Safeguarding Policy

Keeping Every Child Safe

Last Updated: November 2025

1. Policy Statement
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Stardust Dance Academy is committed to providing a safe and positive environment for all children and young people who attend our classes, workshops, and performances. We believe every child has the right to feel safe, valued, and respected, and to grow in confidence through dance and performance.
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We recognise our duty of care under:
• The Children Act 1989 and 2004
• Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018)
• Keeping Children Safe in Out-of-School Settings (2020)
• Data Protection Act 2018 / UK GDPR

2. Purpose of This Policy
This policy outlines how Stardust Dance Academy safeguards children and young people by:
• Preventing abuse and promoting welfare;
• Setting out clear roles and responsibilities;
• Establishing procedures for reporting and responding to concerns;
• Ensuring all staff and volunteers understand their safeguarding duties.

3. Who Is Covered by This Policy
• All children and young people under 18 years who attend classes, workshops, or performances;
• Parents and carers engaging with the school;
• All Stardust staff, teachers, teaching assistants, volunteers, and third-party contractors.

4. Our Safeguarding Commitment
We will:
• Create a culture of openness, trust, and respect;
• Ensure all staff and volunteers are DBS checked before working with children;
• Provide regular safeguarding awareness training for teachers and assistants;
• Respond to concerns promptly and confidentially;
• Work in partnership with parents, carers, and external safeguarding bodies when required.

5. Recognising Abuse and Neglect
All staff are trained to identify and respond to possible signs of:
• Physical abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Neglect
• Bullying, cyberbullying, or discrimination
• Peer-on-peer abuse

We recognise that children may be abused by adults or by other children.

6. Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
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Name: Hannah Batchelor
Role: Principal and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Email: hello@stardustdanceacademy.com
Location: 6 Pedersen Way, Northstowe, Cambridgeshire, CB24 1BJ

Hannah is responsible for receiving, recording, and responding to any safeguarding or child protection concerns.

7. Responding to a Concern
If a child or adult raises a safeguarding concern:
• Listen carefully and take it seriously.
• Record what was said using the person’s own words — do not investigate.
• Report immediately to the DSL (Hannah Batchelor).
• If a child is in immediate danger, contact the police (999) or Cambridgeshire Children’s Social Care directly.
All concerns are treated sensitively and in line with GDPR principles.

‍8. Safe Recruitment
Stardust Dance Academy follows safer recruitment practices, which include:
• DBS checks for staff and volunteers;
• Verification of identity and qualifications;
• Reference checks;
• Induction training in safeguarding procedures.

9. Photography and Social Media
We obtain written consent from parents or carers before capturing or sharing any photographs or videos of children.

Images are used only for promotional or educational purposes, and we take care never to publish identifying details alongside images.

10. Online Safety
Where classes, communications, or performances take place online, we:
• Use secure platforms with password protection;
• Supervise all online interactions;
• Never allow private one-to-one communication between staff and students.

11. Confidentiality and Data Protection
All safeguarding information is treated as confidential and handled under the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR.Information is shared only when necessary to protect a child’s welfare or comply with a legal obligation.

12. Review and Approval
This policy is reviewed annually or sooner if:
• Legislation changes;
• There is a safeguarding incident;
• New staff or teaching sites are introduced.
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Approved by: Hannah Batchelor, Principal

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