Abuse and harm rarely fit a single label, and several issues often overlap. Our staff are trained to notice and act on:

• neglect, and physical, emotional and sexual abuse
• bullying of every kind, including online bullying and bullying based on race, faith, disability, sexuality or gender identity
• abuse between students, including sexual harassment and violence, and misogyny
• unhealthy or abusive teenage relationships and domestic abuse at home
• sexual and criminal exploitation, including grooming, gangs and county lines
• online harms, such as sharing nude or semi-nude images, pornography, deepfakes and harassment
• radicalisation and extremism
• female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage
• substance misuse, and risks linked to the local area
• poor mental health, self-harm and other worries about emotional wellbeing

Preventing radicalisation

Schools have a legal duty to help stop young people being drawn into terrorism. Radicalisation is the process by which an extremist view is made to seem appealing and believable. Where there is a concern, we follow our safeguarding procedures and can refer a student to the local PREVENT team for support.

Female Genital Mutilation

FGM is child abuse and a crime in the UK. Staff have a legal duty to report known cases to the police, and we treat any worry, whether past, present or possible in future, with great seriousness. 

Child sexual exploitation

This happens when a young person under 18 is manipulated or pressured into sexual activity, sometimes in exchange for gifts, money, attention or somewhere to stay, and technology is often used to groom them. Anyone can be targeted, and we teach students how to recognise it and report it.