Safeguarding

Safeguarding and Child Protection

At our school, we are absolutely committed to safeguarding all the children in our care and promoting their welfare and well-being.

We are determined that every child has the fundamental right to be kept safe from harm and take every measure to ensure they are always protected.

Safeguarding children is everyone’s responsibility. We ensure that all of our staff receive the most up-to-date training to support us in this commitment and that any visitors are clear about our expectations of them.

We never tolerate bullying or discrimination and ensure that our policies comply with the latest Government legislation for independent schools. In line with this legislation, these policies are shown on this site and available in hard copy if required.

We also have well-established and clear procedures for handling and reporting concerns about a child's well-being.

You can find our detailed policy here: Hale Prep School Safeguarding: Child Protection Policy 2025

Online Safety at School

At our school, the safeguarding of our pupils extends beyond the classroom and into their use of technology. We want children to enjoy the many opportunities that digital learning brings, while also knowing how to stay safe online.

To support this, the school operates a robust filtering system, Smoothwall, which helps prevent children from accessing or searching for harmful or inappropriate content whilst at school. This system is regularly checked to ensure it remains effective and up to date.

Online safety is also an important part of our curriculum. Children are taught how to recognise potential risks, make sensible choices, and know what to do if they encounter something that makes them feel uncomfortable. We encourage open conversations about online behaviour so that pupils feel confident to speak up if they have any concerns.

Online Safety at Home 

Online Safety is a high priority at our school. The internet can play an important role in a child’s life and education, but outside school, even with parental controls, it can still pose substantial danger and risk.  We teach a thorough programme of e-safety in every year group. Still, technology moves quickly, and we endeavour to keep a careful eye on the current situation.

New games and trends appear with increasing regularity, and it is not always possible for families to keep abreast of the 'latest thing' that children are discussing or looking at. Unfortunately, quite often, seemingly safe websites and games have proven to be inappropriate and bypassed parental control settings.

We understand parents are keen to educate themselves on online safety. Below you will find useful links to external websites offering internet safety advice and information.

If you are worried about online abuse or how someone has been communicating online, let CEOP know.
		What parents need to know about Age Ratings.		What parents need to know to protect their children on their smartphones.
			Screen Addiction Guide Friends and Followers Guide Setting Internet Controls Parents Guide Social Media Pressures Influencers Guide 14 Getting Smart Home Devices 7 Conversation Starters with Your Child About Online Safety	How to Set up Parental Controls to Limit Age-Inappropriate Content iPhone How to Set up Parental Controls to Limit Age-Inappropriate Content Android  How to Make an Emergency SOS Call on an iPhone How to Prepare for an Emergency with your Google phone How to Set up Emergency Mode on Your Samsung