Many young people are transported to and from Arbour Academy by LA transport via taxi. As children develop confidence and the skills required, we encourage independent travel and will support students in getting ready for this by undertaking travel training with them. A small number of parents transport children to and from school. Again once confidence develops, parents are encouraged to let their child walk into school independently. During morning, lunch and break times there are staff on duty to encourage socialisation and supervise young people in activities.
Comprehensive risk assessments, including a pre-visit, are carried out for all trips and activities, including offsite P. E. Lessons; these risk assessments are reviewed by senior staff. For all activities that take place, an adequate staffing ratio is ensured. If senior staff are not happy with the staff: pupil ratio then the activity will not be allowed to go ahead. Likewise, if a pupil is deemed to be too high risk, they may not be permitted to join an offsite activity.
A member of staff is assigned to promote Anti-Bullying by raising awareness at least half termly of how to report bullying of self or others. Arbour Academy’s Anti-Bullying Policy can be found on the school website, likewise our Safeguarding Policy.
A member of staff is responsible for the promotion of e-safety amongst pupils and parents.
Three senior staff have completed Safer Recruitment training. The Designated Teacher for Safeguarding is a Senior Teacher.
We are an Operation Encompass school. This means that if police are called out to a domestic abuse incident the school will be notified so that they can care for your child’s needs the following day. Operation Encompass has been designed to provide early reporting to schools of any domestic abuse incidents that occur outside of school but which might have an impact on a child attending school the following day. This information will be shared on school days during the school term. When incidents occur on a Friday, Saturday or a Sunday, the police will contact the relevant school the following Monday.
A nominated member of school staff, known as a Key Adult, will be trained to liaise with the police.
At Arbour Academy our Key Adults are Lindsay Regan, Executive Head Teacher and Gwyn Owen, Deputy Safeguarding Lead and Head of School.
They will be able to use information that has been shared with them, in confidence, to ensure that the school is able to support children and their families. Information will be shared where it is identified that a child or young person was present, witnessed or was involved in a domestic abuse incident.
We always endeavour to offer the best support possible to our pupils and believe that Operation Encompass is going to be beneficial and supportive for all concerned.
If you would like more information about this new initiative, you can contact our Key Adult at school on our office number 0161 464 3483.
