Safeguarding

Safeguarding is everybody’s business. Olney Middle School has a moral and statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all pupils. We are committed to safeguarding and aim to create a culture of vigilance. We also ensure that pupils are taught about keeping safe (at a level appropriate to their age) throughout the curriculum but particularly through PSHE and Computing. We follow the IFtL Safeguarding curriculum that is fully embedded across the school.

Strengthening Safeguarding Across Our Schools

From September 2025, as part of our commitment to the Olney, Lavendon Learning Alliance (OLLA), we are enhancing our safeguarding provision by appointing a full-time Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and a full-time Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) to work across all our schools.

This dedicated team will ensure a consistent, robust, and proactive approach to safeguarding, enabling us to respond swiftly and effectively to the needs of our children and families. By working collaboratively across the alliance, our safeguarding leads will provide expert guidance, deliver staff training, and support early intervention strategies to promote the safety and wellbeing of every pupil.

This investment reflects our unwavering commitment to creating a safe, nurturing, and supportive environment where all children can thrive.

 

At Olney Middle School, safeguarding and child protection are paramount and we are fully committed to ensuring the welfare and safety of all our children.

We believe that students have a right to learn in a supportive, caring and safe environment which includes the right to protection from all types of abuse; where staff are vigilant for signs of any student in distress and are confident about applying the processes to avert and alleviate any such problems.

Our key aims are to ensure;

  • All our pupils are safe and protected from harm.
  • Other elements of provision and policies are in place to enable pupils to feel safe and adopt safe practices;
  • Staff, pupils, governors, visitors, volunteers and parents are aware of the expected behaviours’ and the school’s legal responsibilities in relation to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all of our pupils.

We believe that Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and as such our school aims to create the safest environment within which every pupil has the opportunity to strive and reach their potential.  We recognise the importance of us ensuring our pupils know how to seek support, feel that they will be listened to and appropriate action taken. We will do this by endeavouring to work in partnership with other agencies and seek to establish effective working relationships with parents, carers and other colleagues to develop and provide activities and opportunities throughout our curriculum that will help to equip our children with the skills they need. This will include materials and learning experiences that will encourage our children to develop essential life skills and protective behaviours.

At Olney Middle School, we follow and adhere to the Milton Keynes Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures and a direct link to their website is available at this link: www.mkscb.org

Any concerns or support sought will be via the Children and Families Practices at the Children and Families Referral Hub, who strive to offer families with the support they require. They will work with us in an integrated way to improve outcomes for our children and their families.

Safeguarding is about ensuring that everyone is safe from harm – safe from bullying, safe from people who could abuse, safe from discrimination or harassment – and that we all feel safe in our environment.

If you have any concerns with regards to your or another child talking helps.

The roles and designated officers at Olney Middle are:

Headteacher: Richard Bosworth

Contact details: 01234 711323

rbosworth@olneymiddle.co.uk

Senior Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL):

Name: Amy Archer

Contact details: 01234 711323

aarcher@iftl.co.uk

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL):

Name: Edith Collins

Contact details: 01234 711323

ecollins@iftl.co.uk

Designated PREVENT lead:

Name: Amy Archer

Contact details: 01234 711323

aarcher@iftl.co.uk

Designated Child Sexual Exploitation Lead (CSE):

Name: Amy Archer

Contact details: 01234 711323

aarcher@iftl.co.uk

Designated LAC (Looked After Children) lead:

Name: Kim Millican

Contact details: 01234 711323

kmillican@iftl.co.uk

They will then work together with other people to address the problems and ensure everyone is safe.  Please note the information will remain confidential but if there are concerns in relation to the safety of the child, we will have to refer it to the Children and Families Referral Hub.

 

If the safeguarding team are unavailable, or you would like to request advice or support yourself please contact:

Milton Keynes MASH: 01908 253169 or 01908 253170 (Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm and Friday 9am-4.30pm) Out of hours: 01908 265545

Thames Valley Police: 999

For advice or to report a crime: 101

NEVER be the only person with an essential piece of safeguarding information