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Primary education: listening and observing
Primary education: listening and observing

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5 Child protection and safeguarding

People who work and volunteer in schools have a legal duty of care to protect children. Every school will have a clear policy on child protection and safeguarding, and will make this available to visitors. Think of ‘safeguarding’ as the overall concept or plan to keep children safe and cared-for, and think of ‘child protection’ as the specific steps or actions within the overall plan. Schools will also have explicit processes for reporting any concerns about children, and a named person, usually a senior member of staff, who is responsible for safeguarding.

You met headteacher Mark Millinson in Activity 1. He says that any person who wants to work or volunteer in a school will need to have a formal check on their identity and their background. This is appropriate, because primary school staff have close contact with children.

Watch the following video in which Mark talks about the importance of safeguarding.

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How is safeguarding defined, and what does it cover in a primary school? Find out in the next section.