At Lotus Academy, the safety, wellbeing and protection of every child is our highest priority. We are committed to creating a culture where pupils feel safe, valued, respected and listened to.

Many of our pupils have experienced barriers to learning, adverse childhood experiences, trauma, social, emotional and mental health difficulties, and other vulnerabilities. We believe that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and that effective safeguarding practice underpins all aspects of school life.

Our staff and regular visitors work proactively to identify concerns early, offer timely support and work closely with families and external agencies to ensure children receive the help they need.

Our Safeguarding Principles

We are committed to:

• Keeping children safe from harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
• Promoting positive mental health, emotional wellbeing and resilience.
• Listening to and acting upon the views of children.
• Working in partnership with parents, carers and external professionals.
• Providing a safe and inclusive learning environment.
• Supporting attendance and engagement as key protective factors.
• Developing a culture where safeguarding concerns are recognised and reported promptly.

Designated Safeguarding Team

The school's safeguarding team is responsible for coordinating safeguarding practice and responding to concerns.

• Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Imran Bashir
• Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads: Steve Hall (Lotus Academy) and Becky Keen (Lotus Hub)
• Safeguarding officer: Paula Hancock

If you have concerns about the safety or welfare of a child, please contact a member of the safeguarding team immediately.

Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)

Our safeguarding procedures are informed by statutory guidance issued by the Department for Education, including:

Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE)

KCSIE sets out the legal duties schools must follow to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. All staff receive safeguarding training and are regularly updated on KCSIE requirements.

Key areas covered include:

• Child protection.
• Early help.
• Online safety.
• Peer-on-peer abuse.
• Child-on-child sexual violence and harassment.
• Mental health and wellbeing.
• Attendance and safeguarding.
• Extremism and radicalisation (Prevent Duty).
• Information sharing and multi-agency working.

Online Safety

We recognise that technology plays an important role in the lives of young people. We actively teach pupils how to stay safe online and support families in understanding online risks, including:

• Social media and online communication.
• Gaming platforms.
• Cyberbullying.
• Sharing of personal information.
• Online exploitation and grooming.
• Reporting a Safeguarding Concern

If you are worried about a child attending our school, please contact the safeguarding team immediately.

If a child is at immediate risk of harm, contact:

Police – 999

Sheffield Children Safeguarding Partnership - Contact Us

NSPCC Helpline – 0808 800 5000