Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families and carers has a role to play in safeguarding children. To fulfil this responsibility effectively, all professionals should make sure their approach is child centred. This means that they should consider, always, what is in the best interests of the child.
Keeping Children Safe in Education (CYPES, 2024)

Bel Royal School gives the highest priority to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. At Bel Royal School, keeping children safe is everyone’s responsibility, and we work with families and partner agencies to protect pupils from harm, help them thrive, and ensure their welfare is always the top priority.

All staff endeavour to provide a safe and welcoming environment where children feel respected, valued and nurtured. The school will therefore be alert to signs of abuse and neglect and will follow the Safeguarding Children Partnership Board's procedures to ensure that children receive appropriate and effective support and protection.

Our commitment

All staff at Bel Royal follow the Jersey Keeping Children Safe in Education (J‑KCSIE) policy. 

All staff receive annual safeguarding and online safety training and updates.

SAFEGUARDING TEAM – Who to Contact

Designated Safeguarding & Child Protection Lead, Digital Safeguarding, Jersey Premium Lead	Headteacher, Miss Claire Hammond c.hammond@belroyal.sch.je, 737031
Deputy Safeguarding & Child Protection Lead, Early Help, CPLA Lead	SENCO Mrs Josie Fernandes  j.fernandes@belroyal.sch.je, 737193
ELSA	Ms C. O'Connor
First Aid	Mrs T Arthur
Site Safety	Mr C Jones

During school hours, a DSL or deputy is always available. If unavailable, please speak to a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

If a child is at immediate risk, call the Police (Public Protection Unit): 612612 or Out of Hours Children’s Services: 442000

How to raise a concern

If you’re worried about a child, tell us. We listen, take concerns seriously, and act promptly.

• Speak to the DSL or any member of staff.
• We may consult the Children and Families Hub and, if needed, make a referral. (Parents are informed unless doing so would increase risk.)
• Anyone can contact the Children and Families Hub for advice: 519000

What safeguarding means

Safeguarding includes: protecting children from maltreatment; preventing impairment of health or development; ensuring safe, effective care; and taking action to enable the best outcomes. We apply a child‑centred approach built on collaboration, communication and consistency. We are alert to all types of abuse (physical, emotional, sexual, neglect) and risks both online and offline. 

Schools will seek advice from the Children and Families Hub, or the Education Department's Designated Safeguarding Officer when they have reasonable cause to suspect a child may be suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. Parents/carers will appreciate that the member of staff in the school with responsibility for Child Protection and Safeguarding has a responsibility to act in accordance with the law and in the best interests of all children. 

We take safeguarding of children and staff very seriously. 

Early help

We aim to provide the right help at the right time. Early help supports families as soon as needs emerge, from the early years through adolescence. We work with parents and services to agree next steps.

Online safety

We use appropriate filtering and monitoring and teach children how to stay safe online. We also share advice with parents on home use of devices, gaming, and social media. For more information, see our Online Safety section.

Attendance and children missing education

Regular attendance is essential for safety and learning. We monitor attendance closely and follow island processes if a child is persistently absent or missing education; we’ll also contact you promptly if we have concerns.

Our responsibilities:

• We monitor attendance daily and follow up promptly on unexplained absences.

• If a child leaves Jersey or moves to another school, we make every effort to confirm their new placement.
• If we cannot locate a child after reasonable attempts, we refer to the Education Welfare Team and, where appropriate, the Children and Families Hub.

What parents should do:

• Inform us immediately of any change of address or school.
• Provide accurate contact details and emergency numbers.
• Notify us if your child will be absent and explain the reason.

Collection of children

Please tell us who will usually collect your child and inform us of any changes. We will not release a child to an unknown adult without parental authorisation. If a child is not collected, we follow our procedures and may involve the Children and Families Hub.

Data protection & confidentiality

We handle information confidentially and lawfully under the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018 and the Children and Young People (Jersey) Law 2022. We share only what is necessary to safeguard children.

The Safeguarding Children Partnership Board has all the relevant information regarding safeguarding procedures in Jersey.

• Education Department Safeguarding Polices 
• Information for parents and carers 
• Bel Royal Safeguarding Policies

Here is a video that introduces you to MASH.  For more information on safeguarding in our school, please see our policy in our school policy section of our website.