23 Training and Development: Safeguarding and Online Safety

Purpose

This policy makes sure that everyone who works with pupils understands their safeguarding and online safety duties before they take up the work, and keeps that understanding current.

Induction before contact with pupils

No member of staff, trustee, contractor or volunteer has unsupervised contact with pupils before completing induction. Induction covers:

• the school's Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and how to report a concern;
• the school's online boundaries, including group-only communication and the ban on private contact;
• the acceptable use rules for pupils and for staff;
• recognition of a child missing education risk, and the escalation steps that follow;
• how personal data and recordings must be handled.

Core training

• Safeguarding, including the risks specific to live online lessons and recordings.
• Online safety and safe moderation of group chat.
• Attendance, engagement and child missing education awareness.
• Data protection and confidentiality, including the handling of recordings.
• Anti-bullying and cyberbullying, and how a disclosure is received.

Specialist training

• The Designated Safeguarding Lead and Deputy hold designated-safeguarding-training for their role, refreshed at least every two years.
• The Online Safety Lead holds training in platform moderation, incident handling and evidence preservation.
• The Principal holds safer recruitment training where she takes part in appointing staff.

Keeping training current

• All staff refresh safeguarding and online safety training at least once a year.
• A short update is given whenever guidance, platform or policy changes in a way that affects practice.
• Trustees and board members receive an annual safeguarding awareness briefing.

Records of training

Training completed, its date and its next due date are recorded for each person and held with their staff record and Single Central Record. A person whose training has lapsed is not left in unsupervised contact with pupils until it is made good.

Development beyond the minimum

The school supports further professional development in teaching, curriculum and safeguarding, and agrees it with each member of staff as part of their regular review.

Review

This policy is reviewed at least once a year and whenever a safeguarding incident or audit shows a training gap.