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08/11/23

Three of our Year 5 pupils decided to raise money by holding a sale on the green. The girls raised £32 which they used to purchase items for the local food bank. Working together they selected long life items and added up the costs. What a lovely gesture from our pupils! pic.twitter.com/R91A3St8aN

13/10/23

Year 5 have been busy creating Anderson shelters as part of their Design and Technology lessons. We can't wait to see their finished work. pic.twitter.com/tlguiBSLAT

27/09/23

The winners of our Summer Reading Challenge received their chosen books during the weekly celebration assembly. Keep reading! pic.twitter.com/6LVVvokYXX

27/06/23

The VIAT Festival of Creativity is just over 2 weeks away and we are so excited to invite you to an extravaganza of creative events and performances! Keep your eyes peeled for some sneak peaks of behind the scenes content coming soon👀 pic.twitter.com/kpyYUqxwzo

26/06/23

The VIAT Festival of Creativity is just over 2 weeks away and we are so excited to invite you to an extravaganza of creative events and performances! Keep your eyes peeled for some sneak peaks of behind the scenes content coming soon👀 pic.twitter.com/kpyYUqxwzo

21/06/23

Book now! https://t.co/u7QT7KxviO

21/06/23

A sneak peak of this year's VIAT Festival!Expect to see a variety of Art, Literature, Drama and Music performances from students across the Trust. Also attending this year is who will be performing creative Freestyle Football and hosting masterclasses on the day! pic.twitter.com/tqRjlaW6cg

19/06/23

We were extremely proud to have held the first Trust Primary Debating event at Holborough Lakes last week. Year 4 pupils from , and came together to join in with a debating workshop and then went on to participate in a full debate. pic.twitter.com/pmU8d4UDHp

16/06/23

Happy Birthday wishes to Luca, Kamron, Mason, Annabelle and Richie-James who all celebrate birthdays at this time. Hope you have a wonderful celebration! pic.twitter.com/edIAJCwWdW

16/06/23

A sneak peak of this year's VIAT Festival!Expect to see a variety of Art, Literature, Drama and Music performances from students across the Trust. Also attending this year is who will be performing creative Freestyle Football and hosting masterclasses on the day! pic.twitter.com/tqRjlaW6cg

08/06/23

We are pleased to announce that we will be working towards becoming a Hedgehog Friendly Campus with and The team will work on a number of actions to protect hedgehogs, enhance their habitat and educate others on how they can help. pic.twitter.com/RmMQ4XsWv1

08/06/23

Yesterday some of our children had a wonderful day at Valley Park School at a Taster day of fun drama, music and creativity! They did some great day dancing, doodling & singing! pic.twitter.com/S3WIP0EMFP

08/06/23

Happy birthday wishes to Louis, Carlo, Maciemay, Henry, James, and Kit who all celebrate birthdays! We hope you have fun! pic.twitter.com/UQFdMbh6H7

25/05/23

As a special treat for the hard efforts and resilience in their SATS exams, the Year 6’s had a fun time bowling together as a class at Hollywood Bowl in Rochester! They played an hour of bowling and competition was high! They then enjoyed a lunch together! pic.twitter.com/cEixylljTO

25/05/23

On Friday 19th May our Year 5 children took part in the VIAT Young Adventurers Camp out at Buckmore Park where they helped pitching and collapsing tents and slept better than we expected! They took part in some exciting team building activities, fun football and more! pic.twitter.com/WJeuid3QA3

25/05/23

Happy Birthday wishes to Evie, Daniel, Sophia, Sienna and Isaac who all celebrate birthdays! We hope you have a wonderful birthday! pic.twitter.com/gV2t8Py3Ay

17/05/23

Happy birthday to Amelia, Darcy-Rae, Blake, Thea and Mylah who celebrate birthdays! We hope you have lots of fun! pic.twitter.com/QGUXgIDTBR

05/05/23

To celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty The King, the children came dressed to reflect a country within the Commonwealth. Each year group presented information on their chosen country during an assembly. pic.twitter.com/G63KqcKEGC

04/05/23

On 27th April the Yr 5 children took part in a fun-filled sports event at Holmesdale School. Three other schools attended which made for a competitive day. The class played team games and tried a range of athletics events. The children were praised for their sporting fairness! pic.twitter.com/92RUSxw4Hx

04/05/23

Happy birthday to Nancy, Oliver, Astrid, Marnie, Eloise, Arish and Rubie who all celebrate birthdays! We hope you have a joyous day! pic.twitter.com/PYYcfSJi4O

28/04/23

This week Year 5 took part in a sports event at Holmesdale. The children played team games and tried a range of athletics events. As always, Y5 from Holborough Lakes were praised for not only their effort but the fantastic behaviour and sporting fairness. pic.twitter.com/otv6W9Ydz0

