At The Northern School of Art, you can access all the relevant information you need about safeguarding on campus via Moodle, which is our virtual learning environment.
The Northern School of Art looks after students in the following ways:
We are here to help!
Information for Parents
As parents and carers, you have a huge responsibility in ensuring your child's well-being, which is why we like to help in any way we can. Sometimes, we all need help and advice on the challenges faced when safeguarding. Hopefully, the information below will help you in supporting your children, as well as guide you on what action to take if something is concerning you.
- Supporting Students with Disturbing News Stories
When upsetting or shocking news appears online or in the media, it can have a strong impact on young people. Some may feel anxious, confused or develop strong opinions based on what they see, particularly on social media. Others may form quick assumptions or stereotypes.
Talking openly and calmly about these issues – at home and in College – can help reduce fears, correct misinformation and support young people’s wellbeing.
How We Support Students
Open and balanced discussion
Students are encouraged to talk about current events in a respectful, fact-based way. Staff do not promote political views, but they do challenge racism, discrimination and harmful or extremist ideas as part of safeguarding responsibilities.
Reliable information
Young people are guided to use trusted news sources and to:
- question what they see online
- tell the difference between fact and opinion
- recognise bias or emotionally charged content
This helps them become more confident and critical consumers of news.
Respectful debate
Our students come from diverse backgrounds, and different viewpoints are welcome. Discussions are managed so that:
- everyone feels able to speak
- disagreements focus on ideas, not individuals
- staff step in if comments become hurtful, discriminatory or distressing
Any concerns around bullying or wellbeing are followed up using safeguarding procedures.
Safeguarding and values
Political expression is acceptable when it is respectful and does not intimidate or target others. Staff are trained to recognise when extreme or discriminatory views may indicate vulnerability and will involve the Safeguarding Team if needed.
These conversations also support key values such as respect, tolerance and understanding of different beliefs and cultures.
How Parents Can Help at Home
Parents and carers play an important role in helping young people make sense of disturbing or confusing news stories. You don’t need to be an expert on global events to be supportive — what matters most is listening, reassurance and helping your young person think critically.
Create space for open conversationEncourage your young person to talk about what they’ve seen or heard in the news or on social media. Try asking open questions such as:
- “What have you heard about this?”
- “How does that make you feel?”
Listen without interrupting or immediately correcting them. Feeling heard can reduce anxiety and make it easier for them to share concerns or worries.
Talk about sources and reliability
Many young people get their news from social media, where information can be misleading or incomplete. Gently encourage them to:
- check where information comes from
- compare reports across trusted news outlets
- be cautious about emotional headlines, images or videos
You might model this by looking up a reputable source together and talking through what makes it trustworthy.
Help them manage strong emotions
Disturbing news can cause fear, anger, sadness or confusion. Reassure your young person that these reactions are normal. Encourage them to:
- take breaks from constant news updates
- balance online activity with offline time
- talk to someone if they’re feeling overwhelmed
If they seem particularly distressed, remind them that support is available through the College’s Student Services Team or the Safeguarding Team.
Encourage respectful discussion
Your young person may encounter opinions at home, online or among friends that differ from their own. Support them to:
- explain their views calmly
- challenge ideas without attacking people
- accept that others may see things differently
This helps build maturity, confidence and empathy.
Accept uncertainty
It’s okay to say “I don’t know” together. Some situations are complex and change quickly. This can be a helpful way to show that:
- not every question has a clear or immediate answer
- it’s okay to sit with uncertainty
- thoughtful discussion matters more than being “right”
If you notice sudden changes in your young person’s mood, behaviour or views — especially if they seem unusually withdrawn, angry or preoccupied — encourage them to speak to a trusted adult at College. You can also contact the Safeguarding Team directly if you have concerns.
- Operation Encompass
- The Northern School of Art is an Operation Encompass School. Operation Encompass is a partnership approach between Police, schools and colleges, set up to provide early reporting to educational establishments, about any domestic abuse incidents that occur outside of School hours to which a young person attending the School has been exposed, and which might then have an impact on them attending the following day.
Information will only be shared with The School by the police where it is identified that a young person was present, witnessed or was involved in a domestic abuse incident.
A nominated member of the School staff, known as a Designated Safeguarding Lead Officer (DSLO), has been trained to liaise with the police. They will be able to use information that has been shared with them, in confidence, to ensure that The School is able to make provision for possible difficulties experienced by children or their families. The DSLO will keep this information confidential, and will only share it on a need to know basis, for instance, to teaching staff for the young person. It will not be shared with other students.
Operation Encompass was first introduced in Plymouth in February 2011, and has proved very effective in providing appropriate and timely support to young people affected by domestic abuse. This initiative has been implemented across the whole of the Cleveland Police area.
Further information can be found on www.operationencompass.org
For further information on how Operation Encompass works within The Northern School of Art please contact:
Teresa Latcham – teresa.latcham@northernart.ac.uk - Prevent Duty
- From July 2015 all Schools and Colleges (as well as other organisations) have a duty to safeguard and protect young people from radicalisation and extremism – extreme and violent views. We aim to provide a safe place for students to discuss these issues, so they better understand how to protect themselves.
What does this mean in practice? Many of the things we already do in School to help students become positive, happy members of society also contribute to the Prevent Strategy. These include:
• exploring other cultures and religions and promoting diversity
• challenging prejudices and racist comments
• developing critical thinking skills and a strong, positive self-identity
• promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, as well as British values such as democracy
We will also protect students from the risk of radicalisation, for example, by using filters on the internet to make sure they can’t access extremist and terrorist material and by vetting visitors who come into school to work with students.
If you would like more information on Prevent, such as how to protect people from radicalisation or what signs to look for the Act Early Website has loads of resources, advice and guidance. If you are worried about someone you can call the Act Early Support Line on 0800 011 3764, in confidence, to share your concern with one of their specially trained officers.
You can also access real time information from Counter Terrorism (CT) Policing, plus the latest protective security advice available 24/7, wherever you are, on the free ProtectUk app. - Esafety & Useful Websites.
- www.digizen.org/parents
The Digizen website provides information for educators, parents, carers, and young people. It is used to strengthen their awareness and understanding of what digital citizenship is and encourages users of technology to be and become responsible ‘digital citizens.’ It shares specific advice and resources on issues, such as social networking and cyberbullying, and how these relate to and affect their own and other people’s online experiences and behaviours.
www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers
Childnet International works in partnership with other organisations to help make the internet a safe place for children and young people. Whether you’re puzzled by parental controls or would like to know more about gaming, this website can help. We all know that it can sometimes be challenging to keep up to speed with what children and young people are doing online. Luckily, this site offers a host of useful ways to keep your child safe.
www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/
Here, you receive advice from the National Crime Agency on what to do if you need to report an incident or are concerned about your child. You can also find out more information about parental controls, social media sites and nude selfies.
ceop.police.uk/safety-centre
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre website provides information and advice for online safety, as well as an online reporting tool. - Bullying
- respectme.org.uk/adults
For parents this site offers advice and practical guidance on what to do and how to respond if you think your child is being bullied or is involved in bullying.
www.kidscape.org.uk
Here, you have plenty of practical tips to help you deal with bullying and its associated issues. These include online safety, schooling, raising self-esteem, and encouraging positive behaviour. - Gaming
- Play Safe Guide
Find out everything a parent or carer needs to know about safeguarding by watching this 'Play Smart, Play Safe!' family guide to video gaming.