Safeguarding
STUDENT SAFETY
Safeguarding
Safeguarding and the wellbeing of our students will always be our highest priority.
Our pastoral care system is carefully designed to ensure that every young person is noticed and valued and their voices heard. We build in mentoring opportunities by creating small mixed-age groups of around 15 students, with Years 7 and 8 together, Years 9 and 10 together, and Years 11 to 13 together, learning from each other’s life experience. These groups are integrated with our House system, giving the opportunity for genuine inter-year friendships. You can find more detail about this on our Pastoral Care page.
Safeguarding goes far beyond pastoral care: it is at the heart of everything we do and the first consideration for every adult within the school community. We are alert and attentive, never take the safety of students for granted, and always keep their best interests in mind in every area of decision-making.
Please read our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy for further information.
We ensure:
- Prompt action: concerns are addressed immediately to ensure timely, effective support.
- Active listening: every child’s concern is met with professional empathy and taken seriously.
- Trust and transparency: we maintain a culture where children feel confident approaching any staff member.
Safeguarding Contacts
If you have a concern about a student at Thomas’s College, or if you observe behaviour that compromises a student’s safety, please contact our Safeguarding Team.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Designated Safeguarding Lead | James Ralphs |
| [email protected] | |
| Telephone | 020 7978 0901 |
| Out of hours / school holidays | 020 7978 0919 |
The school teaches a roadmap for how relationships can work, a sense of family
– Current Parent
Safeguarding means:
- Providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge
- Protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online
- Preventing the impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development
- Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
- Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
Child protection is part of the safeguarding process.
It focuses on protecting individual children identified as suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. This includes child protection procedures which detail how to respond to concerns about a child.
In England, the Department for Education is the government department responsible for all child protection policies. At a local level, local safeguarding partners such as the police, the local authority and designated safeguarding groups are in charge of managing any complaints or issues and ensuring that the principles of the Children Act are upheld.
What should I do if I am worried about a child?
If you have a safeguarding concern relating to a student at Thomas’s College, please contact our safeguarding team whose details are above.
If you believe a child is at immediate risk of harm, do not wait. Call 999 to reach the Police straight away. They will assess the situation and take immediate action to protect the child.
What if I am not sure whether my concern is serious?
Many people worry that they might be mistaken. However, safeguarding is always about putting the child first.
If something does not feel right, it is always better to share your concern. Speaking up may help protect a child and ensure they receive the support they need.
Who is responsible for safeguarding?
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Teachers, school staff, families and the wider community all play an important role in keeping children safe.
At Thomas’s, all staff receive safeguarding training so they can recognise concerns and respond appropriately.
