12
How will I be
kept safe?
Relationships with
other pupils
You will find that the other
pupils at Abingdon School are
very friendly and welcoming.
They will treat you with
kindness, tolerance and
friendship. You should make
sure that you treat them in
the same way. The school
has an effective anti-bullying
policy in order to prevent
bullying and to deal with it if
it does happen. For details
of the policy you can look on
the school website (www.
abingdon.org.uk/uploads/
school/files/home/policies/
Anti-bullying%20policy.pdf).
Resident staff
There are members of staff
who live in the boarding
accommodation. They have
private flats but are there to
help and look after you. If you
have a problem day or night
you should contact a resident
member of staff.
All the staff have undergone
a police (DBS) check and
receive training in looking after
boarders.
Security
Code locked doors protect the
boarding houses. Inside the
houses there are code locked
doors to prevent dayboys
accessing certain areas. At night
gates allowing access to the
boarding houses are shut. Any
guests to the house – including
other pupils should be signed
in with the member of staff on
duty, Mr Golding, or the house
matron.
Fire protection
The school has a rigorous fire
safety policy. All rooms have
fire alarms that are tested
on a weekly basis, there are
fire alarm buttons at multiple
points in each house and
fire extinguishers are readily
available. We carry out regular
fire drills.
Mr Golding will explain what
to do in the case of a fire when
you arrive. You will also be
shown where the fire escapes
are for your room. You will also
be given instruction on how to
use the house cooking facilities
safely.
Codes
In order to prevent other
people gaining access to
boarding accommodation
the doors in the boarding
houses have code locked
doors. You will be given the
necessary codes on arrival.
It is important that you keep
the codes secret for your own
safety and for the safety of
your fellow boarders. Even
though it is tempting to tell
your friends the code you
must not do it.
Lockable spaces
In your area you will have a
lockable drawer, a lockable
cupboard and a code-
operated safe. You will be
shown how to set the code
when you arrive. You should
keep valuable and important
possessions in these lockable
spaces.
Where can I
find help if I
need it?
House and School
Staff
The easiest place for you
to find help is the house
staff. There will always be
a member of staff in the
house in the evening and
the weekend and the house
matron will be in the house all
day during the week. Never
be afraid of asking a member
of the house staff for help
about anything. They will
always do their best to fix the
problem.
School Counsellor
Sometimes you might want
to talk to someone who is
not one of the teachers or
a member of your family.
There is a School Counsellor
who is a trained expert with
lots of experience in helping
young men your age. She is
very popular with the boys
at school who use her a lot.
To contact her you should
email school.counsellor@
abingdon.org.uk to make an
appointment. She will tell you
how to get to her office once
you have made contact.
The school counsellor will
explain about confidentiality
when you first meet her.
Designated
Safeguarding Leads
There are three teachers at
school who have a special
responsibility for child
protection (looking after all of
the pupils). They are Mr Hindley
(the Deputy Head Pastoral)
and Mr Swanwick (the Head of
Boarding). If there are problems
that you don’t want to speak
to your house staff or other
teachers about then you should
tell one of them. They will help
you sort out the problem.
Medical Centre
The medical centre is also
a good place to go for help.
You can go for help about
medical issues but they are
happy to help you with other
problems as well. It is a good
place to go if you are feeling
upset or unhappy and just
need some time to yourself.
The nurses are very kind and
understanding. You might
even get a cup of tea and a
biscuit!
Whistle Blower
The whistle blower is an
online source of help.
You can report something
anonymously on Whistle
Blower. The link for Whistle
Blower can be found on the
school study site (on the right
hand side after you log into
the study site).
Complaints and
suggestions boxes
Austin House has a complaints
and suggestions box. If you
have complaints or suggestions
you can post a note. Mr Golding
will check the box regularly and
do what he can to respond to
your complaint.
Prefects
Sometimes you may not want
to speak to an adult about
a problem you have. School
prefects are senior pupils
who have proven that they
are mature and sensible. They
are a good place to go for
help. They know the school
very well and will be able to
help you find the support you
need if they can’t provide it
themselves.
Outside School
There are also lots of other
places outside school you can
seek help.
You will find these advertised
on notice boards around the
boarding house. Some of
them are listed below:
•
NSPCC (for advice
regarding child abuse):
0808 800 5000 or
•
Childline (for advice on
any issue or problem):
0800 1111 or
•
Abingdon School’s
Independent Listener: St
Helen’s School Chaplin,
Rev. Kate Windle, tel.
01235 520173
•
Abingdon Social Services
(to report suspected child
abuse or neglect):
0845 050 7666
