14th March 2025
HEADLINES
By James Saunders
SAFEGUARDING AT HONYWOOD Prior to half term we received our annual external safeguarding audit. This important annual visit allows us to obtain an independent audit of our safeguarding processes and practices. I have just received the report and thought it would be nice to share some of the lovely comments about our school: Overall summary Honywood School exudes a strong culture of safeguarding, with well-established systems and leadership ensuring high levels of vigilance and intervention. The staff’s professional curiosity and commitment to safeguarding underpin an environment where pupils feel safe and well-supported. The strategic use of CPOMS and YouHQ facilitates realtime monitoring and targeted interventions. Robust training programs for all staff, including volunteers and external contractors, ensure compliance with KCSIE 2024. The school’s multi-agency collaboration supports vulnerable students effectively, while proactive attendance monitoring and early intervention strategies mitigate risks. Pupils spoke highly of their experiences at Honywood and they feel safe and cared for. Pupils appreciate the positive relationships that they have with staff. Staff in turn speak positively about the support that they receive from the safeguarding team in particular placing great value on the update training they receive each year. This training gives them the confidence they need to ensure that any safeguarding concerns are noticed and reported appropriately. Comments: • Staff are happy and stay at the school for a long time, with the average level of service being 9 years. Staff and pupils confirm they feel supported and listened to in a trusted environment.
• There is a family feel throughout the school and an in depth knowledge of their families and contextual safeguarding • Staff and pupils spoke about a calm, safe and purposeful environment • Behaviour is good at the school, especially in the last few years. • There are consistent processes that are clear for all pupils. Incidents are few and far between. A calm culture comes with these systems and processes however they are underpinned by strong relationships between pupils and staff. The culture of kind, polite and respectful learners is embedded in the micro interpersonal relationships. Model it and give it back. • Pupils are well known and understood. Staff know the children, and the children know the staff. A key priority for the school is relationships. Everyone knows everyone’s name. • Pupil voice indicated that most pupils felt that they had a key person that they could talk to, and that they knew they would be taken seriously if they had a problem. • Pupils were able to speak articulately about their PSHE and RSE curriculum • There is a robust online safety programme and pupils were able to talk about how they have been taught to keep themselves safe on line and not to accept friend requests from people they don’t know. • Pupils felt well supported in being able to report concerns. Pupils felt that concerns would be