Chiddingstone Nursery is a registered charity supported by a board of committee members. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children. We expect all staff, volunteers and visitors to share this commitment. 

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

Staff working with children at our nursery will maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’. When concerned about the welfare of a child, staff will always act in the best interests of the child and if any member of our community has a safeguarding concern about any child or adult, they should act, and act immediately.

All staff and volunteers should feel able to raise any concerns about poor or unsafe practice and potential failures in our safeguarding regime. The leadership team at Chiddingstone Nursery will take all concerns or allegations received seriously. 

All children have a right to:

• Feel safe, be listened to, and have their wishes and feelings taken into account,  
• Confidently report any worries, knowing their concerns will be treated seriously, and they can safely express their views and give feedback.
• Receive help from a trusted adult.
• Learn how to keep themselves safe, including whilst online.

Parents/carers have a responsibility to:

• Understand and adhere to any relevant setting policies and procedures. 
• Talk to their children about safeguarding issues and support the setting in their safeguarding approaches.
• Identify behaviours which could indicate that their child is at risk of harm including online.
• Seek help and support from the setting or other agencies.

The Nursery has two Designated Safeguarding Leads, Mrs Megan Downing and Miss Vicki Wallis who are responsible for child protection, and ensuring all staff understand and can fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities. All staff receive training appropriate to their role and are expected to maintain professional curiosity.

OUR SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT

Chiddingstone Nursery School CIO is committed to the safeguarding of all children, staff and visitors. Safeguarding is a priority with arrangements in place to ensure learners feel, and are safe on the nursery premises including during off site activities.

The children's experience and individual achievement are paramount, and safeguarding initiatives are developed to impact positively upon this. 

The nursery ensures safeguarding legislation and guidance are adhered to and considered when developing and revisiting policies and procedures or associated arrangements.

The Nursery provides a safe physical environment for children and staff ensuring the premises are of a good standard. Health and safety arrangements are in place to ensure adherence to current legislation and guidance.  

The Nursery’s commitment to safeguarding is paramount to the success of the children.   

ONLINE SAFETY

At Chiddingstone Nursery we ensure online safety is embedded throughout our nursery curriculum.

Children are using and engaging with technology at a younger age than ever before. It is our responsibility to enable children to develop an age-appropriate understanding of online safety risks so they can keep themselves safe both on, and offline, alongside building digital resilience.

Children have the opportunity to use and explore a range of IT devices, and the internet in a safe environment. These technologies are also used as an educational tool, to enhance the children’s learning through the wealth of knowledge the internet provides.

Government guidance suggests that children under two should avoid screen time entirely, unless it is for a specific shared family activity. For children under five, screen time should be limited to no more than one hour a day.

Key government guidance and resources include:

Below is a further selection of websites with guidance and tips for parents/carers to help keep their children safe online.

Baby and toddler screen time guidance - Best Start in Life guidance from the UK government surrounding appropriate screen time for early years children. 

www.thinkuknow.co.uk in collaboration with the National Crime Agency’s CEOP to help protect children and young people online.

Keeping children safe online | NSPCC – offers advice to parents including online games and setting up parental controls.

www.internetmatters.org – Information, advice and support to keep children safe online.

www.iwf.org.uk – Report illegal online content to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). They identify and safeguard children, alongside getting illegal images and videos removed from the internet.

www.gov.uk/report-terrorism – For reporting online materials which promotes terrorism or extremism.

Digital Parenting | Vodafone – Digital Parenting Magazine has different articles to “help your family lead a happy and safe digital life”.

Social Media Checklists | SWGfL – Provide downloadable social media booklets to guide you through various social media sites.

Using artificial intelligence (AI) safely | Internet Matters – Learn how artificial intelligence might impact children’s digital wellbeing and how you can use it safely.