Setting

Aviation House 125 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0300 123 1231 F 020 7421 6855 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Mrs C Peppin Headteacher William Cobbett Junior School Weybourne Road Farnham Surrey GU9 9ER

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Ofsted 2010 11 good practice survey: safeguarding in schools

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of your staff, governors and pupils, during my visit on 5 October 2010 to look at work in safeguarding.

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Ofsted 2010 11 good practice survey: safeguarding in schools

The visit provided valuable information which will contribute to our publication about good practice in safeguarding in schools. The publication will include case studies about individual schools. If William Cobbett Junior School is included as a case study, you will have an opportunity to comment before publication. Individual institutions will not be identified in the main text without their consent.

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Features of good practice

 The school has a very strong commitment to the safeguarding of pupils and this responsibility is shared by members of the senior leadership team, governors and office personnel. This practice ensures high-quality care within a curriculum which makes good use of volunteers, support staff and off-site visits to enhance learning.  You and your senior staff have established a staffing structure which enables key people to have a clear role in ensuring procedures are rigorous, updated and monitored regularly. Within this structure, you have developed a strong level of expertise and know-how which is consistently applied across the school and stretched into the wider community through your links in the confederation of schools and through a home-school link worker who communicates effectively with the families. Excellent records are kept and thoroughly monitored and updated.  Arrangements for vetting staff, volunteers and contractors are thorough

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Features of good practice

and in line with the good guidance provided by the local authority. The local authority provides good ongoing support and high-quality training and your partnership with the confederation of schools brings an additional level of expertise. This excellent team work makes good use of all staff expertise.  There is good, regular and relevant staff training such as in child protection and first aid; expertise is constantly being developed within this strong management structure, with its distributive leadership style, which enables all staff to be accountable for their areas of responsibilities. This is having an impact on pupils who feel safe while at school but who are also learning about how to keep safe while using information and communication technology and making visits outside the school.  Communication between staff, including volunteers, is very good and ensures that they have detailed, up-to-date knowledge about individual

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Features of good practice

pupils and their needs. Arrangements for risk assessments are extremely thorough, regularly updated and changed to suit particular needs and circumstances. Governors play a key role in ensuring the health and safety through their rigorous monitoring of the school site and classrooms.

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Features of good practice

I hope that these observations are useful as you continue to develop safeguarding in the school.

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Features of good practice

As I explained previously, a copy of this letter will be published on the Ofsted website. It may be used to inform decisions about any future inspection. Except in the case of academies, a copy of this letter is also being sent to your local authority.

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