At Burnside Primary School, we are fully committed to keeping our children happy, healthy, and safe. Safeguarding is the foundation of everything we do; we maintain a robust, highly effective safeguarding culture where all children are respected, valued, and protected from harm, enabling every pupil to thrive, achieve, and belong.
Our policies and practices comply strictly with the Department for Education’s statutory guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), working alongside Northumberland County Council and external agencies to uphold the highest standards of child protection.
How Safeguarding Is at the Heart Of Our Values
Be Safe: We maintain a proactive culture of vigilance across the entire school. All staff and governors undergo regular statutory safeguarding training so they can recognise early signs of concern or distress and act immediately. Robust site security, visitor protocols, and clear reporting processes ensure a safe and secure environment for all.
Be Smart: We equip our pupils with the knowledge, skills, and digital resilience required to protect themselves and others. Through PSHE, R.E., assemblies, and online safety lessons, children learn how to spot risks, make safe choices online and offline, and know exactly how to report worries to trusted adults.
Be Kind: Safeguarding is built on open communication, empathy, and trust. We foster a nurturing environment where pupils look out for one another and know that any concern brought to a member of staff will be listened to with care, compassion, and immediate action.
If you have any worries or concerns regarding the welfare or safety of a child at Burnside Primary School, our Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) are here to support you:
Headteacher & Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Mrs. Williams
Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs): Miss Ramsay & Mrs. McCaw
Holiday Club Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Mrs. Akram
Safeguarding Governor: Mrs. Brookes Woodcock
How We Keep Our Children Safe
Safer Recruitment & Visitor Protocols
We enforce stringent safer recruitment procedures to ensure all adults working or volunteering with our children are suitable to do so. This includes Enhanced DBS checks, full employment history verification, identity checks, and professional references maintained on our Single Central Record (SCR). All visitors and volunteers are rigorously screened, signed in, and provided with our Safeguarding Guidance Leaflet before entry, wearing ID badges indicating there reason for being in the school.
Curriculum & Child Protection
Our curriculum actively teaches pupils how to keep themselves safe in modern Britain. When concerns arise regarding potential harm, ill-treatment, or neglect, our Designated Safeguarding Team acts without delay. Where appropriate, concerns may be referred to Children’s Social Care or statutory partners. A referral is always made to ensure a child receives appropriate support and protection, and is made in the best interests of the child's welfare.
If you are concerned about the safety or welfare of a child, you should act without delay.
| Agency / Service | Contact Number |
| Northumberland Onecall (Children's Social Care) | 0345 600 6400 |
| Emergency Services (Police) | 999 (or 101 for non-emergencies) |
| Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) | 07500606174 |
| NSPCC Child Protection Helpline | 0808 800 5000 |