Child Protection Safeguarding Risk Assessment

School: SCOIL THOMAIS

Risk Assessment and Procedures

In accordance with section 11 of the Children First Act 2015 and with the requirement of Chapter 8 of the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools (revised 2023), the following is the Written Risk Assessment of Scoil Thomáis.

Important Note: It should be noted that risk in the context of this risk assessment is the risk of “harm” as defined in the Children First Act 2015 and not general health and safety risk. The definition of harm is set out in Chapter 4 of the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools (Revised 2023)

List of school activities	Risks identified	Procedures to manage the risk
Training of school personnel in relation to Child Protection matters	Harm not recognised or reported in accordance with procedures	The DLP & DDLP undertake training by the CPSMA, Túsla or other relevant agencies. All staff undertake training by Túsla. Each teacher is a mandated person. All staff have access to the CSS which is prominently displayed in all classrooms. All staff have access to the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools (revised 2023), Children First 2017 & Circulars 0081/2017 and 0036/2023. The CSS and RA reviewed annually. School management updates staff & BOM of updates to guidelines & training offered. A record of staff & BOM training is kept on file. The name of the DLP & DDLP is visible at reception. New staff made aware of Child Protection procedures.
Recruitment of School Staff and Volunteers to assist with school activities	Harm not recognised or reported in accordance with procedures	Garda vetting of school staff in accordance with current DES regulations Vetting of Teachers via Teaching Council Vetting Officer on BOM to process all non-teacher vetting applications via Archbishop House – online portal Vetting documentation presented in advance for outside speakers as applicable. Vetting of volunteers (as appropriate) Supervision of Pupils Policy.
Entry and Dismissal of pupils each school day	Unknown adults on the school grounds for drop off and collection	School entrance gates/ external school doors monitored by staff members for morning arrival from 08.55am. SNAs accompany designated pupils into the school building. School gates open and close at relevant times – caretaker on duty provides security. Only pupils and staff permitted in the school building (with the exception of visiting the school office). Teacher informed in advance of any changes to the collection arrangements. Pupils uncollected at home time go to school office – home contacted by phone.


Early Collection	Harm to a child if leaving unsupervised	Parents/ Guardians must collect child at the school office. Advance notice should be given to the school for early collection.
Latecomers and Attendance	Harm to pupils	Children arriving after 09.10 enter the school building at the main office. Class teacher records Rolla at 09.10 which is visible to parents/ guardians via Aladdin Connect. Parents/ Guardians must furnish an record reasons for absences on Aladdin Connect. Attendance and punctuality are monitored, and significant concerns are discussed and Reported to An Túsla. School Attendance Policy in place.
After-School Activities and Camps run by school staff	Harm to pupils due to inappropriate behaviour	Roll call taken by organising teacher for each activity. Aladdin group for communication to parents After-School Activity Policy in place Supervision of Pupils Policy Child Safeguarding Statement and Risk Assessment to be provided by camp organisers to BOM in advance of Camps
Adult visitors to the school (e.g. Sport coaches, speakers, parents, BOM members, contractors student teachers, substitutes).	Harm to pupils due to inappropriate behaviour /communication	Visitors must enter at main reception only and wait in foyer. Visitors who are not regular visitors accompanied around the school with a staff member. Buzzer at the main reception door. Access code on keypad at main entrance. Authorised adults only have code to access. All external gates locked at 09.10 with the exception of pedestrian gate at front reception Regular coaches and those facilitating workshops are Garda vetted Teachers always remain with the class when a visitor is in the room with pupils

School Fundraising Events	Harm not recognised or reported in accordance with procedures	Child Safeguarding Statement. BOM approval for all school fundraising events Vetting of PA Officeholders, Vetting of volunteers and parents/adult volunteers assisting at swim trips as necessary Student teachers/TY students (over 16) are Garda vetted
Events held outside of school e.g. tours, trips, outings to external venues	Harm to pupils	Adequate planning and preparation by school staff to identify any risks Teacher has access to list of names and family contact details Pupils are not permitted to leave offsite location without authorised member of school staff (i.e. AW Pitch/Church etc.). Minimum of two vetted school staff (including at least one teacher) to accompany pupils on school outings/trips Supervision of Pupils Policy Adequate pupil-teacher ratio for school outings (according to age of pupils) Photographs can only be taken by school staff using authorised school devices Parental consent obtained prior to outing Mobile Phone Policy for Pupils Private transport providers hired by the school to be licensed in accordance with Department of Transport regulations and vetting of transport provider as appropriate Adequate Supervision by teacher First Aid Kit available to teacher for all trips School Code of Behaviour & Anti Bullying Policy
Medical Emergencies and First Aid	Harm to pupils	Supervision of Pupils Policy First Aid Procedures – First Aid station – 2 staff on first aid duty at yard time Medical Alert File + First Aid Policy Administration of Medication Policy and procedures First Aid Training for School Staff – regularly and as necessary – September 2023
Behaviour & Supervision of pupils during school hours	Harm to pupils	Supervision of pupils policy- teachers and SNAs on duty for school breaks School security – staff member assigned to gate/entry points in mornings Staff on duty in all play areas at yard time and wet day duty roster and First Aid Duty Classroom rules including toilet permissions Toilet areas specific to each classroom – teacher permission Teacher on duty in yard – Class teacher supervises exit of pupils to yard area – Class teacher collect class after yard time – supervises entry to classroom ANTI BULLYING POLICY AND PROCEDURES – Abi Care programme (Anti Bullying Initiative) for classes 2nd – 6th Class (monthly theme) Stay Safe programme Code of Behaviour Pastoral Care Support for pupils at all class levels

Special Educational Needs – care of pupils with SEN

and

Managing Challenging Behaviour and positive handling

Harm or injury to pupils or staff

First Aid Policy & Toileting & Intimate Care Needs Policy.

