The following information is taken from the PGCE Secondary Entitlement Document 2024-25 (Section 3.6)

This statement is to clarify the University expectations around schools’ provision of safeguarding training for beginning teachers at the start of their main and focus placements.

Schools should ensure that all beginning teachers, at the start of their training in each school, are provided with:

• the child protection policy
• the staff behaviour policy (sometimes called a code of conduct)
• information about the role of the designated safeguarding lead
• a copy of Keeping Children Safe in Education

(Initial Teacher Training (ITT): Criteria and Supporting Advice 2022)

Concern raised by a beginning teacher

Should a beginning teacher raise, to a university tutor, a safeguarding concern in relation to a school, the university will notify the school as soon as possible and within 24 hours. If the university is unable to contact the school the appropriate LADO will be contacted.

Should a beginning teacher raise a safeguarding concern in school (via the DSL or other member of staff) about their own safety, the school should notify the university with 24 hours of the concern being raised by emailing partnership@soton.ac.uk .

Concern raised in relation to a beginning teacher

Should a school raise a safeguarding concern in relation to a beginning teacher, the school should notify the university by emailing partnership@soton.ac.uk within 24 hours of the concern being raised and, unless inappropriate to do so, prior to speaking with the beginning teacher about the concern raised.