To report a safeguarding concern, please email the following address:
GMSafeguardingTeam@georgemitchellschool.co.uk
If you are a student and would like to report a concern you have about your friend/peer, please click the following link:
https://forms.office.com/e/JUVfWD0x5U
Please note that this is an anonymous form and you do not have to give your name unless you wish to do so.
Safeguarding Team
Marissa Tomkins (Designated Safeguarding Lead – All Through) – marissa.tomkins@georgemitchellschool.co.uk
Janet Bergin-Miah (Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead – Secondary) – janet.bergin-miah@georgemitchellschool.co.uk
Bridgit Edge (Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead – Primary) – bridgit.edge@georgemitchellschool.co.uk
Najma Hamud (CP Officer) – najma.hamud@georgemitchellschool.co.uk
Aiofe Deane (Safeguarding Governor) – aiofe.deane@georgemitchellschool.co.uk
OFSTED (2023) judged Safeguarding at George Mitchell as effective, commenting that “leaders make sure that any concerns about pupils’ well-being are dealt with quickly”, praising the school’s PSHE programme for its work to “ducate pupils about how to look after themselves and manage risks”, and highlighting the high quality of “one-to-one support to help pupils learn from any incidents”. The latest Safeguarding Audit carried out by the Local Authority in September 2021 rated Safeguarding at George Mitchell as “Outstanding” in every area.
In the most recent inspection (2024), Children’s Services at Waltham Forest Council were judged as “good” by OFSTED.
Key Documents
What is Safeguarding?
Safeguarding is:
- protecting children and young adults from abuse and neglect
- ensuring children and young adults are healthy and able to develop
- providing safe and effective care
- providing opportunities for children and young adults to have the best chances in adult life
How is this achieved?
Safer Recruiting
Every adult who works with pupils/students at George Mitchell – permanent/temporary staff or volunteers – undergo thorough police checks. All staff receive training every year so that they understand how they can best safeguard all George Mitchell School pupils/students.
Safer Schools Officer (SSO)
All schools have a Safer Schools Officer. They patrol the school and the local area to keep all pupils/students and adults safe. They have also been involved in teaching in lessons, talking in assemblies and tutor periods and giving important messages on the law and personal safety. Sometimes we ask the SSO to sit in on meetings with parents to support families.
Child Protection
Child Abuse is – ‘Causing harm to a child, or failing to prevent harm.’
If you have any concerns whatsoever regarding child abuse, you can talk to any adult at George Mitchell School.
Student Searches
At George Mitchell School we believe that everyone should feel safe without the threat of violence or intimidation. We hold random searches to deter anyone from bringing to school any banned items that might put the safety of all at risk. Parents/carers are notified when a search takes place, as well as its purpose and the outcome.
Trips and Visits
Whenever there is a trip or visit out of school, the safety of everyone on the trip is our main concern. Thorough health and safety checks and a risk assessment are therefore carried out before any trip.
Nobody will be allowed on any trip/visit unless they have returned a fully completed parental /carer permission slip showing two emergency contact details and any health concerns.
Education
Safeguarding at George Mitchell School is also about providing our students/pupils with the knowledge on how to keep themselves safe. Through our pastoral curriculum – PHSE (Personal, Health, Social and Economic awareness), drop days, assemblies, tutor periods, lessons, and poster campaigns they receive vital information about:
– staying safe in the community
– sex education
– drugs education
– healthy living and eating
– careers guidance
– personal wellbeing
– economic wellbeing
For more information about our PSHE curriculum, please click on the links below:
Can teachers touch Pupils/Students?
A teacher must never touch pupils/students in order to punish them. However, the law allows all staff, whether in school or on out-of-school trips/activities, to use reasonable, physical force to make sure a pupil/student:
• does not break the law
• does not hurt her/himself or someone else
• does not damage her/his own property or someone else’s
• follows a reasonable instruction
Anti Bullying Procedures
Bullying of any kind will not be tolerated at George Mitchell School. Bullying of pupils/students and adults will always be taken seriously and dealt with accordingly. If you have a concern, please speak to a member of staff at the earliest opportunity.
The school’s procedures for dealing with bullying can be found in our Behaviour and Anti-Bullying Policy (below).
Online Safety
The increased use of technology by young people brings many benefits to young people. It also brings some dangers. You can find out more about the measures that we take to keep students safe, including the use of appropriate filtering and monitoring systems, by clicking on the links below: