Safeguarding and Wellbeing

A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO SAFEGUARDING

Safeguarding and Wellbeing

At Thomas’s, the happiness, health, and wellbeing of our entire community are central to everything we do. We believe passionately in creating an educational environment that is caring, safe, and, above all, kind. We recognise the vital importance of early intervention and provide tailored, robust support for every pupil in our schools.

Safeguarding Governance

The Proprietor (Thomas’s) has responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and to ensure that the Schools’ safeguarding policies, procedures and training are effective and comply with the law at all times. Pupil welfare and well-being extends beyond their protection from harm and neglect into areas such as promoting physical and mental health and emotional well-being; social and economic wellbeing; opportunities for education, training and recreation and opportunities for contributing to society.

The nominated Safeguarding Governor champions the best safeguarding practice and culture in each of the schools, supporting them to go above and beyond their statutory duties.

Our Safeguarding Teams

Each school has its own dedicated Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and a highly experienced team supporting them. If you have a concern regarding a child’s welfare, please contact the relevant team below immediately:

School	Designated Safeguarding Lead	Email	Telephone
Thomas’s Battersea	Jon Akhurst	batsafeguarding@thomas-s.co.uk	020 7978 0900
Thomas’s Clapham	Kirsty Whitwood	clasafeguarding@thomas-s.co.uk	020 7326 9300
Thomas’s Fulham	Lee Walters	fulsafeguarding@thomas-s.co.uk	020 7752 8200
Thomas’s Kensington	Alison Smith	kensafeguarding@thomas-s.co.uk	020 7361 6500
Thomas’s College	James Ralphs	collegesafeguarding@thomas-s.co.uk	020 7978 0919

Understanding Safeguarding and Child Protection

While these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, we follow distinct and carefully considered approaches for each:

Safeguarding:

This is the overarching action we take to promote the welfare of all children in our care. It encompasses everything from site security and online safety to mental health support, healthy relationships education, and staff code of conduct compliance. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

Child Protection:

This is a specific part of the broader safeguarding process. It focuses on protecting individual children who have been identified as suffering, or who are likely to suffer harm. It follows strict statutory child protection procedures to respond swiftly to serious concerns.

If You Have a Concern About a Child

If you believe a child is at immediate risk of harm, do not wait. Call 999 to reach the Police straight away. They will assess the situation and take immediate action to protect the child.

By raising a concern—no matter how big or how small—you could be protecting not just one child, but children in the future as well. If you are worried, always speak to a member of our safeguarding teams. If the child is not at immediate risk but you remain concerned, you can also contact your local authority’s child protection services directly.

External Resources and Support Networks

We work with local safeguarding partners, including the police, local authorities, and regional safeguarding groups to uphold the principles of the Children Act. For independent advice, parents and pupils can access the following trusted resources:

Where Next?

Governance and Leadership Policies