Safeguarding & eSafety
Safeguarding
As a school, we recognise that all staff, including volunteers, have a full and active part to play in protecting our students from harm and to provide a safe environment in which children can learn.
As a school, we:
- maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ where safeguarding is concerned
- have due concern for instances of peer on peer abuse and act on them accordingly
- act in the best interests of the child when concerned about their welfare
- establish and maintain an ethos where students feel secure, are encouraged to talk and are always listened to
- ensure all students know that there is an adult in the school whom they can approach if they are worried or in difficulty
- include in the curriculum opportunities for PSHE and RSHE that will equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to stay safe from harm, to make informed decisions and to know who they should turn to for help
- have effective safer recruitment systems in place
- work with external providers who use the school facilities to help provide a safe environment for young people
How to report a Safeguarding Concern
If you have a concern about a student or you receive information that leads you to be concerned that a student has been harmed or is at risk of harm or their welfare is being compromised please contact Miss Waterhouse, Designated Safeguarding Lead, on [email protected]
If a student is worried about themself or another member of our school community, they can speak to any member of staff or they can report their concern by emailing [email protected]. They can also report concerns on the anonymous reporting form which can be seen towards the bottom of this page.
Outside of school hours and term time, if the concern is of a medical nature, the student should be taken to their GP or A&E depending on the urgency of the situation. Non-medical concerns should be reported directly to the local authority safeguarding team (often called a Single Point of Access (SPA) team). Contact details for the relevant local authority where the child lives can be found using this online tool: Reporting Abuse to your local council.
If a child is in immediate danger please call 999.
If you are worried about a child who does not attend The Quest Academy you can contact your local authority safeguarding team, via this link.
Concerns About an Adult (Whistleblowing)
For safeguarding concerns about an adult who is working/volunteering with children where you feel that you cannot report this directly to the school, please contact the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).
The Kingston and Richmond Safeguarding Children Partnership has a variety of resources available for children, parents and carers on a variety of safeguarding themes, which can be found here.
Children and young people access a number of universal services, such as health and schools, they may also use leisure facilities, community and also faith groups. For any children, young people and families who require additional help, Croydon has developed a model of support that is rooted in building family and community resilience and networks of support to help families at the earliest opportunity. You can follow this link for more information about Early Help provision.
Our Safeguarding Team
All concerns are passed to members of staff who are trained as ‘Designated Safeguarding Leads’ which make up the ‘Safeguarding Team’ at The Quest Academy. The team consists of:
TCT Director of Safeguarding – Mr Charlie O’Sullivan
Designated Safeguarding Lead – Kathleen Waterhouse
Designated Safeguarding Lead – Stephen Frith
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead – Carol Oseman
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead – Victoria Durand-Urbaniak
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead – Joshua Henry
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead – Ellie Thomas
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead – Zaira Sami
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead – Rihanna Jamani (Designated Teacher for Looked After Children)
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead – Perry Pace
eSafety
At The Quest Academy, we are committed to ensuring that all students use the internet safely and responsibly. We recognise that the online world offers incredible opportunities for learning, creativity, and communication, but it also carries risks.
We encourage parents and carers to take an active and supportive role in monitoring their children’s use of the internet. By showing interest and engaging in open conversations about online activities, you can help your child develop safe and responsible digital habits.
This section has been designed to provide information, guidance, and practical tips to support you in this role. It includes advice on managing social media, understanding online risks, recognising inappropriate content or behaviour, and knowing what to do if concerns arise.
We also highlight the importance of teaching children to be resilient and confident online. This includes understanding how to protect personal information, communicate respectfully, and seek help if they encounter any problems. Our aim is to create a safe, supportive online environment where students can explore, learn, and thrive – both in school and at home. By working together, the school and families can ensure that children are empowered to navigate the digital world safely.
CEOP
Are you worried about online sexual abuse or the way someone has been communicating with you online? Make a report to one of CEOP’s Child Protection Advisors. Please click the button below.
The Click CEOP button is an asset of the National Crime Agency’s CEOP Command. The CEOP Command works to protect children from the harm of sexual abuse and exploitation both online and offline.
The button has been developed to offer children, young people, parents/carers and professionals working with these groups with a simple and convenient mechanism for gaining access to trusted online safety advice, help and support. It also provides access to an online mechanism for reporting known or suspected child sexual exploitation or child sexual abuse directly to CEOP. This is offered as a convenient and potentially less intimidating method of reporting these sensitive types of crime, alternative to face-to-face and telephone reporting to local police forces.
National Online Safety have produced a number of guides to support parents with monitoring their child’s online activity across a variety of platforms.