Our school is a ‘Safer School’

West Mercia Police and Shropshire Council support our school with the Safer School initiative. We are an accredited ‘Safer School’ and proud of our Safer School sign and certificate. The accreditation is reviewed every two years.

The initiative is a holistic, practical and realistic approach to school security and personal safety. It gives our school a clear focus on the subject and turns a negative subject into a positive one. It sets a minimum standard for school security.

The essential elements of the ‘Safer School’ process include:-

• Implementing a security policy that the governors have adopted.
• Consulting parents/carers and pupils/students for their views and updating them on any progress.
• Publicity of Safer Schools to school staff, pupils, school neighbours, parents and prospective parents.
• Establishing a Safer School Group. This Safer School Group is a partnership of school stakeholders – Headteacher/Deputy, staff, governors, parents, pupils, neighbours, Shropshire Council and West Mercia Police.
• Regularly reviewing and implementing good practice and essential security/safety measures for staff, pupils, the site and assets.
• Educating pupils through the Personal, Social, Health and Economic curriculum programme or the Safer School folder.
• A daily procedure for recording incidents should they occur i.e. trespass, burglary, theft, anti-social behaviour, vandalism, arson, suspicious activity etc., both during school hours and out-of hours.
• Solving real problems rather than perceived problems. Prioritising work (if any) and reviewing action.
• If there are security issues i.e. vandalism, anti-social behaviour etc., the intention of the initiative is to reduce/eliminate the issues.

In 2008, The Meadows Primary School became ‘Safer School’ accredited. To maintain the accreditation, schools throughout Shropshire hold regular Safer School Group meetings and I recently attended a meeting at the Meadows Primary. I was most impressed by the school’s even greater commitment to the initiative. A vital aspect of the security/safety initiative includes involving governors, staff, pupils, parents/carers, neighbours, Police, Council and the school continues to achieve this through Safer School Group meetings, surveys and newsletters. The pupils played an important part in the meeting and their contribution illustrated the school’s hard work in maintaining the accreditation. The Police supported the meeting and the school was presented with a new ‘Safer School’ certificate – congratulations! A future annual meeting is planned for March 2019.

Ian Bartlett

Crime Prevention Officer

Shropshire Council