“If the children don’t feel safe in school, their learning wouldn’t happen”: Oak Hill welcomes ITV’s Lauren Hall to discuss safeguarding

Students and staff at Oak Hill Academy recently welcomed ITV’s Lauren Hall. 

Her visit coincided with the launch of the first TES Safeguarding Awareness Week. 

At Aspirations Academies Trust we know how important safeguarding is. Ensuring our students are safe, happy and know they have trusted adults and teachers they can turn to are all vital components to helping them achieve their best learning. 

All 16 schools across our trust have a designated safeguarding lead who are guided by our Head of Safeguarding, Mandy Lancy. 

Aine Linney, Executive Principal at Oak Hill Academy, told Lauren: “Safeguarding is vitally important for the children’s learning in school. If the children don’t feel safe in school and don’t feel confident to talk about the issues that they may or may not be experiencing and support each other in that way and to have that trusted adult that they feel that they can talk to, their learning wouldn’t happen.”

Sadly this same concern is not shown in all schools across the country. 

The TES data reveals more than three-quarters of school staff feel that there are more safeguarding concerns raised now than before the pandemic. 

As part of TES Safeguarding Awareness Week, almost a quarter of school staff surveyed say they do not think pupils feel safe at their school. 

To find out more, watch Lauren Hall’s interview with staff and students at Oak Hill Academy here: