Knowing just how much work goes into effective safeguarding practice across the trust, we are immensely proud that all five of our academies achieved Gold in their recent Anchored Schools audit, recognising the robust safeguarding practices in place. Only two other schools in the country have received Gold so far this year, which tells us just how difficult it is to attain. This is a fantastic and well-deserved outcome that is thanks to the hard work of colleagues across the trust.
But there is more to celebrate because the outcomes of these five audits represent another significant achievement at trust level. We are the first, and only, trust in the country with all of its academies holding the Anchored Schools’ Gold award for safeguarding.
This exceptional outcome demonstrates the level of consistency we’ve achieved across our academies with trust policies, systems and processes successfully echoed in each academy despite the different contextual safeguarding themes and cohorts at each. Our approach to safeguarding is clearly embedded within the trust’s culture with leaders networking, supporting and challenging each other, which is leading to continuous improvement.
Corrie Fielding, Education Consultant at Anchored Schools, said:
We have worked with Olive Academies Trust for four years now. The academies have always had solid safeguarding policies and protocols in place and with our bespoke support we have directed leaders towards, not only compliance and an effective safeguarding framework, but also developing a safeguarding culture.
Due the responsiveness of staff, the commitment to continuous improvement and a desire to ensure the best possible outcomes for pupils in relation to safety and wellbeing, the academies have developed secure, well-embedded and excellent practice. As a result we were delighted to bestow our Gold Anchored Award quality mark for safeguarding to all five settings.
Anchored Schools is a nationally-recognised organisation that works with hundreds of schools and academies across the country at both primary and secondary level and across the spectrum of mainstream, alternative provision and SEND settings. They bring a wealth of expertise and are highly regarded for their thorough approach. It is great to see our hard work acknowledged by such an esteemed external specialist and is something that all staff should feel extremely proud of because safeguarding really is everyone’s responsibility.
