Safeguarding

King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all its students.We believe that:

  • All young people have the right to be protected from harm;
  • Young people need to be safe and to feel safe in school;
  • Young people need support which matches their individual needs, including those who may have experienced abuse;
  • All young people have the right to speak freely and voice their values and beliefs;
  • All young people must be encouraged to respect each other’s values and support each other;
  • All young people have the right to be supported to meet their emotional, and social needs as well as their educational needs – a happy healthy sociable young person will achieve better educationally;
  • Schools can and do contribute to the prevention of abuse, victimisation, bullying, exploitation, extreme behaviours, discriminatory views and risk taking behaviours; and
  • All staff and visitors have an important role to play in safeguarding children and protecting them from abuse.

Staff are vigilant and are confident in applying our Safeguarding and Child Protection procedures to avert and alleviate any such problems.

Safeguarding is defined as:

  • Protecting children from maltreatment;
  • Preventing the impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development.
  • Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
  • Taking action to enable all children to have the best life chances.

Safeguarding includes child protection, health care plans, health and safety, site security, safety on school trips, anti-bullying work and so much more.

The Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is available to parents and students on the school website below. All staff receive annual Safeguarding and Child Protection update training and are aware of the procedures for passing on concerns within school.We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Our first priority is your son/daughter’s welfare and therefore there may be occasions when our concerns about your child means that we have to consult other agencies even before we contact you. The procedures we follow have been laid down by Birmingham Safeguarding Children Board. As a result we may also have to provide your son/daughter’s data to statutory bodies where it is considered necessary and within the Data Protection act.Whilst it is our responsibility to monitor students’ behaviour in school, inappropriate online activity that takes place outside school is a matter for the police. If your son/daughter receives any inappropriate communication, it is your right to seek external advice and support. Anyone can, and must, report concerns that a child:

  • is being contacted online and spoken to in a sexual way;
  • has shared, or is being blackmailed to share an indecent image(s) of themselves online;
  • is arranging to meet someone they have met online;
  • is being groomed online

Contact the National Crime Agency online Safety Centre at www.ceop.police.uk Further guidance is available at www.Thinkuknow.co.uk

Other safeguarding concerns that have specific reporting procedures are:

  • Forced marriage – contact fmu@fco.gov.uk
  • Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) – contact NSPCC FGM Helpline 0800 028 3550
  • Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) – contact 0121 303 1888 or 0121 675 4806 (outside office hours)

If you are in any doubt, call 101.

British Values Statement

The Department for Education has introduced a statutory duty for schools to promote British Values more actively and to ensure they are taught in schools.

King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys is committed to serving its community. It recognizes the multi-cultural, multi-faith and ever-changing nature of the United Kingdom and our local area. It also understands the vital role it has in ensuring that groups or individuals within the school are not subjected to intimidation or radicalization by those wishing to unduly, or illegally, influence them.

It follows equal opportunities guidance which guarantees that there will be no discrimination against any individual or group, regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, political or financial status, or similar. King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys is dedicated to preparing students for their adult life beyond the formal, examined curriculum and ensuring that it promotes and reinforces British values to all its students.

The government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy.

The five key British Values are:

  • Democracy
  • The rule of law
  • Individual liberty
  • Mutual respect
  • Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

Handsworth Grammar School uses strategies within the national curriculum and beyond to secure such outcomes for students. We have highlighted below some of the ways that we seek to instil British Values.


Democracy

At King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys the principle of democracy is consistently reinforced, with the democratic process being employed for important decisions within the school. Interviews include a student panel and a student led tour and the students involved then feedback to the selection panel prior to appointment. For our School Council, students have to nominate themselves and be elected, akin to the British electoral system. The School Council feedback directly to the Deputy Head teacher. The principles of democracy are also explored in subjects such as History and Religious Studies as well as in tutor time and assemblies.


The rule of law

The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced through the action of our school. We have a strong set of school rules that students themselves have played a part in setting through our School Council. The laws of the land, particularly school rules, to deal with attendance, punctuality and behaviour are promoted through tutor time, school assemblies, enrichment programme, houses and lessons. Students are taught the values and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. Visits from authorities such as the Police and Fire Service are regular parts of our calendar and help reinforce this message.


Individual liberty

At King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys, our students are actively encouraged to make independent choices knowing that they are in a safe, secure and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for students to make choices safety, through the provision of a safe environment and an empowering education. Students are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights, responsibilities and personal freedoms and receive advice about how to exercise these safely, for example through our exploration of E-Safety in computing and their tutor time activities


Mutual respect

The relationship between staff and students is a key driver in all we do at King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys. This is based on an open respect agenda, a cornerstone of our working practices.

The school promotes respect for others and this is reiterated throughout our school environment. In line with our commitment to democracy students at King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys are always able to voice their opinions and we foster an environment where students are safe to disagree with each other. Mutual respect is embraced throughout the curriculum from the concept of ‘fair play’ in PE to the student prefect programme which promote mutual respect and support between students across different year groups within the school.


Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

This is achieved through equipping students with the ability to understand their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity within the school community. Typically, our school assemblies focus on the personal views and interests of staff and this includes staff from a wide spectrum of the world in which we live.

Within the curriculum, we run a number of trips abroad throughout the academic year from which our students gain valuable experience of other cultures and languages. Additionally, students are actively encouraged to share their faith and beliefs within the school. The agreed Birmingham Religious Studies curriculum provides a broad and balanced education on a range of faiths, religions and cultures.

This is a website set up by the Minister for Education. It is designed to help parents and schools prevent young people from becoming radicalized.

http://www.educateagainsthate.com/


S.M.S.C.

SMSC

S – Spiritual
M – Moral
S – Social
C – Cultural

During their time at Handsworth Grammar School students will experience numerous opportunities to develop their SMSC awareness


Spiritual Development

  • Involves knowing yourself;
  • Strengths and weaknesses
  • Potential to succeed and help others succeed
  • Place in the world
  • Values and beliefs
  • Understanding emotions and feelings
  • Respecting differences in others

Moral Development

  • Involves knowing what is right and wrong;
  • Having concerns for others
  • Learning from mistakes and forgiving the mistakes of others
  • Being responsible
  • Behaving well and being truthful

Social Development

  • Involves getting along with others;
  • Not falling out or upsetting anyone else
  • Working together as a team
  • Respecting other group members
  • Participating in school and community activities
  • Having a sense of belonging to a group or the school

Cultural Development

  • Involves understanding where others come from and what they believe in;
  • Respect different cultures and traditions
  • Show an interest in how the world and people are different
  • Don’t discriminate or pick on others
  • Treat all people fairly

Our Designated Safeguarding Leads are:

  • Mrs Harvey (Year 7 & 8)
  • Mr Mohsin (Year 9, 10 & 11)
  • Mr Bird (Year 12 & 13)
  • Mr Conway (Deputy)
  • Dr Bird
  • Miss Macilwraith

Our Safeguarding Policy can be found in the policies section of our website.