Safeguarding & SEND

Safeguarding

Executive Leader: Ciara Nicholson

Link Director: Catherine Bryan 

Safeguarding is of paramount importance at DoWAT. The central team has a Safeguarding Lead who meets half termly with Pastoral Deputies and Designated Safeguarding Leads to develop and share best practice.  

To ensure compliance with KCSIE we have an annual process of self-auditing and commission biannual external audits through Herts for Learning. Trust Leaders conduct pupil voice visits annually as well. All schools have been found to be compliant over the last 5 years. Recent enhancements to the safeguarding work across DoWAT schools involves the purchase of 2 centralised systems, one around auditing and one to support with filtering and monitoring. 

We have centrally provided key policies and principles for schools and provide regular training for local governors to ensure they are fully au fait with their responsibilities. 

We have a single point of truth for annual staff declarations and ensure we have trust oversight of all suspensions and exclusions which are followed up by the Executive Director for each phase. 

Special Educational Needs

Executive Leader: Ciara Nicholson

Link Director: Patrick Leeson

The provision for vulnerable pupils is managed exceptionally well within DoWAT and is underpinned by promoting a deep sense of belonging; every child is nurtured and cared for by their teachers and the other pupils. 

Our central SEND team is a unique asset to our Trust and we have benefitted hugely from the expertise of an Educational Psychologist, a Trust Speech and Language Consultant, an Autism Advisory Teacher and a Family Support worker. Almost 15% of our student population have additional needs and it is testament to the work of our school leaders and central SEND team that children and families are not living with delays to accessing specialist services. 

Compliance and best practice is developed through our termly best practice meets and much time is spent scrutinising barriers to learning and progress and how they can be reduced or better managed.