to creating a happy and safe environment for all members of our academy community. We work closely with scholars, their parents and carers in order to ensure that our young people are safe both inside and outside of school. 

Scholars are taught how to keep themselves safe through PSHCE lessons, tutorials and other wider experiences such as taking part in workshops and watching performances. We aim to ensure that all scholars learn how to keep themselves safe both on and off-line, how to have safe and healthy relationships and how to avoid exploitation. 

The academy has a statutory responsibility to share any concerns it might have about a child in need of protection with other agencies and in particular with the police, Children’s Services and Health. Schools are not able to investigate concerns but have a legal duty to refer any concerns that they do have on to the most relevant agent. In most instances, the academy will be able to inform the parents/carer of its need to make a referral and will ensure that the parent/carer is fully informed of the action that the school has taken. However, on occasion the academy may be advised by Children’s Social Care or by the police that the parent/carer cannot be informed whilst they investigate the matter. We understand the anxiety parents/carers understandably feel when they are not told about any concerns from the outset. The school follows legislation that aims to act in the best interests of the child. 

To ensure that all members of our academy are safe and well we liaise closely with the following agencies: 

  • Local Safeguarding and Children Board
    • Children and Young People’s Services
    • Child Protection Unit
    • School Health
    • CAHMS
    • Educational Psychology
    • Open Door Leicester
    • Looked After Children Service. 

TMET Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy v 14.0 (1)

Reception Safeguarding Poster 2022 (002)

BMA Safeguarding leaflet

BMA Safeguarding Team 

Name Role
Mrs Evans – Assistant Principal DSL
Ms Hindocha – Principal Deputy DSL
Mrs Aylmer-Teago – Lead Behaviour and Safeguarding Officer Deputy DSL
Miss Walker – Assistant Principal Deputy DSL
Miss Samuel – Assistant Head of Year 8 Deputy DSL
Mr Palmer – Assistant Head of Year 9 Deputy DSL

To contact the Safeguarding team, please email: [email protected]

Online Safety

CEOP – YouTube

Online Safety for Children – Tips & Guides | NSPCC

Parents homepage (thinkuknow.co.uk)

Information, Advice and Support to Keep Children Safe Online (internetmatters.org)

Information about Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), trafficking and county lines

A Parents Guide to Child Sexual Exploitation Webinar – YouTube

Spotting the signs of CSE – Parents Against Child Exploitation (Pace) UK (paceuk.info)

Female Genital Mutation (FGM)

The NSPCC has set up a FGM helpline, which is free, anonymous and 24/7. If you’re worried a child is at risk of, or has had, FGM,

Telephone: 0800 028 3550

Email: [email protected]

Forced Marriage

Telephone: 020 7008 0151

Email: [email protected]

Domestic Abuse

Telephone: 0808 80 200 28

Website: UAVA

Email: [email protected]

Domestic and sexual abuse (leicester.gov.uk)

Bullying

Bullying and harassment (leicester.gov.uk)

Leicester City Council

Telephone: 0116 454 1004

Website: Children’s social care (leicester.gov.uk)

Leicestershire County Council

Telephone: 0116 305 0005

Website: Report abuse or neglect of a child | Leicestershire County Council

Leicestershire Police

101/999

Childline

Telephone: 0800 11 11

Website: Childline | Childline

NSPCC

If you are worried about a child, even if you are unsure, contact the NSPCC for help, advice or support.

Telephone: 0808 800 5000

Email: [email protected]

Website: NSPCC | The UK children’s charity | NSPCC

The Samaritans

Telephone: 116 123

Email: Samaritans | Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy | Here to listen

Online Safety – Child Exploitation and Online Protection Agency (CEOP)

Complete a report when something happens online that makes you feel scared, worried or unsafe.

https://www.ceop.police.uk/CEOP-Reporting/

Brook Mead Academy is an Operation Encompass school. This is a Police and Education information sharing partnership which enables schools to offer immediate support for children and young people witnessing domestic abuse. Information is shared by the police with the Academy’s safeguarding team prior to the start of the school day following an incident of domestic abuse in the previous 24 hours or over the weekend which has been attended by police officers. This information enables appropriate support to be given, dependent upon the needs and wishes of the child.  Children experiencing domestic abuse are negatively impacted by this exposure; domestic abuse has been identified as an Adverse Childhood Experience and can lead to emotional, physical and psychological harm. For more information, please click Home : Operation Encompass

Free breakfast for all scholars.

