If a child tells you something concerning about another pupil but asks you to ‘promise not to tell,’ how should you handle it?

Answer: Even if the child is sharing a concern about someone else, you should never promise to keep it a secret. The fact that the concern is about another child does slightly shift the emphasis, but not the core principles.

You might say: “Thank you for telling me. I can’t promise to keep it a secret because I might need to share it with someone who can help. But I’ll only tell the people who need to know.”

Key points:

• Reassure the child that they’ve done the right thing by speaking up
• Avoid pressing for more information or asking leading questions
• Be clear that your role is to help keep everyone safe—not to keep secrets
• Record what was said accurately and report it to your Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). Saracens High School’s Desginated Safeguarding Team can be found here.
• Whether the concern is about themselves or another pupil, your role is always to listen, reassure, and report

A young carer is someone 18 years old or under who helps look after a relative with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem. This could be a parent or an older or younger sibling. 

Some children begin giving care from a very young age, and others become carers overnight. Caring for someone can be very isolating, worrying, and stressful. For young carers, this can negatively impact their experience in education. 

Many of our pupils qualify as Young Carers but are too embarrassed to speak up due to the stigma surrounding being a Young Carer. We asked you to show this video in Learning Group and Seminar Group. If you know of a pupil, please speak to the Pastoral Team so we can make a referral. 

Support available includes:

• Monitoring
• Holiday Activities
• Respite
• 10-week 1:1 tutoring for KS4 & 5

If a pupil talks to you or emails you with comments that indicate they have suicidal ideations, what should you do?

• • Listen
  • Reassure them that they have done the right thing telling you
  • Ask if they have told anyone else
  • Ask if there is anyone else in school that they trust
  • Explain you need to speak to Ms Green to get advice and to help them (or their Year Lead if you feel this may cause less anxiety)
  • If they have gone home or this is over email, contact should be made home (unless you believe there to be a safeguarding concern by calling home)

• Sometimes it is better that you call home as you are the person they have turned to, but only do this once you have spoken to a DSL and feel confident to do so

• If you have any questions, speak to SGR or call her on 07970932076

If a pupil touches another pupil inappropriately but they claim it was just play fighting, what should you do?

• Talk to the Year Team for advice
• Log on CPOMS (this can be used as a statement and will be seen by the Pastoral Team)
• With support from the Pastoral Team the following will happen:
  • Gather statements from victims, perpetrator and witnesses
  • Gather evidence from CCTV
  • If statements need to be clarified, and additional statements taken, the statement must be clear that this is a second statement
  • Families contacted by the Year Team (both victims and perpetrator)
  • Inform our Safer Schools Officer
  • MASH referral
  • 101 Report

In cyber security, can you define the following: phishing, smishing, vishing and quishing?  

Phishing is a malicious email that encourages you to click a link which could install trojan software to access your computer, email server or data. It might also leave a keylogger which would record your keystrokes, perhaps revealing your password.

Smishing is a malicious text message (SMS) that will have a link to click on your smartphone.

Vishing is a voice message or an actual caller aiming to find out your personal information, access your bank account or encourage you to make payments.

Quishing is a QR code that will take you to a malicious or fake site. There are examples where criminals have set up fake payment pages for car parking charges using their QR code stuck over the top of the legitimate QR codes on signage.