Safeguarding

Blessed Christopher Wharton Catholic Academy Trust

At the Blessed Christopher Wharton Catholic Academy Trust, we are fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people within our schools, ensuring a safe and nurturing environment where they can grow and flourish in line with the teachings of the Gospel.

We recognise the inherent dignity of every individual, created in the image and likeness of God, and understand that safeguarding is central to our mission. We will provide a learning environment that promotes the spiritual, physical, emotional, and social development of all pupils, while prioritising their safety and protection from harm.

We believe that a child’s welfare is always of paramount concern, and that all children have a right to be protected from abuse regardless of their age, gender, disability, culture, language, racial origin, religious belief, or sexual identity. All suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately in accordance with the Trust’s Safeguarding Policy.

The Trust recognises its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all its children by protecting them from emotional, sexual, or physical harm and from neglect or bullying. They acknowledge that child abuse can be a very emotive and difficult subject. It is important to understand the feelings involved but not to allow them to interfere with the judgement about the action to be taken.

Our Commitments:

Gospel-Centered Safeguarding: Our approach to safeguarding is rooted in Catholic values, promoting love, respect, and care for all. We will act in the best interests of every child, protecting them from all forms of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Safe Learning Environments: We will maintain a safe and supportive environment in all of our academies, where children feel secure, are listened to, and are encouraged to speak out about any concerns they may have.

Training and Awareness: We are committed to providing comprehensive safeguarding training for all staff, trustees, and volunteers to ensure that they are fully equipped to recognize signs of abuse and know how to respond appropriately in line with statutory and Trust procedures.

Partnerships: We will work closely with parents, carers, the Church, local authorities, Bradford Children and Families Trust and other agencies to ensure that effective safeguarding procedures are in place, and that concerns are dealt with promptly and appropriately.

Confidentiality and Reporting: We will uphold the highest standards of confidentiality and transparency, ensuring all concerns are recorded, reported, and managed in accordance with statutory guidelines, and that every child’s welfare is the highest priority.

Continuous Improvement: We commit to regularly reviewing and updating our safeguarding policies and procedures to reflect best practices, changes in legislation, and in response to local or national safeguarding concerns.

The Trust supports each school in the following ways:

Fully adopting the Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance September 2024;

Undertaking both internal and external safeguarding audits annually with support from Bradford Educational Safeguarding
Ensuring each Academy adheres to the Trust’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy as well as other safeguarding policies and procedures that details each school’s school specific arrangements for safeguarding including their Designated Safeguarding Leads
Ensuring each school has a governor on its Academy Council with special responsibility for safeguarding
Having a Trust Director with special responsibility for safeguarding
Ensuring all staff receive regular training on child protection procedures, including Prevent and Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance
Providing effective in person and contextualized Trust CPD for school leaders and Designated Safeguarding Leads through in person training, networks, and support with supervision in partnership with Bradford Educational Safeguarding
Reporting Concerns about a Child
 If you are concerned about the welfare of a child at any of our schools, contact the relevant Designated Safeguarding Officer in each school. Details can be found on each school website.
Reporting Concerns about an Adult Working or Volunteering in Our Schools

If you are concerned about an adult working or volunteering in any of our schools, then please contact the school’s Headteacher. If your concern is about the Headteacher then please contact the Chair of that school’s Local Academy Council.

Safer Recruitment

All applicants for employment at the Trust and its schools will be fully vetted in accordance with DfE Guidelines.

The Trust Safeguarding Lead is Anna Gautrey, who can be contacted at anna.gautrey@bcwcat.co.uk

The Lead Director for Safeguarding is Sarah Martin, who can be contacted through the Clerk to the Trust Board at sarah.bryan@bwcat.org