At St John Rigby the safety, dignity and mental wellbeing of every pupil is our first priority, and we aim to create a welcoming, compassionate community where pupils feel known, safe and able to learn and grow spiritually, emotionally and academically. 

We take a whole-school, child‑centred approach to safeguarding, equity and wellbeing, with our Inclusion Team meeting fortnightly to consider all aspects of safeguarding, pastoral support and inclusion. We set high expectations for all pupils and do not lower aspirations for those with additional needs or barriers to learning. Our pupil premium and SEND approaches are aligned with whole‑school improvement priorities so that resources and interventions are targeted where they will make the most difference.

Why we monitor wellbeing as part of safeguarding

• Early indicator: Changes in mood, attendance, behaviour or attainment are often the earliest signs that a pupil is vulnerable to harm, neglect, exploitation or emerging mental‑health needs. Monitoring wellbeing lets us spot problems before they escalate.
• Child‑centred response: A coordinated view of a pupil’s emotional health alongside other information (SEND status, family circumstances, social care involvement, EAL, disadvantage) enables the Inclusion Team to make decisions in the child’s best interests.
• Preventing harm and promoting resilience: Wellbeing checks allow us to provide timely interventions that reduce risk (for example, safeguarding concerns, self‑harm or online harm) and build pupils’ resilience and coping strategies.
• Legal and moral duty: Safeguarding duties require us to identify and respond to indicators of harm — mental health concerns can signal abuse or neglect and must be treated with the same urgency as physical safeguarding matters.
• Whole‑school improvement: Tracking wellbeing helps leaders judge the impact of curriculum, pastoral and inclusion work (including pupil premium and SEND support) so we can adapt approaches that most improve pupils’ safety, attendance and achievement.

How we do this at St John Rigby

• Regular, recorded reviews: The Inclusion Team (Headteacher, Designated Safeguarding Lead, SENDCO, Inclusion Lead and Family Support Worker) meets regularly to review pupils’ social, emotional and safeguarding needs and coordinate action using the graduated approach: assess, plan, do, review.
• Trained staff and clear routes: Staff receive safeguarding and wellbeing training so concerns are identified, recorded and escalated promptly, with clear referral pathways to external specialists where needed.
• Family partnership: We involve parents and carers in planning support, drawing on their knowledge of the child and signposting to community and health services.
• Curriculum and prevention: We teach age‑appropriate wellbeing and online‑safety content so pupils learn coping strategies, how to seek help, and how to stay safe online and offline.
• Monitoring impact: Interventions are time‑bound and reviewed for impact on wellbeing, behaviour, attendance and progress; we change course if support is not working.

If you are concerned about a pupil’s wellbeing or safety, contact the school office to speak to the Designated Safeguarding Lead immediately.