First Class Coders Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy

The welfare of the child is paramount

In First Class Coders, the safety and welfare of our pupils is of the upmost importance. Ensuring that they are protected from maltreatment, impairment of their mental and physical health or development and that they are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care to achieve the best outcomes.

We have created a culture of vigilance where children's welfare is actively promoted. Children are listened to and feel safe. At First Class Coders, we maintain an "it could happen here attitude".

We know children learn best when they are healthy, safe and secure, when their individual needs are met and when they have positive relationships with the people caring for them.

We aim to have Classes which are welcoming, safe and stimulating and where children are safe, enjoy learning and everyone feels included, respected and valued. All necessary steps are taken to keep children safe, well and ensure they thrive.

Because of the day-to-day contact with children, our staff, representatives and volunteers are regularly trained to identify when a pupil may be at risk of harm and abuse and they report their concerns immediately. We have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of our pupils by identifying any child welfare concerns and taking action to address them in partnership with families and other agencies where appropriate. 

First Class Coders include online safety in our classes, in an age appropriate way.

Children do not have access to the internet in our classes and our devices are locked on guided access to prevent children from moving away from the application we are using in the lesson.

The current Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy/ Procedure always appear on our Website.

The latest version can always be found on our website.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of each child is defined in the KCSIE 2025 as

• Protecting children from mistreatment; preventing impairment of Children's mental health and physical health or development;

• ensuring children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and

• taking action to enable all children have the best outcomes.

  
  

  Children includes everyone up to the age of 18
  

This policy applies to all staff, including First Class Coders central team, Representatives in local areas, Freelance Tutors, Teaching assistants, sessional workers, students, volunteers, agency staff and anyone working on behalf of First Class Coders.

The purpose of this policy: 

● To protect children and young people who receive First Class Coders services. 

● To provide staff, representatives and volunteers with the overarching principles that guide our approach to safeguarding and child protection. 

● We train our staff, representatives and volunteers to behave in an appropriate, respectful and safe manner around the attending children whilst also ensuring that we are keeping attending children safe from abuse from home carers and our staff/​volunteers.

First Class Coders believes that a child or young person should never experience abuse of any kind. We have the responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people to keep them safe. We are committed to practice in a way that protects them.

We will seek to keep children and young people safe by: 

● Valuing them, listening to and respecting them 

● Appointing a Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) for children and young people for safeguarding. 

● Adopting child protection and safeguarding practices through procedures and a code of conduct for staff, representatives and volunteers 

● Developing and implementing an effective e‑safety & device policy and related procedures 

● Providing effective management for staff, representatives, volunteers through supervision, support, training and quality assurance measures 

● Recruiting staff, representatives and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made 

● Recording and storing all information professionally and securely, and sharing information about safeguarding and good practice with staff, contractors, volunteers and ad hoc helpers via discussions and policies. 

● Using our safeguarding procedures to share concerns and relevant information with agencies who need to know, and involving children, young people, parents, families and carers appropriately. 

● Using our procedures to manage any allegations against staff and volunteers appropriately 

● Creating and maintaining an anti-bullying environment and ensuring that we have a policy and procedure to help us deal effectively with any bullying that does arise 

● Ensuring that we have effective complaints and whistleblowing measures in place 

● Ensuring that we provide a safe physical environment for our children, young people, representatives, staff and volunteers, by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance. 

● Ensuring that are aware of the child protection procedures & Designated Safeguarding Lead within each school or environment that we are working with and this is recorded on the First Class Coders risk assessment document.

Supporting Children with Protected Characteristics

Staff should be aware that children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or health issues can face additional safeguarding challenges because:

• assumptions that indicators of possible abuse such as behaviour, mood and injury relate to the child’s condition without further exploration

• these children being more prone to peer group isolation or bullying (including prejudice-based bullying) than other children

• the potential for children with SEND or certain medical conditions being disproportionately impacted by behaviours such as bullying, without outwardly showing any signs, and

• communication barriers and difficulties in managing or reporting these challenges.

• cognitive understanding – being unable to understand the difference between fact and fiction in online content and then repeating the content/behaviours in schools or colleges or the consequences of doing so.

The Data Protection Act and the GDPR do not prevent the sharing of information for the purposes of keeping children safe.

As set out in KCSIE, information can be shared without consent where there is a good reason to do so and that sharing information

The role of individual staff

Everyone in First Class Coders (including staff and volunteers) must be alert to the possibility that any pupil/student, regardless of race, religion, culture, class or family background, could be the victim of abuse or neglect, within a variety of different safeguarding issues. First Class Coders also assesses the risks and issues in the wider community when considering the well-being and safety of children. All staff and Representatives must read and understand Part 1 and Annex A of KCSIE, complete new starter or annual update training and complete the Assessment to confirm that they have both read and understood all of the information.

Any concerns about a child must be discussed with the Designated Safeguarding Lead (within each school setting, this is listed on the First Class Coders Risk Assessment Documentation for each school) immediately so that if necessary, a referral can be made without delay. If the DSL is unavailable, First Class Coders staff/Representatives should speak to one of the Deputy DSL’s in the safeguarding team, if no school DSL is available, First Class Coders staff and/or representatives must report any concerns to the First Class Coders DSL.

Contact details:

Marsha Fisher

CEO & Designated Safeguarding Lead

admin@firstclasscoders.co.uk

07944 676 239.

updated January 2025.

To be reviewed & Revised on 13th March 2026