Regents Review Summer 2025

The Regents Review Summer 2025

GENERAL NEWS

Safeguarding: Keeping our Children Safe! Safeguarding is an absolute priority at Regents Park and permeates all that we do. We have one of the biggest teams in any Southampton school, with over 15 Deputy DSLs (Designated Safeguarding Leads), who have all been trained to DSL Level 3. This includes all key pastoral staff, such as Heads of Year and Head of Year Support, our Welfare Officer, Internal Suspension Manager, SENCO, Attendance Officer and the Leadership Team. This means there is always someone trained to deal with a safeguarding concern. All staff across the school, receive regular safeguarding training, including the use of an online platform called SSSCPD, sessions on our training days and a weekly safeguarding bulletin. In addition to core training, this year Regents Park staff have also completed training on bereavement and loss, county lines, misogyny & incel subculture, modern slavery and human trafficking, as well as, the government’s prevent training. Additionally, our Deputy DSLs are developing their own areas of expertise on specific topics, for example how to support victims of abuse, preventing child-on child abuse and self-harm. Earlier this year, staff completed a safeguarding questionnaire, so our processes and actions could be monitored. Feedback from staff was extremely positive and showed great faith in our processes. Where any questions

were raised, this informed future staff training or the weekly bulletins. Governors are also updated about safeguarding in every report and the governors’ meeting agenda always includes a verbal update. Yearly presentations are also given to governors and in January, our safeguarding link governor, completed his yearly audit evaluating our provision. Students are also well informed and take safeguarding seriously. What always impresses, is the way our children will look out for each other and share concerns about friends. In assemblies, safeguarding topics this year have included ‘Call it Out’, where students are encouraged to ‘call out’ any inappropriate language or behaviour, which could be deemed discriminatory, for example sexism, racism or homophobia, online safeguarding & AI and county lines & gangs. One important assembly warned about Andrew Tate and his misogynistic rhetoric. This was received by students with real maturity. Every assembly begins by reminding students who the Lead and Deputy DSLs are, so they are never in doubt about who can help. Sadly, the risks to children change rapidly, especially in the online world, which is why it is of paramount importance that our Lead and Deputy DSLs are well trained, that our whole staff body receive regular updates and that students are educated about risks, but also where and how to get support. If parents ever have safeguarding concerns about

their own children – or any other Regents Park child - they can refer this to any of our Deputy or Lead DSLs by phone or email and there is an online link on the website to report anonymously. Over the holidays, if parents have concerns, they can report these in a number of ways. Firstly, if a child is at risk of serious harm, then always call the police. Southampton Children’s Resource Service can be contacted directly on 023 8083 3004, where a member of their team can offer advice or take a formal report. Their website also has useful advice to support anyone worried about a child. Finally, one of our DSLs is on duty over the holidays to pick up calls or emails from parents.

We wish children and their families a happy - and safe - summer holidays.

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