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Keeping Children Safe

It is so important to us that children at Windmill are safe at school (and feel safe too).

We have a strong culture of reporting concerns and problems, so children, staff, parents and visitors are encouraged to tell someone if they think something is wrong.

Mr Gibbons is our school's senior Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and he is supported by four other DSLs: Mrs Coles (Deputy DSL), Mrs Dexter, Mrs Cambidge and Mrs Richards (Assistant DSLs).  You can find their contact information on the Useful Contacts page. 

We have worked hard to ensure there is a strong culture of well-being and safety which helps children to be aware of potential danger and teaches them about risks and behaviours and actions that can help to keep themselves safe.

Our well-developed Personal, Social and Health Education curriculum (including Relationships and Sex Education and Online Safety) permeates throughout school and children testify to this.

We also have a comprehensive school Mental Health offer, that complements our Mental Health and Wellbeing policy.  These documents are stored in our online policies folder.

We have regular site checks, frequent evacuation/lockdown drills and we ensure all our risk assessments and relevant staff qualifications are up to date.

Our computer network is very secure, with appropriate protection at Wide-Area-Network level (Lightspeed), as well as Local-Area-Network monitoring by Senso, which reports directly to Windmill's headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Leads.

Here is a direct link to the Child Protection and Safeguarding policy held on Community Academies Trust's website.  There is an appendix to this policy here, which contains details of school-specific safeguarding information (additional things that we do).

Please report concerns about child abuse to the school DSLs via telephone, email ([email protected]). If you need to discuss confidential information, please arrange a meeting with us.

Alternatively, contact Family Connect directly:

New Information Sharing Duty to Support Earlier Safeguarding Action

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act introduced a new statutory Information Sharing Duty that came into force on 30th September 2026. The new duty is designed to strengthen multi-agency safeguarding practice by supporting earlier and more confident sharing of information between organisations responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

The statutory guidance can be accessed here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6aa2a5b1c5796a7a179c665a/Information_sharing_duty_statutory_guidance.pdf

What changed?

The new duty moved practice from a position where professionals may share information, to one where relevant organisations under a statutory duty to share information that may help another organisation safeguard or promote the welfare of a child. Importantly, the duty is not restricted to situations where child protection thresholds have been met. It also applies to concerns relating to emerging needs, prevention, and early intervention.

What information can be shared?

The duty covers information relevant to a child's safety or welfare. This may include information directly about a child or information about another person connected to the child where that information is relevant to safeguarding or promoting welfare.

Does data protection still apply?

Yes. Data protection legislation continues to apply. Information sharing must remain lawful, relevant, proportionate, and secure. However, the statutory guidance makes clear that data protection legislation should not be viewed as a barrier to safeguarding information sharing, and that consent is not required where the duty applies, and there is an appropriate lawful basis for sharing.

We work in close partnership with both Telford & Wrekin Safeguarding Children Board and Community Academies Trust Safeguarding Specialists to ensure our practice is excellent.