Safeguarding
"Staff provide extensive support and loving care for those who experience difficulties” (SIAMs, 2025)
At St James Primary School, the safety and well-being of our children are our top priority. We are committed to providing a secure, nurturing, and inclusive environment where every child feels safe, valued, and supported.
Safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do. This means protecting children from harm, ensuring their emotional and physical well-being, and creating a culture where they can speak up if they feel unsafe. All staff receive regular safeguarding training, and we work closely with families and external agencies to provide the right support at the right time.
We encourage open communication between school and home, so if you have any concerns about a child’s welfare, please speak to a member of our safeguarding team. Together, we can ensure that every child in our care has the opportunity to thrive in a safe and supportive environment.
- On arrival to the school please make yourselves known to the office and sign in, please be aware that ID will be checked if you are unknown to the school.
- Remember to sign out when you leave the school site.
- Please wear your red visitor’s lanyard at all times during your visit.
- Please take a moment to read our visitors’ guide
- Mobile phones are not allowed to be used. If you need to make or receive a call, please report back to the school office so that a quiet space, suitable space can be found for you.
Early Help
At St James, we understand that every family can face challenging times. As a Church of England school, we take our role within the community seriously and are committed to offering compassionate, practical support to those in need.
If you or your family are struggling, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here to help.
As part of our universal Early Help provision, we offer:
- Washing facilities – including access to a shower and washing machine
- Uniform/clothes exchange – to ensure every child has what they need
- St James Food Bank – providing essential supplies for families
- Referrals to local support services – connecting you with wider community resources
If you require support, please contact the school office in confidence. We will do our utmost to help you navigate difficult times with dignity and care.
Our Safeguarding Policies and Procedures
We have regularly reviewed and rigorous Safeguarding Policy and Procedures in place.
All staff including our volunteers and supply staff are required to ensure that they are aware of our procedures. All adults who work in the school are subject to Enhanced Disclosure and Barring (DBS) checks in addition to rigorous screening procedures.
All adults who work in the school are trained to take responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of pupils at the school.
Sharing Information
Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child's welfare. We will always ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with their parents/carers first unless we have reason to believe that this is not in the child's best interests.
Safeguarding Responsibilities
The well-being of each child is the responsibility of the class teacher under the oversight of the Headteacher.
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Miss Hazlewood (Associate Principal)
Tel: 01837 52341
Email: mhazlewood@dmatschools.org.uk
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads
Miss Dart, Miss Stevens, Mrs Pengelly and Ms Sparshatt
Tel: 01837 52341
Email: jdart@dmatschools.org.uk
gstevens@dmatschools.org.uk
hpengelly@stjamesokehampton.org.uk
ksparshatt@dmatschools.org.uk
Primary Advocate Board Chair - Emma Neath
Primary Parent and Pupil Advocate - Rosie Cope
Our Designated Lead for Looked After Children is Miss Hazlewood, Headteacher.
Devon Safeguarding Children Partnership
The Devon Safeguarding Children Partnership is a multi-agency collaboration between Devon County Council, NHS Devon Integrated Care Board, and Devon & Cornwall Police, alongside education settings and other relevant organisations. Its core purpose is to ensure that children and young people in Devon are safe, protected from harm, and receive the right support at the right time.
The Partnership provides clear policies, procedures, and training to help schools and professionals safeguard effectively. By working together, Devon SCP promotes early help, strengthens family resilience, and coordinates responses to concerns about child welfare.
For more information, visit Devon SCP or contact the school if you have any safeguarding concerns.
British Values and Prevent strategy
The Department for Education has published guidance on promoting British values in schools to ensure young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. All schools have a duty to ‘actively promote’ the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. These values were first set out by the government in the ‘Prevent’ strategy in 2011.
A key part of the plan for education is to ensure children become valuable and fully rounded members of society who treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of background. We want every school to promote the basic British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs. This ensures young people understand the importance of respect and leave school fully prepared for life in modern Britain.
- an understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process
- an understanding that the freedom to hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law
- an acceptance that people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour
- an understanding of the importance of identifying and combating discrimination.
As a school, we ensure that our policies and procedures for Safeguarding pupils are frequently updated and revised with all staff. Pupils’ safety is of the highest priority for all staff and adults at St James
Our school is part of Operation Encompass.
Operation Encompass is a national police and education early intervention safeguarding partnership which supports children and young people who experience Domestic Violence and Abuse and which is in place in every police force in England and Wales.
Children were recognised as victims of domestic abuse in their own right in the 2021 Domestic Abuse Act.
Operation Encompass means that the police will share information with our school about all police attended Domestic Abuse incidents which involve any of our children PRIOR to the start of the next school day.
Operation Encompass will ensure that a member of the school staff, known as a Key Adult, is trained to allow them to liaise with the police and to use the information that has been shared, in confidence, while ensuring that the school is able to make provision for possible difficulties experienced by children, or their families, who have been involved in, or exposed to, a domestic abuse incident.
Safeguarding Policy
Key Contacts:
Operation Encompass website: www.operationencompass.org
Fear Free Domestic Abuse Service: Devon – FearFree
Email: admin.devon@fearfree.org.uk
Telephone: 0345 155 1074
NSPCC: NSPCC | The UK children’s charity | NSPCC
Childline: https://www.childline.org.uk/
UK safer internet centre: Parents and Carers – UK Safer Internet Centre