Castleford Academy
Castleford Academy
You are here: Information - Safeguarding
Castleford Academy takes its responsibility to protect and safeguard the welfare of children seriously. Our priority is to ensure that children are safe and healthy. We aim to safeguard and promote the welfare of children from a number of potential safeguarding risks including impairment of mental health, safe and effective care at home and at school so that all children are able to achieve the best outcomes.
Castleford Academy works alongside the Wakefield Safeguarding Children Partnership (WSCP). We also follow the annual statutory guidance set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education and our safeguarding policy is available below.
Children, parents and staff are encouraged to report any concerns they may have about safety and welfare to our Designated Safeguarding Leads. All of our safeguarding team are trained to DSL requirements. All adults in school are trained at least annually on current safeguarding issues in line with the latest Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance.
For more information and support on safeguarding concerns, please see the links below and the parent advice zone.
Link to Team around the school (TAS) and Wakefield families together offer
If you are worried about your child, or another child at Castleford Academy, please feel confident to raise your concerns with one of our safeguarding team. You can do this by contacting the school on 01977 605060 and asking for a safeguarding lead. There are some issues which we feel will be bettered supported by a year leader so there may be occasions where we share this information. We will always work in the best interest of the child.
Mental Health plays a vital role of the work we do at Castleford Academy. We aim to create an environment where everyone is welcome, supported and cared for. There are a number of ways we support mental health in school from Step Up to our coverage of the PSHE and RSE curriculum, Wellbeing Wednesday and the wealth of other support we offer. For more details, please see our mental health offer below.
There are a number of websites that also support mental health:
Link to West Yorkshire Night Owls
Link to Choose Well guide for children and young people
If you are worried that a child is at risk of harmful sexual behaviour, even if it is historic, please contact us and let us know. We do not tolerate harmful sexual behaviour and will never dismiss it as ‘banter’ or part of ‘growing up’. This kind of behaviour will always be challenged in line with DFE guidance on sexual violence and harassment between children in schools and colleges guidance and Keeping Children Safe in Education.
A guide for talking to your child about online sexual abuse
Social media sites are changing daily and where possible, in line with guidance from WSCP, we will make you aware of any sites that are causing us concern. If you require more information on social media websites and their use, information is available on:
If you require any additional support from any of the local food banks, the information you need to be able to contact them is below. Please note that referrals can only be made through a third party and not through families directly. School is able to support you with this if you contact us during term time. Out of term time, the following organisations can help:
Link to Wakefield cost of living support
Airedale Food Bank
Tel 07920878782
Delivery only
Foodbank at The Link, Beancroft Road, Castleford
Open for food parcels on a Thursday evening 6.30 – 7.30. For couples, families and vulnerable singles only. Foodbankatthelink@gmail.com
Link to Keeping Children Safe in Education document
Information for strategic safeguarding partners
Our DSL team consists of 8 DSLs:
All DSLs are fully trained through the local authority safeguarding training and therefore any of the DSL team can support external safeguarding partners with all requests.
If you wish to contact us, please use the contact details below
If you are a parent
Please ring on the school number – 01977 506060 – within school hours and ask for a safeguarding lead. A member of the team will ring you when they are able to.
If you are a professional strategic partner (Social worker, MASH, EHH, EIP, Operation Encompass, Police or other educational professional)
If you wish to speak with a safeguarding lead during term time to obtain information about a family between the hours of 8am and 4.30pm Monday to Thursday and 8am – 4pm on Friday, please contact school reception on 01977 605060 and ask for a safeguarding lead. All safeguarding leads are able to help with this request and the next available safeguarding lead will get back to you as soon as they are able to. All new requests for information or generic requests can be supported by any DSL. This will ensure that your requests are met quickly. Please do not ask for a specific DSL unless they are already working with that child or family.
If you are a social worker or Early help practitioner
Each of the families we work with will be assigned a lead DSL. If you are working with a particular family at CIN, CP or EHH level and you know the name of the safeguarding lead you are working with to support a child or family, please ask for them directly or email them. This is only for cases that have been assigned a specific DSL.
If you are contacting us from the MASH team during term time
Please contact school reception and ask for a safeguarding lead. Alternatively, you can email us on safeguarding@castlefordacademy.com All DSLs have access to this and the next available DSLs will contact you as soon as they are able to. Contact details for use in the school holidays will be sent to the MASH team prior to each holiday.
If you wish to invite a DSL to a strategy meeting
You contact us through reception on 01977 605060 by asking for a safeguarding lead or by emailing the request /invitation to safeguarding@castlefordacademy.com
Please note that the safeguarding@castlefordacademy.com will only be used throughout the school day and not on an evening. It is for social care or MASH use only and emails that are outside of this remit will not be responded to. If you wish to report a safeguarding incident and you are not from a strategic partner, please contact us through 01977 605060 and ask for a safeguarding lead.
Links in the Information Section
© Castleford Academy Trust 2023