27/04/23

Year 3 and 4 had a great day at Leeds Castle, exploring the grounds and meeting the birds of prey! pic.twitter.com/6O2qiAZ9qd

26/04/23

Happy birthday to Gabriel, Hazel, Isreal, Mila, Javier, Ralph, Joshua, Max and Saiya who have all celebrated birthdays recently. We hope you had an amazing day! pic.twitter.com/IsFGofNzZn

21/04/23

This week our Year 6 pupils attended the 'Safety in Action event. This is an interactive event for Year 6 children to learn about some of the dangers they may face as they become more independent and prepare for transition to secondary school. pic.twitter.com/CGHleCoRQl

21/04/23

*SAVE THE DATE*Saturday 8th July, 11am - 4pmAn exciting performance opportunity for our pupils at the VIAT Festival of Creativity. Keep your eyes peeled for more information on how to get your child involved. pic.twitter.com/sEiNo6ztE7

Safeguarding

Safeguarding poster HOLBOROUGH LAKES September 2023

Safeguarding – Keeping Children Safe in Education

We place the highest importance on the safeguarding of all members of our school community. This covers the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone.

  • Our School’s Designated Safeguarding Lead: Lisa Vickers, Headteacher
  • Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads: Amanda Martin - Deputy Headteacher, Carley Knights - Teacher, and Sophie Matthews - SENCO
  • School Governor Safeguarding Lead: Kim Stafford
  • LAC Governor: Karen O'Dwyer

The School has adopted the definition of the term ‘Safeguarding’ used in the Children Act 2004.

In summary this is:

  • protecting children from maltreatment;
  • preventing impairment of children’s health or development;
  • ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and
  • undertaking that role so as to enable those children to have optimum life chances and to enter adulthood successfully.

The School’s safeguarding arrangements cover all aspects of life at School, in particular addressing these issues:

  • health and safety;
  • bullying;
  • other harassment and discrimination, including racism;
  • physical intervention;
  • meeting the needs of pupils with medical conditions;
  • behaviour
  • off-site visits;
  • intimate care;
  • internet and e-safety;
  • physical security of the school site;
  • recruitment and vetting of staff and visitors to the school site.

Information for Parents

In periods of time when the school is closed, you may find yourself in need of safeguarding advice. If you have an immediate safeguarding concern, please phone 999 in the first instance for support.

If the safeguarding advice that you require is not urgent, please draw on one or some of the services listed below. These services have been used by thousands of students and families and have a proven track record in offering support when it is most needed.

Kent Together helpline can be accessed 24 hours a day via their website and via the phone: 03000 41 92 92

For any family or child is unsure what support they require, there is a central Single Point of Access phone number - 0300 123 4496 - which provides the opportunity to discuss the types of support that might be appropriate.  This is also the number to call if a child requires urgent mental health support.

A new text service has been introduced by ‘SHOUT’ and the Crisis Text Line, as part of the Kent and Medway “Release the Pressure” campaign.  Anyone, of any age, who requires immediate mental health support just needs to text the word “Kent” or “Medway” to 85258.  This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Kooth is a mental health and wellbeing online platform for young people aged between 10 and 16 years of age, across the whole of Kent. The service is free and can be accessed 24 hours a day. As well as being a source of information and support, young people can also chat to a friendly and fully-qualified counsellor during the following hours:

  • Monday to Friday, between 12.00 noon and 10.00pm;
  • Saturday and Sunday, between 6.00pm and 10.00pm.

Moodspark  and the Kent Resilience Hub are helpful websites in order to learn about mental health and find tips/resources for keeping emotionally healthy. Young people can also text ChatHealth via 07520 618850 between the hours of 9.00am and 5.00pm, Monday to Friday – this text service provides support for physical and mental health.

It is possible to self-refer to the Children and Young People’s Counselling Service, if you feel the need, by clicking here. Anonymous support for anyone at or over the age of 16 can be accessed via the Big White Wall.

You can also book an appointment through your GP to support with any mental health difficulties that your child may be experiencing. GPs will need to complete the Front Door referral form

Fearless is a website where young people can access non-judgemental information about advice about crime and criminality. You can also pass on information about crime 100% anonymously.

CEOP

If you have any concerns related to the online safety of your child, the designated team for Child Exploitation and Online Safety team (CEOP) is the best port of call.

Report abuse

Childline is a useful tool for providing support and advice on a range of topics, including online safety and issues surrounding COVID-19.

Report Harmful Content can be used in addition to the CEOP reporting tool to help report any harmful content across all online platforms. They offer advice for a range of different websites and applications and can support young people and parents through the process of reporting any problems. They also offer guidance on what is considered to be harmful content and the different types that young people may come across.

For more generalised support about keeping children safe and resources and advice, you can visit the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).

