Safeguarding
Our school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Our Safeguarding Policy (please see documents below) reflects current statutory guidance and details the procedures we follow to ensure every child is safe.
Designated Safeguarding Personnel
The following members of staff hold key designated roles within our school:
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Staff Member |
Designated Role(s) |
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Mrs N Mason |
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Deputy Head Teacher Designated Person for Looked After Children |
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Mrs V Blunt |
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) and Head Teacher Designated Person for Children and Families with a Relative in Prison |
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Mrs S Carter |
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) and Class Teacher |
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Miss B Mackey |
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) and SEMH Worker |
Responsibilities of the DSL Team
The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), supported by the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSLs), is responsible for:
- Ensuring that any concerns about a child's safety or well-being are recorded accurately and referred immediately to the appropriate external agencies (e.g., Children's Social Care) to ensure necessary protective action is taken.
- Ensuring that all staff and volunteers receive appropriate and timely training (conducted annually) and are confident in identifying and reporting any concerns to the DSL team.
Safeguarding Governance
The DSL ensures robust oversight by regularly liaising with the governing body:
- The Designated Safeguarding Lead meets with the Safeguarding Governor each term to provide updates on safeguarding developments and procedures within the school.
- A termly report is produced for Governors.
- No individual cases or details about specific children are ever discussed in these meetings or reports.
Our Safeguarding Governor is Tracey Dutton.
Reporting Safeguarding Concerns:
Please contact any of the staff members above on 01525 752500, if you have concerns about a child. You can also speak to any member of staff in school who will refer the concerns to either the DSL or DDSL as Safeguarding is Everybody's Responsibility.
Alternatively, anyone can refer concerns about a child to the Local Authority Children's Social Care through Central Bedfordshire's Access and Referral Hub:
Access and Referral: 03003008585
Out of Hours Number: 0300 300 8123
For more information about the importance of the role we all need to play in Safeguarding children, please see the following Department for Education website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2
Our Safeguarding Policy can be found here on the Pyramid Schools Trust website.
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HLS safeguarding procedures updated Sept 2026 | [pdf 301KB] |
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Child on Child Abuse Policy - HLS - SLS - September 2026 | [pdf 513KB] |
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Child Friendly safeguarding poster HLS.docx | [pdf 495KB] |
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Prevent
The Prevent strategy, published by the Government in 2011, is part of their overall counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. The aim of the Prevent strategy is to reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism by stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism or extremist causes. The Prevent strategy covers all types of terrorism and extremism, including the extreme right wing, violent Islamist groups and other causes.
Prevent - Some questions you may have:
Isn’t my child too young to learn about extremism?
The Prevent strategy is not just about discussing extremism itself, which may not be appropriate for younger children. It is also about teaching children Values, such as Respect for others, which is what we do every day in school. We also teach children about our diverse country and the importance of respecting the views of everyone, through our Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) curriculum. Any discussions around this subject are always suitable for the age and maturity of the children involved.
Is extremism really a risk in our area?
Extremism can take many forms, including political, religious and misogynistic extremism. Some of these may be a bigger threat in our area than others. Through Values Education and our PSHE curriculum, we aim to provide children with the skills they need to protect themselves from any extremist views they may encounter, now or later in their lives.
For more information, please find a leaflet below to support parents/carers understanding about the Prevent strategy:
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Parent Leaflet The Prevent Strategy | [pdf 392KB] |
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Online Safety
We are committed to ensuring pupils understand the importance of staying safe online - both inside and outside of school. We also want to support parents with this important job at home.
Online Safety at school:
Every year, each class has a series of lessons on Online Safety. Online safety is also taught at every opportunity across the curriculum. We also actively support Safer Internet Day each year, which is promoted by the UK Safer Internet Centre.
Online Safety at home:
Children are encouraged to talk to their parents about online safety. A list of useful websites and documents can be found here:
www.thinkuknow.co.uk
www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers
Parents' Ultimate Guide to TikTok (Commonsense Media)
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/parents-ultimate-guide-to-tiktok
TikTok app safety – What parents need to know (Internet Matters)
https://www.internetmatters.org/hub/esafety-news/tik-tok-app-safety-what-parents-need-to-know/
Our Online Safety Policy can be found on our Policies page.
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AI acceptable use policy - February 2027 | [pdf 243KB] |
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Protecting Children Online Advice to Parents and Carers | [pdf 1MB] |
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Parents Online Safety Advice Sheet | [pdf 1MB] |
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Specific Support for Vulnerable Pupils
We recognise that certain circumstances can place significant additional emotional stress on a child. At Harlington Lower School, we are dedicated to identifying and providing targeted support for all pupils facing these challenges.
Young Carers
A Young Carer is a child who helps to look after a family member who has a disability, long-term illness, mental health issue, or drug/alcohol problem. This extra responsibility can sometimes affect their own well-being, attendance, and school work.
- What we do: We work sensitively to identify Young Carers and offer practical help, flexibility with homework, and emotional check-ins. Please let the school office or a teacher know if your child is a Young Carer.
- Further Support: Young carers | Central Bedfordshire Council
Bereavement and Loss
Dealing with the death of a loved one or another significant loss is one of the hardest things a child can face. Grief can impact a child's concentration, behaviour, and attendance.
- What we do: We provide a sensitive, structured approach to supporting grieving pupils, which may include a quiet space and regular check-ins with a trusted adult.
- Further Support:
Looked After Children
Looked After Children, also known as children in care, often face unique emotional challenges due to early life experiences. We are committed to ensuring these pupils feel secure, supported, and achieve their full potential.
Mrs N Mason is the school’s Designated Person for Looked After Children.
- What we do: Our school has a Designated Person for Looked After Children, who coordinates support, ensures their Personal Education Plan (PEP) is effective, and acts as a consistent advocate for their well-being.
- Further Support:
Children with a Relative in Prison
Surprisingly little is known about the number of children in our schools with a parent in prison - there are no national statistics on this. However, it is estimated that over 300,000 children in English schools are in this situation, and it is essential that we understand the challenges this presents to a family and support to mitigate the negative impacts it can have. We can only support once a parent or carer has identified this need to us.
Please be assured that school staff will treat this information with respect and all due care.
Mrs V Blunt is our Designated Teacher for Children and Families with a Relative in Prison.
- What we do: We offer a confidential space for children to talk and process their feelings. We work with the family to help the child cope with the absence of their loved one without judgment, focusing on consistency and stability.
- Further Support:
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Children Seen and Heard Policy - February 2029 | [pdf 142KB] |
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