Safeguarding Audits: Ensuring Child Safety in Schools

Safeguarding Audits: Ensuring Child Safety in Schools

Written by Sharon Barnes  

About Safeguarding Associate  

 If you are in an educational setting and need a Safeguarding Audit, please email us today to arrange a date for us to review your safeguarding policies and procedures. 

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Schools and other educational establishments often consider an external Safeguarding Audit for several important reasons: Do we have all the necessary safeguarding policies in place? Can we answer all the questions Ofsted might ask about our safeguarding procedures? What does “an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first” really look like? These are essential questions for school leaders to ask. However, when I conduct a school Safeguarding Audit, the question I focus on is: Does this school do everything possible to ensure that children (and adults) feel safe, seen, and supported? 

I always arrive at the school early to observe its safeguarding practices as the day begins. On a recent audit, I watched children arrive at Breakfast Club. The school had a high metal perimeter fence with an intercom system at the gate. A parent pressed the intercom button, waited, and the gate opened—no questions asked, no checking who it was—just an open gate, and by extension, an open school. The school shared with me its visitor policy and health and safety policy, both of which stated that all visitors would be checked and supervised. However, in my experience, it’s these routine procedures that can lead to oversights. We must always remember: “It could happen here!!” 

During the safeguarding audit, I make a point of speaking to as many people as possible to assess different areas of focus, and I always take time to walk around the school during lessons. I leave talking to the children until near the end, and I ask them three key questions: 

1. How does your school make you feel safe? 
2. How does your school ensure you are seen and heard? 
3. How does your school support you? 

The true evidence of effective safeguarding comes from the children. Detailed policies and procedures show that the school understands the theory, and staff must have a clear grasp of these safeguarding principles.. But in practice, the evidence is reflected in the children’s experiences and the school environment created for them. 

In conclusion, a Safeguarding Audit is much more than just a record of compliance with Ofsted safeguarding requirements. It validates that children trust the school to keep them safe and that staff are fully aware of the vital role they play in maintaining a secure environment. 

Want to learn more about our Safeguarding Audits? Then click here to our dedicated Safeguarding Audits page.

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