Online Safety | Sandy Secondary School

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Keeping Our Students Safe Online

Being online is part of everyday life for young people, both in school and at home. The internet opens up a world of learning, creativity and friendship, but it can also expose children to harmful content, cyberbullying, grooming, scams and pressure to share images. We treat online safety as an essential part of safeguarding, and we work to make sure every student knows how to stay safe online and who to talk to if something worries them.

Our Online Safety Policy names the people responsible for keeping students safe, and we publish their details so that students, parents, carers, staff and visitors know exactly who to contact. Mr Andrew Rutter, Head of School, is our Designated Safeguarding Lead and our Online Safety Lead, with overall responsibility for online safety across the school. Chris Dwyer, our Network Lead, looks after the technical side, including the filtering and monitoring systems that help to protect our network and school devices.

A concern about a young person's safety online is handled in exactly the same way as any other safeguarding concern: it is passed to our safeguarding team, who make sure the right support is put in place. Our safeguarding and online safety policies can be read in full on our Policies page.

Senior Leadership

Mr Andrew Rutter

Online Safety Lead

IT Team

Chris Dwyer

Network Lead

Specialist Safeguarding Roles

Prevent Single Point of Contact (SPOC)

Mr Andrew Rutter is our Prevent lead. Under the Prevent duty, schools help to protect young people from being drawn into terrorism, and any concern about radicalisation should be shared with Mr Rutter.

Operation Encompass Single Point of Contact (SPOC)

Mrs Julie Devereux, Behaviour and Attendance Manager. Through Operation Encompass, the police tell us before the next school day when a student may have been affected by domestic abuse, so support is ready in school.

Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

Stephen Lagan, Sian Clery and Laura Davies at Central Bedfordshire Council manage allegations about adults who work with children.

Reporting a Concern

If you are worried about a child's safety or wellbeing, whether online or offline, please speak to a member of our safeguarding team as soon as possible. Students can talk to any adult in school they trust, and that adult will pass the concern straight to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or one of the deputies. Parents and carers can call the school office and ask to speak to a member of the safeguarding team.

If a child is in immediate danger, call the police on 999. Worries about online sexual abuse or grooming can also be reported directly to CEOP, the National Crime Agency's child protection command, and young people can talk to Childline, free and in confidence, at any time.

Allegations about an adult who works with children, including staff and volunteers, are referred to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) at Central Bedfordshire Council, listed in our safeguarding contacts.

Safeguarding Contacts

School Office

01767 680598
Email (Parents & Carers)

parentcontact@sandysecondaryschool.com
LADO (Central Bedfordshire Council)

LADO@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
Childline (free and confidential)

0800 1111

Meet Our Safeguarding Team

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead, deputies, Safeguarding Officer and Safeguarding Governor are introduced on our Safeguarding page, alongside our safeguarding policies and guidance for families.

Meet the Safeguarding Team

Online Safety Keeping Our Students Safe Online Being online is part of everyday life for young people, both in school and at home. The internet opens up a world of learning, creativity and friendship, but it can also expose children to harmful content, cyberbullying, grooming, scams and pressure to share images. We treat online safety as an essential part of safeguarding, and we work to make sure every student knows how to stay safe online and who to talk to if something worries them. Our Online Safety Policy names the people responsible for keeping students safe, and we publish their details so that students, parents, carers, staff and visitors know exactly who to contact. Mr Andrew Rutter, Head of School, is our Designated Safeguarding Lead and our Online Safety Lead, with overall responsibility for online safety across the school. Chris Dwyer, our Network Lead, looks after the technical side, including the filtering and monitoring systems that help to protect our network and school devices. A concern about a young person's safety online is handled in exactly the same way as any other safeguarding concern: it is passed to our safeguarding team, who make sure the right support is put in place. Our safeguarding and online safety policies can be read in full on our Policies page. Specialist Safeguarding Roles Prevent Single Point of Contact (SPOC) Operation Encompass Single Point of Contact (SPOC) Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) Reporting a Concern If you are worried about a child's safety or wellbeing, whether online or offline, please speak to a member of our safeguarding team as soon as possible. Students can talk to any adult in school they trust, and that adult will pass the concern straight to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or one of the deputies. Parents and carers can call the school office and ask to speak to a member of the safeguarding team. If a child is in immediate danger, call the police on 999. Worries about online sexual abuse or grooming can also be reported directly to CEOP, the National Crime Agency's child protection command, and young people can talk to Childline, free and in confidence, at any time. Allegations about an adult who works with children, including staff and volunteers, are referred to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) at Central Bedfordshire Council, listed in our safeguarding contacts.