Safeguarding themes inbuilt into our carefully sequenced curriculum: PSHE, Computer Science (online safety), English (Oliver Twist and exploitation)
Staying safe based assemblies/agency led workshops & groups
Parenting support: Dedicated Afternoon Teas/ Support for financial applications
1:1 mentoring via our pastoral team
On site Senior Mental Health Lead: Mrs Aylmer-Teago
Behaviour and learning support
Counselling provision: Relate counselling, every Tuesday
Peer to peer support, scholar parliament and Anti-Bullying Ambassadors
Information in key areas around the school
Dedicated routes for disclosure: [email protected] and the “Talk to us” post-box

SG Early Help poster

As our children grow into more independent internet users, they develop their own habits in relation to their online use. It is important that parents and carers are aware of how to keep their children safe online and keep up to date with the latest platforms, apps and messaging services that could pose a risk to their safety.

One of the best ways to keep your child safe is by having frank and honest discussions about their online behaviours. You should also consider managing their devices and setting up parental controls on your home broadband. This link will help you to set up controls on your home devices. Parental Controls & Privacy Settings Guides – Internet Matters

Talking to your child as early as possible about online safety is one of the best ways to protect them. Tips on how to talk to your child about online safety:

  1. Talk early and often. Talk to your child about online safety as soon as they are old enough to own or have access to devices. The earlier you start to have these conversations, the easier it will be to maintain them.
  2. Choose to talk to your child when you are due to spend some time together – so for example, over dinner, or during their bedtime routine. Bring digital experience into normal, everyday conversations.
  3. Open up and share too! Model the behaviour that you would like to see in your child. Be open and encourage them to be open too.
  4. Create a safe space for your child to open up. Always try to ask open ended questions and avoid jumping to conclusions. Try to ensure that your child feels listened to.

If you would like any further information or support in relation to online safety, please contact your child’s Assistant Head of Year or Mrs Aylmer-Teago.

Websites that Parent need to know

Parents can report any concerns in relation to online contact or abuse via CEOP. CEOP stands for Child Exploitation and Online Protection and is governed by law enforcement agencies. Please click the link to find out more.

https://www.ceop.police.uk/Safety-Centre.

The Internet Matters website is also a hub for information, support and advice. Please follow this link to find out more information about cyber bullying, fake news, inappropriate content, online grooming, radicalisation, online reputation and more.

Online safety issues – advice to support children| Internet Matters

‘PREVENT’ is short for ‘Preventing Violent Extremism’ and is a joined up safeguarding approach between partner agencies which aims to protect vulnerable people from extremism.  The overall aim of Prevent is to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting violent extremism by raising awareness of the issues and providing practical education and support.

There are many factors that can make someone vulnerable to radicalisation and these can apply to anyone of any age, gender or background.  It is important that we stay vigilant to changes in our young people and speak out if something doesn’t feel right.  It is important to note that seeking support from PREVENT is unlikely to lead to any criminal outcome – PREVENT aims to support someone before activity becomes criminal by re-educating them and helping them to turn away from extremist views or ideas.

The following list is provided as possible vulnerabilities which might make a person more at risk of being exploited.  Having a concern which links to one of these vulnerabilities does not necessarily mean someone is being radicalised. There can be other explanations behind the behaviours and we always need to consider the bigger picture and full context when considering what a behaviour might be communicating.

Some possible vulnerabilities and indicators might include:

  • Intolerance of others views or beliefs
  • Unwillingness to discuss own views
  • An obsessive and/or angry desire for change
  • Spending long periods online, looking at or sharing extremist views
  • Isolating self from friends and family
  • Looking to blame others
  • Need for belonging, identity or meaning

Acting early and seeking support is the most effective way to turn someone away from extremism, we know that it is possible to make a difference through education and specialist support.

In school, we might refer to PREVENT or our PREVENT Education Coordinator to seek advice if a child presents with concerning views or behaviours.  By doing so we can work together to identify what the concerns are and what the most effective support might be.  Wherever possible, we will work with parents and carers to do this.  If you are concerned about a child and want to discuss this with the school please do not hesitate to get in touch with us: [email protected] or by calling 0116 2413371 and asking to speak to a DSL.

You can find out more about PREVENT, the available support and what to do if you have a concern by clicking the links below:

To find out more about the signs of radicalisation, please look at this information provided by ACT Early

For tips on talking to young people about this issue, please click here

For support in seeking advice and acting early in relation to a concern, please click here

Are you worried about online abuse or the way someone has been communicating with you online? Please click on the logo below for more information.