Schools can be incredibly busy places, and thus as a parent, it sometimes feels unnecessarily difficult to contact the right person in your child’s school. However, please do persist. Parental engagement is an essential part of ensuring their education and well-being. Below, we’ve written a concise guide to helping you navigate this process effectively.

 

Who to contact at Primary school:

 

• Class Teacher: For day-to-day matters, your child's class teacher is usually the first point of contact. You can communicate through notes (school planner/diary), emails, or scheduled parent-teacher meetings. Calling the school may seem the most direct, but usually the class teacher is teaching or busy preparing for a lesson, so they may not be able to speak to you in the moment.

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• Designated Safeguarding Lead: This is the person who is responsible for any safeguarding issues in schools.

 

Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm (NSPCC)

 

In schools, the guidance around this comes from a document called Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023 (known as KCSIE) and it is statutory, and so schools have to follow it.

 

In Primary schools, the Designated Safeguarding Lead is often the Headteacher (Principal), although they do not have to be. They are trained in safeguarding, and they will be up-to-date on the laws and guidance around safeguarding. They are also responsible for ensuring all staff are trained in this area. Please do note that who the Designated Safeguarding Lead is will be made clear to every child, so that they know who to go to.

 

As issues of safeguarding can be time-sensitive, it is probably best to call the school reception directly, and ask to speak to them directly. If they are not available, they will ring you back as soon as possible. If it is urgent, please do say so.

 

• Headteacher (Principal): If your concern is more significant or if you're not getting a satisfactory response from the class teacher, you can contact the headteacher. You will usually need to request an appointment through the school office/ the headteacher’s executive/personal assistant.