The safety of our pupils is paramount.  At St Mary's Primary School we take our duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of our children extremely seriously.

Safeguarding at St Mary's Primary

At St Mary's, safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do. Our approach is built on strong leadership, robust policies, and a deeply embedded child-centred ethos. We are committed to creating a safe, nurturing environment where every child feels valued, protected, and empowered to thrive.

Safeguarding is more than a policy - it’s a shared responsibility that underpins every aspect of school life. We are proud of the strong, positive culture we’ve developed, where the safety, wellbeing, and voice of every child are central to our daily practice.

Our staff are vigilant, well-trained, and confident in recognising and responding to concerns. All team members receive regular safeguarding training, ensuring they are equipped to identify potential risks and take appropriate action. This training is ongoing, keeping everyone up to date with current guidance and best practice.

We work closely with families and external agencies to ensure a joined-up, proactive approach to safeguarding. This collaboration allows us to respond effectively to situations that may require additional support or specialist input, always with the child’s best interests at the forefront of our practice.

Our safeguarding practices are designed to be child-centred, ensuring that every child feels safe, heard, and supported throughout their time at St Mary's.

To view our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, please click here.

Designated Safeguarding Lead

Mrs Morwenna Dunstan – Headteacher

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads

Mrs Caroline Layton - Deputy Head

Mrs Gemma Barnett - Assistant Head & SENDCo

Mrs Caroline Dibble - School Business Manager

Mrs Tracey Porter - Pastoral Lead

Safeguarding Governor

The Designated Safeguarding Governor is Mrs Mary Clothier

 

When a concern is raised we will talk to the child in the first instance and contact parents or carers as appropriate.

We work closely with many different outside agencies, such as the First Response Team and Early Help Hub, who can offer support to families. In some situations we will need to inform parents of our requirements to involve these agencies. First Response is the family front door for Children’s Services in Somerset. It consists of social workers, Family Front Door practitioners and team managers;  their role is to determine the level of intervention for a family and whether support is required from either a Family Intervention Service or Statutory Social Work team. We also liaise with the Somerset Council and Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership Board.

Responsibilities within the safeguarding team include:

• Child Sexual Exploitation

• Children Missing in Education

• Equality, diversity and inclusion

• Female Genital Mutilation

• Mental Health

• Online Safety

• Prevent

• Young Carers

Reporting a Concern

If you have a concern which involves the safety or wellbeing of a child or young person, please contact a member of the Safeguarding Team during school hours on either:

Phone: 01278 422691
Email: office@stmarysbridgwater.co.uk

If the concern is serious and outside of school hours, please contact the Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership.

The Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP) are responsible for safeguarding children in Somerset and incorporate working with all ‘relevant agencies’, including education settings, the voluntary sector and specialist services. 

Phone: 0300 123 2224

Email: childrens@somerset.gov.uk

If outside of these hours, contact the Emergency Duty Team on 0300 123 23 27

Click here to report a concern Report a Concern - Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership