Safeguarding
Keeping every child safe, in school, online and in the community, is our first priority. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility at Our Lady's, and every member of staff is trained to notice when a child may need help and to act on it straight away.
Our policy follows the Department for Education's Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 and the procedures of the Manchester Safeguarding Partnership.
If you are worried about a child
- A pupil at Our Lady's: email welfare@olsc.manchester.sch.uk or call school on 0161 507 9640 and ask for the safeguarding team. You can also contact our Designated Safeguarding Lead, Mr Andrew Freer, at a.freer@olsc.manchester.sch.uk. If Mr Freer is unavailable, a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead will respond.
- Outside school hours, or about any child in Manchester: call the Manchester Contact Centre on 0161 234 5001, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- If a child is in immediate danger: call 999.
When you share a concern, we listen, record it carefully and decide the right next step. That might be support from our own team, early help, or a referral to children's social care. We will usually talk to you about this, unless doing so could put a child at greater risk.
Our safeguarding team
Role | Name |
|---|---|
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Designated Teacher for Children Looked After | Mr A Freer |
Deputy DSL, Safeguarding & Family Support Lead | Mrs R Hughes |
Nominated Safeguarding Governor | Miss J Jones |
The wider team supporting pupils
Role | Name |
|---|---|
SENDCo | Miss J Jones |
Assistant SENDCo | Mrs S McNally |
Attendance Officers | Miss E Whitelegg and Mrs G Philips |
Learning Managers | Mrs V Moss and Ms S de Oliveira Machado |
SEMH Lead | Miss H Morson |
Children Looked After Co-ordinator | Mrs B Gill |
How pupils can get help
Pupils can speak to any member of staff they trust, including their form tutor, Learning Manager or a member of the safeguarding team. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including online, through PSHCE, assemblies and form time.
Early help
Sometimes families need a little extra support before problems grow. Our safeguarding and family support team can help with issues such as attendance, behaviour, mental health, housing or money worries. If you think your family could benefit, contact Mrs Hughes through the welfare email above.
Operation Encompass
Our school takes part in Operation Encompass. If police attend a domestic abuse incident where a pupil lives, they let our trained key adult know before the start of the next school day, so that we can offer quiet, sensitive support.
Prevent
Like all schools, we have a legal duty to help prevent young people being drawn into terrorism or extremism. We teach pupils to think critically, respect others and stay safe online. We follow the local Channel procedures where a pupil may be at risk.
Keeping pupils safe online in school
School devices and Wi-Fi use Smoothwall to block harmful content and alert the safeguarding team to concerns. Leaders and governors review these systems at least once a year.
Support and advice for families
Attendance
- Why every school day matters (Department for Education)
- Helping your child cope with anxiety and worry (Barnardo's)
- Coping with school refusal (Action for Children)
Health and wellbeing
- Young Minds
- Family wellbeing resources (Anna Freud)
- 42nd Street: Manchester mental health support for young people
- Papyrus: suicide prevention for young people, HOPELINE247 0800 068 4141
- Our Health and Wellbeing page
Online safety
- Guides to setting up apps safely (National College)
- Staying safe online (Childline)
- Parental controls (Internet Matters)
- Bullying and cyberbullying (NSPCC)
Exploitation, extremism and radicalisation
- Educate Against Hate
- ACT Early: worried someone is being radicalised?
- Protecting children from radicalisation (NSPCC)
Financial support
General support
- Family Lives
- Keeping children safe (NSPCC)
- Childline, for young people: 0800 1111