Safeguarding Children

At Open Academy, we are working in partnership with Norfolk Constabulary and Norfolk Children’s Services to identify and provide appropriate support to students who have experienced or witnessed domestic abuse and violence in their household; this scheme is called Operation Encompass.

In order to achieve this, Norfolk Children’s Advice and Duty Service will share police information electronically of all domestic incidents where one of our pupils has been present with the Designated Safeguarding Lead(s). On receipt of any information, the Designated Safeguarding Lead will decide on the appropriate support the child requires, this could be silent or overt.

All information sharing and resulting actions will be undertaken in accordance with the ‘Norfolk Joint Agency Protocol for Domestic Abuse - Notifications to Schools’. We will record this information and store this information in accordance with the record keeping procedures outlined in this policy.

At the Open Academy the health, safety and well-being of students is of paramount concern to us. We listen to our students and take seriously what they tell us. Our aim is for children to enjoy their time as students in this Academy. We want to work in partnership with parents to help each child achieve their full potential and make a positive contribution to the world they will be part of in the future.

To promote a safe environment for students, our selection and recruitment procedure includes all checks on staff and regular volunteers’ suitability, including Disclosure and Barring Service checks, as recommended by Norfolk County Council as governed by current legislation.

In accordance with our responsibilities set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education September 2025, we have a Designated Safeguarding Lead, Kate Wenlock, who  has received appropriate training for this role (in her absence, her deputy is Luke Davis). 

Occasions do arise when our concern about a student requires us to consult other agencies. Whilst we would always aim to work in partnership with parents there may be exceptions to this when concerns are raised for the protection of a child.

On very rare occasions Social Care, whilst undertaking an investigation under s47 of the Children Act 1989, may want to speak to a child without a parents’ knowledge. This would be a decision made in collaboration with partner agencies and would only be done in situations where a child might be at immediate risk. To gain consent at this point may increase the level of risk to the child or cause evidence of a crime to be lost.

The procedures, which we follow, have been laid down by the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board, and the school has adopted a Safeguarding Policy in line with this for the safety of all. If you want to know more about our procedures, please speak to the Vice Principal and Designated Safeguarding Lead Kate Wenlock.  Our Safeguarding Policy can be found on the Policies page of our website.

Safeguarding Children

The Academy places high priority on safeguarding children and Child Protection. All of our staff attend safeguarding training annually.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead is Kate Wenlock; Alternate Designated Safeguarding Lead Officers are Mr Luke Davis, Mr Scott Richardson, Mrs Jo Clayton, Miss Charley Hawthorn and Mrs Rachel Roe.

Should you have concerns that one of our students is at risk of significant harm or other safeguarding issues at the Academy, phone Miss Kate Wenlock on 01603 481640.

Kate Wenlock - Vice Principal Designated Safeguarding Lead	Luke Davis Safeguarding Officer Alternate Designated Safeguarding Lead	Scott Richardson - Assistant Principal ADSL
Jo Clayton - ADSL

If you have any immediate concerns for a child's welfare and safety call Norfolk Police on 101 or 999. Alternatively contact Norfolk's Children's Services on 0344 800 8020.

Useful numbers:

Childline 0800 1111

NSPCC – 0808 800 5000

Students are taught how to report unpleasant Internet content e.g. using the CEOP Report Abuse icon through the curriculum time.

The following link www.ceop.police.uk will take you through to a website entitled ‘Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre’ (CEOP) which is monitored and run by a branch of the UK police and is dedicated to protecting children from sexual abuse wherever they may be.

The CEOP centre is a member of the Virtual Global Taskforce and is also affiliated to the Serious Organised Crime Agency.

The website will give you a number of ways to receive help and advice, as well as the option to report any instances of sexual contact or harmful material to the Child Exploitation & Protection Centre.

Please note that this facility is NOT monitored or run by the Open Academy.