Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said: “We welcome the report and the recognition from the Children’s Commissioner and the NSPCC of the excellent safeguarding practice in our schools, and echo the findings that strong leadership is key to embedding that good practice throughout the education system.
“School leaders, teachers and the wider education workforce take the safety and welfare of their pupils extremely seriously and always do their best to protect the children in their care. However, additional guidance is always welcome and so we support the commissioner’s call for the Department for Education to help promote the practical guidance which the commissioner has compiled.
“Children find it difficult to learn if they don’t feel safe. Schools are often the first to notice when a child is in need but are reliant on other agencies to provide specialist support services. Sadly, cuts across the public sector continue to make accessing these services more difficult than it should be. Now, more than ever, we need to ensure that all schools are working together to provide the best possible outcomes for our most vulnerable children.”
The report can be found on the Children's Commissioner website.
Page Published: 25/09/2012
