Buxton Community School is a safe place for students, where our responsibilities for safeguarding them are taken extremely seriously.

Through our curriculum we teach the students about personal safety, and how to keep themselves safe from harm. There is a strong anti-bullying ethos throughout the school. We teach our students how to recognise bullying, how to keep themselves safe from bullying behaviour and how to report it.

The curriculum includes opportunities to discuss feelings and emotions, and helps our students to think about their own personal safety and their rights as individuals to be kept safe from harm.  We teach our students about the uses and misuses of drugs, at an age appropriate time and level.  Our PSHE programme teaches our students about keeping themselves safe from harm, at an age appropriate level. We also have clear guidance to help children to use the internet safely. 

Our policies and agreed practises for safeguarding practices and safety, behaviour management, attendance and looked after children all comply with the recommendations for safeguarding children at school.  We have a trained and designated member of staff who takes the lead on safeguarding concerns – this is Mrs A Garner and a deputy who is Mrs C Russell.  There is also a designated governor with responsibility for safeguarding practices at the school. In addition we have policies to manage allegations against staff, whistleblowing and the use of physical intervention.

Our staff recruitment policies and practices are rigorous and comply with safe recruitment and selection requirements. We always pursue identity checks and qualification checks and we take up and scrutinise written references before employment. We require evidence of enhanced Disclosure and Barring Search (DBS) clearance before employing any staff.

All supply teachers, agency staff, and outside club and coaching staff are required to provide evidence of enhanced DBS clearance. The governing body is regularly updated about child protection, bullying and safeguarding policies and practices by the Headteacher. It is the responsibility of every adult in this school to ensure that we maintain the highest level of awareness about possible unsafe practices and deal with any issues immediately and appropriately.

Please see our policy area on the website for further information with regard to safeguarding.