Safeguarding, Encompass and Smoothwall

Safeguarding at Iceni Primary Academy

All members of staff, governors and volunteers take our responsibility to keep children safe very seriously. We have designated persons who oversee this task and our policies are kept up to date. All staff are given a copy of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ and are regularly trained to ensure they are up to date in their understanding of their responsibilities and protocol for meeting these.

To maintain high standards across our practices, we follow these key principles:

· Safe Recruitment: All staff, including volunteers and FOHSA (PTA) members, undergo thorough recruitment checks. This includes trained interview panels, reference checks and DBS clearance.

· Robust Policies: We have clear, regularly reviewed policies covering child protection, behaviour, safeguarding and other related areas.

· Child Engagement: We regularly talk with children about the safety measures in place at our academy. These discussions help raise awareness of personal safety and encourage children to speak up if they have any worries or concerns.

· Online Safety: We implement clear e-safety procedures that children follow to stay safe online both at school and at home. Parents are regularly reminded of the importance of internet safety.

· Anti-Bullying Commitment: Bullying is not tolerated. We have established procedures to address any concerns or incidents promptly.

· Curriculum Integration: Personal safety is embedded throughout our curriculum. Children engage in regular discussions about how to stay safe and follow the Jigsaw PSHE programme.

· Safeguarding Oversight: A termly safeguarding report is shared with governors to ensure all safety measures are current and effective.

· Family Partnerships: We value strong partnerships with families. Our open-door policy supports ongoing, effective communication.

Senior Designated Staff for Safeguarding

Designated Safeguarding Lead

Miss Alicia Rickards

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

Mrs Emma Owner

Safeguarding Governor

Mr Ashley Sismey

Smoothwall

Smoothwall is a web filtering and digital safeguarding solution used primarily by schools and other educational institutions to help protect students when they go online. It provides real-time content filtering, monitoring and reporting tools that help ensure safe and appropriate internet use, while also supporting compliance with safeguarding and online safety regulations (like the UK’s Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance).

Smoothwall safeguards by:

· Filtering harmful online content.

· Monitoring digital behaviour for warning signs.

· Alerting safeguarding staff in real-time.

· Supporting compliance with legal safeguarding duties.

An example scenario:

If a student searches for “how to harm myself” on a school device:

1. Smoothwall’s monitoring system detects the keyword.

2. It categorises it as a safeguarding concern (e.g., self-harm).

3. The system alerts the school’s safeguarding lead with details like the student’s name, time, and device used.

4. The safeguarding lead can follow up immediately and record the incident in the school’s safeguarding system.

Smoothwall is essentially a digital safety net that helps schools protect students from online risks while promoting responsible and safe internet use.