Report Abuse in Education helpline

The Department for Education has commissioned the NSPCC to establish a dedicated independent helpline for people who have experienced abuse in education. The Report Abuse in Education helpline comes after a high number of anonymous testimonials were submitted to the Everyone’s Invited website, documenting abuse in all types of schools, colleges, and universities.

The helpline went live on 1 April and will provide both children and adults who have experienced sexual abuse in schools with support and advice, including onward action such as contacting the police if they wish to. The helpline will also provide support to parents and professionals. Anyone who gets in touch through this dedicated helpline will also be signposted to other relevant support services available, including Childline, which provides ongoing support and counselling to children and young people. 

The dedicated and confidential NSPCC helpline – Report Abuse in Education can be reached on 0800 136 663 or by email at help@nspcc.org.uk.

Lastly, the government has released further guidance on keeping children safe online during the Coronavirus pandemic. This guidance can be found here. 

Keeping Children Safe in Education
Working Together to Safeguard Children
Child Friendly Version of the Child Protection Policy
Children Safeguarding Poster 

Preventing Radicalisation and Extremism

Radicalisation is defined as the act or process of making a person more radical or favouring of extreme or fundamental changes in political, economic or social conditions, institutions or habits of the mind.

Extremism is defined as the holding of extreme political or religious views. 

The Governing Body of Valley Invicta Primary School at Holborough Lakes has a zero tolerance approach to extremist behaviour for all school community members. We rely on our strong values to steer our work and ensure the pastoral care of our children protects them from exposure to negative influences.

Holborough Lakes is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all its children. As a school we recognise that safeguarding against radicalisation is no different from safeguarding against any other vulnerabilityAt Holborough Lakes all staff are expected to uphold and promote the fundamental principles of British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

• Children are encouraged to adopt and live out our Core Values. These complement the key “British Values” of tolerance, respect, understanding, compassion and harmonious living.

• Children are helped to understand the importance of democracy and freedom of speech, through the LORIC (Leadership, organisation, Resiliance, Initative and Communication), Mind to Be Kind, Rights Respecting, assemblies and through the elected School Council members

• Children are taught how to keep themselves safe, in school and when using the internet.

• Children participate in local community events so that they appreciate and value their neighbours and friends who may not share their faith background.

• Children’s wellbeing, confidence and resilience is promoted through our planned curriculum and extra-curricular learning opportunities.

• Children are supported in making good choices from a very young age, so they understand the impact and consequences of their actions on others.

The Role of the Curriculum

Our curriculum promotes respect, tolerance and diversity. Children are encouraged to express themselves through discussions, debates and consultations. The RE (Religious Education), PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education), Citizenship and SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) provision is embedded across the curriculum, and underpins the ethos of our school. Children learn about all major faiths and visit places of worship wherever possible. They are also taught about how to stay safe when using the internet.  

Our Core Values

Our approach to teaching at Holborough Lakes is built upon our core values of Perseverance, Resilience, Respect, Oneness, Understanding and Determination. Whilst all of these enable the children to become well-rounded individuals we recognise the importance of resilience in preventing children being drawn into extremist ways of thinking.

Although serious incidents involving radicalisation have not occurred at Holborough Lakes, to date, it is important for us to be constantly vigilant and remain fully informed about the issues which affect the region in which we teach. Staff are reminded to suspend any professional disbelief that instances of radicalisation ‘could not happen here’ and to refer any concerns through the Child Protection/ Safeguarding Lead Teachers.

These include Mrs L Vickers, Mrs A Martin, Miss S Matthews and Mrs C Knights. 

Prevent Duty

Prevent is a government strategy designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorist or extremist causes.

The Prevent strategy covers all types of terrorism and extremism, including the extreme right wing, violent Islamist groups and other causes.

From July 2015 all schools (as well as other organisations) have a duty to safeguard children from radicalisation and extremism.  This means we have a responsibility to protect children from extremist and violent views the same way we protect them from drugs or gang violence.

Prevent Strategy

FGM

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is illegal in England and Wales under the FGM Act 2003 (“the 2003 Act”). It is a form of child abuse and violence against women. FGM comprises all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons.

Section 5B of the 2003 Act 1 introduces a mandatory reporting duty which requires regulated health and social care professionals and teachers in England and Wales to report ‘known’ cases of FGM in under 18s which they identify in the course of their professional work to the police.

FGM Information

Honour Based Violence

Honour based abuse does not have a basis in religion. It is related to culture, beliefs, customs and an expectation that people should behave in a certain way.

Not doing so can be seen as bringing ‘shame’ or ‘dishonour’ on individuals, a family or a community.

But there’s no honour in inflicting pain or hurt on anyone and no excuse for abuse or violence.
Acts carried out in the name of honour such as violence, forced marriage and female genital mutilation are illegal in the UK and carry substantial prison sentences.

Domestic Abuse Protocol

NSPCC Information