Safeguarding
Our Commitment to Safeguarding
At Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust, the safety and wellbeing of every child and young person is our highest priority. We are committed to creating a culture of vigilance and care across all our schools, primary, secondary and special, so that every pupil feels safe, respected and able to thrive.
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Every member of staff, volunteer and trustee is trained to recognise concerns and take appropriate action to protect children from harm.
What We Mean by Safeguarding
Safeguarding includes:
- Protecting children from maltreatment
- Preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development
- Ensuring children grow up in safe and effective care
- Taking action to enable all children to have the best possible outcomes
We follow national guidance, including Keeping Children Safe in Education and local safeguarding partnership procedures across Devon.
Our Approach Across the Trust
We work to ensure consistent, high-quality safeguarding practice across all our schools while responding to the individual needs of each community.
In All Our Schools We:
- Maintain a strong safeguarding culture where concerns are taken seriously
- Ensure safer recruitment practices for all staff
- Provide regular safeguarding training and updates
- Promote pupil wellbeing and mental health
- Teach children how to stay safe, including online safety
- Work closely with parents, carers and external agencies
Primary Schools
Our primary settings focus on nurturing environments where young children feel secure and confident to speak up. Safeguarding is woven into daily routines, relationships and the curriculum.
Secondary Schools
In our secondary schools, we support young people to manage increasing independence, including digital safety, healthy relationships and personal resilience.
Specialist Provision
We recognise that pupils with additional needs may be more vulnerable. Our special school provides highly personalised safeguarding support, with staff trained to understand and respond to complex needs.
Safeguarding Leadership
Each school has a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and trained deputies who:
- Lead safeguarding practice in the school
- Provide advice and support to staff
- Work with external agencies such as social care and the police
- Ensure concerns are recorded and acted upon promptly
DMAT Director of Safeguarding - Jon Galling
DMAT Safeguarding Trustee - Phillip Sanders
Working with Families and Agencies
We believe that strong partnerships with families are essential to safeguarding children. We also work closely with:
- Devon Children and Families Partnership
- Social care services
- Health professionals
- Police and other safeguarding services
Where there are concerns about a child’s safety or wellbeing, we act promptly and in the child’s best interests.
Online Safety
Keeping children safe online is a key priority. Across the Trust we:
- Teach pupils about safe and responsible internet use
- Monitor and filter online activity in school
- Support parents with guidance on online safety at home
Raising a Concern
If you are worried about a child’s safety or wellbeing, please contact the school directly and ask to speak to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
If you believe a child is in immediate danger, contact emergency services on 999.
You can also contact Devon County Council’s safeguarding services for advice.
Policies
Each school publishes its own safeguarding and child protection policy, which can be found on individual school websites.
Our Trust-wide safeguarding policies include:
- Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
- Staff Code of Conduct
- Whistleblowing Policy
- Online Safety Policy
Our Commitment
We are committed to continuous improvement in safeguarding. We regularly review our practices, learn from experience and ensure that the voices of children are heard and acted upon.
Every child deserves to feel safe, valued and supported and we are dedicated to making this a reality across all our schools.