Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility 

At Willow Grove Primary school, safeguarding is at the heart of everything that we do. In line with our school values, we are committed to providing a safe, caring and supportive environment where every child can thrive and reach their full potential. 

Safeguarding at Willow Grove is everyone's responsibility, and we all play a part in ensuring our school remains a place where every child feels safe, valued, and heard.

 

What to do if you are worried about a child

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. Worried about a child? There are many possible signs of abuse, ranging from physical injury to changes in behaviour. Alternatively, you may witness an incident or the child may tell you that he/she is being harmed.

If you are worried about the welfare or safety of a child, you can speak to someone at school, or you can contact Wigan Social Care directly using the telephone number below. 

• Monday to Sunday (24 hours): 01942 828 300

More information about reporting any concerns that you may have can be found by following this link.

Safeguarding at school

At Willow Grove, our approach to safeguarding is guided by our three core school values:

Be Safe

At Willow Grove, we ensure that every member of our school community feels protected and secure. We maintain rigorous safeguarding procedures, provide regular staff training, and foster a culture where children know they can speak to trusted adults if they ever feel worried or unsafe. 

Be Kind

At Willow Grove, kindness is central to how we treat one another. We promote respect, inclusion, and empathy throughout our school. We teach our pupils to take care of one another, celebrate differences, and speak up if someone is being treated unfairly.

Be Positive 

At Willow Grove, we believe that positivity builds resilience and confidence. By working together, we create a nurturing environment where children can learn from challenges, develop strong relationships, and grow into responsible, caring individuals.

Our safeguarding team

At Willow Grove, we have a team of five staff members who have all accessed Designated Safeguarding Lead Training with the Local Authority.  These are known as DSLs, and their photographs are displayed at the entrance of our school, so that they can be easily identified by all visitors and children.

If you have any concerns relating to the safeguarding of the children or adults in our school community, then please contact any of the following staff members:

Miss L. Glover - DSL, Headteacher
Mrs P. Bolton - DSL, Deputy Headteacher
Mrs S. Latham - DSL, Pastoral Care Lead

Miss L. Johnson, Miss C.Trevor, Miss H.Smith and Mrs L.Latham are also part of our Safeguarding Team. Additional members of our leadership team will be attending DSL safeguarding training in the summer term. 

The safeguarding team are available on the following number: 01942 727 717

Our named Safeguarding Governor (and Chair of Governors) is Mrs J. Woods and she can be contacted via:  enquiries@admin.willowgrove.wigan.sch.uk

Safeguarding in the curriculum

Safeguarding runs through all of our curriculum subjects, in terms of safe messages in every lesson, as well as specific lessons as part of the Computing curriculum, Jigsaw PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) and our RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) curriculum. 

Online safeguarding is a particular concern as many of our pupils use smartphones, tablets, laptops and computers. We have a bank of dedicated resources to help you to keep your children safe online. You can find these under the tab "Online Safety Information for Parents and Carers."

We share regular safeguarding messages, including online safety information, on Class DoJo, which we introduced into school in February 2025.

We have a safeguarding notice board outside the school entrance which also contains information for parents and carers about safeguarding. 

Safeguarding Training

Staff at Willow Grove receive full safeguarding training every year, the most recent being on the 1st of September 2025 when all staff received a full day of training, in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025. We also have a safeguarding training carousel each half-term where staff engage in additional training, the most recently being around Prevent and misogyny. We also share safeguarding messages during morning briefings and in staff meetings.

We regularly discuss the safeguarding of our pupils here at school and will take actions to ensure everyone in our school community is as safe as they can be.

REMEMBER - Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility!

Useful Safeguarding Documents and information

You can find our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy in the Policies section of this website, follow this link to be taken directly to it. Willow Grove Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

PREVENT Duty

The PREVENT Duty is part of the UK government’s wider counter-terrorism strategy. It places a legal responsibility on schools, childcare providers, healthcare services, and other public organisations to help protect children and young people from being drawn into extremism or radicalisation.

For parents and carers, this means that schools and other services your child attends are expected to be aware of signs that a young person might be vulnerable to harmful influences—whether online or in person—and to act early to offer support. The focus is on safeguarding, much like protecting children from other risks such as abuse or neglect, rather than on punishment.

If concerns arise, staff may speak with parents/carers and, if needed, involve specialist services to ensure the child receives appropriate help and guidance.

Counter Terrorism Police’s ACT Early partnership with netmums includes articles, videos and an interactive forum where parents or carers can ask questions of expert practitioners on the risks of radicalisation. These are on the netmums Act Early page.