Our staff at BCAP take their role in making sure all pupils feel safe in school very seriously. All staff are trained on how to identify signs and symptoms, enabling them to provide extra care and support to ensure young people feel safe and secure. We have key people with specific jobs who will be available to help and support pupils (and their families) if ever they have any concerns or worries:
Nikki Fernandes – Designated Safeguarding Lead (Campus Wide)
Deputy Safeguarding Lead – Amy Leaver
Attendance Leads- Lucy Pitt
Mental Health Lead- Lindsay Watson (Campus Wide)
Culture and Ethos- Nathan Nwenwu
SENCO- Amy Leaver (NB- Emma Rushton is BCAP Lead SENCO)
CIC- Amy Leaver
To find out more about how we safeguard young people, our full policy can be viewed here:
BCAP Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy – September 2025
Online Safety
We all know that it is fun to explore the internet and to use social media. In fact, we can learn so much from it… from watching clips on YouTube, catching up on Television shows and listening to the views of others who have similar interests or experiences to us. We are a lucky generation to have technology at our fingertips. But if we’re not careful, we can accidentally open ourselves up to a whole host of risks.
So the question is – do you know how to keep yourself safe online?
Here is a link to Childline, offering some really useful advice for young people who would like a few tips to keeping safe online.
It is worth remembering that there is always someone at the other end of the computer / telephone / social media page…
Preventing Bullying
At The Black Country Alternative Provision, we believe all students have a right to learn in a supportive, caring and safe environment without the fear of being bullied. Every member of staff is responsible for the welfare and wellbeing of our pupils. We understand that both bullies and victims of bullying need support.
We are committed to developing an anti-bullying culture where the bullying of adults, children or young people is not tolerated in any form. We recognise that all forms of bullying, especially if left unaddressed, can have a devastating effect on individuals; it can create a barrier to learning and have serious consequences for mental wellbeing. By effectively preventing and tackling bullying, The Kairos Academy can help to create a safe environment where pupils are able to learn and fulfil their potential.
Definitions
It is important to understand what constitutes bullying as opposed to being rude or mean.
Mean – Purposefully saying or doing something to hurt someone once (or maybe twice).
Rude – Inadvertently saying or doing something that hurts someone else.
Bullying – the repetitive, intentional harming of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power.
Bullying is, therefore:
- Deliberately hurtful
- Repeated, often over a period of time
- Difficult to defend against
Reporting incidents of bullying
If you are concerned about bullying in any form, you are invited to tell someone in school about it.
Pupils are encouraged to:
- Speak to a member of staff if they are being bullied or know someone who is being bullied
- Be confident to believe in their right not to be bullied
- Be confident to ‘stand up and say no’
- Look out for the signs of bullying
- Be careful about how they tease and ‘banter’ so as not to hurt the feelings of others