Toileting & Intimate Care Agreement between home and school.

Code of Behaviour Policy. Health & Safety Statement.

Glass panels are in each classroom door (including Zen Den& CUBBIE) and remain uncovered.

Teachers/SNA’s working 1:1 with a pupil do so in full view from outside the door.

Physical restraint only used in times of emergency when the safety of a pupil or others is at risk.

Staff seek support and assistance from another staff member in an emergency. Phones in shared areas for staff to use.

Use of enclosed playground for assigned pupils (e.g. a flight risk) under the supervision of teachers and SNAs.

Quick release locks in designated areas of the school.

The use of Information and Communication Technology by pupils in the school, use of videos and use of mobile devices

Harm to pupils accessing inappropriate content

Harm to children from unknown people accessing images

Risk of bullying/ cyberbullying

Children supervised at all times when using school devices with internet access.

Parents have a duty to supervise online schoolwork at home.

Seesaw is the platform used from Infants to 2nd Class. Google Classroom is used from 3rd – 6th.

Pupils are assigned an email address in 3rd Class and in line with best practice, email addresses are anonymised and based on year of enrolment and a colour. Teacher should preview video clips for teaching and learning purposes.

Mobile phone policy for pupils.

The Schools Broadband Programme provides content filtering of internet.

Email facility is managed through Google Workspace Administration Panel and only staff members are enabled to use email for messaging purposes. The use of Gmail is not available for pupils.

Teachers are required to take images using school devices which are deleted at the end of each school year

Parental consent required to publish school photos of pupils.

Names are never published and are pixelated if featured in a photograph with a pupil.

Teachers are made aware of pupils who do not have permission to be featured in photographs online every September.

Permission sought from parents if outside agencies wish to publish images in line with the schools’ AUP Policy.

Code of Behaviour Policy. Anti-Bullying Policy.

Supervision of Pupils Policy.

Record-keeping

Harm to pupils from unknown people accessing data

Data Protection Policy.

Sensitive documents, including reports made to Túsla, are stored securely in a locked cabinet in the Principal’s office.

All parties identified in a Child Protection Report are given a unique identifying code by the DLP

Reports indexed to allow for ease of tracking. Confidential data is not stored on hard drives or on USB.

Parent consent required prior to CUBBIE use.

In undertaking this risk assessment, the board of management has endeavoured to identify as far as possible the risks of harm that are relevant to this school and to ensure that adequate procedures are in place to manage all risks identified. While it is not possible to foresee and remove all risk of harm, the school has in place the procedures listed in this risk assessment to manage and reduce risk to the greatest possible extent.

This risk assessment was ratified by the Board of Management at its’ meeting on November 12^TH 2024 and will continue to be reviewed as part of the school’s annual review of the Child Safeguarding Statement.

Signed: _ Brian Kealy, Chairperson

Lorna Diffley, Principal/ Secretary to the BOM

Mandatory Template 2: Checklist for Review of the Child Safeguarding Statement

The Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools (revised 2023) require that the Board of Management must undertake a review of its Child Safeguarding Statement and that the following checklist shall be used for this purpose. The review must be completed every year or as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in any matter to which the Child Safeguarding Statement refers. Undertaking an annual review will also ensure that a school also meets its statutory obligation under section 11(8) of the Children First Act 2015, to review its Child Safeguarding Statement every two years.

The checklist is designed as an aid to conducting this review and is not intended as an exhaustive list of the issues to be considered. Individual Boards of Management shall include other items in the checklist that are of relevance to the school in question.

As part of the overall review process, Boards of Management should also assess relevant school policies, procedures, practices and activities vis a vis their adherence to the principles of best practice in child protection and welfare as set out in the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement, the Children First Act 2015, the Addendum to Children First (2019) and the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools (revised 2023).

	Yes/No
1. Has the Board formally adopted a Child Safeguarding Statement in accordance with the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools (revised 2023)?	YES
2. Is the Board satisfied that the Child Safeguarding Statement is displayed in a prominent place near the main entrance to the school?	YES
3. As part of the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement, has the Board formally adopted, without modification, the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools (revised 2023)?	YES
4. Does the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement include a written assessment of risk as required under the Children First Act 2015? (This includes considering the specific issue of online safety as required by the Addendum to Children First)	YES
5. Has the Board reviewed and updated where necessary the written assessment of risk as part of this overall review?	YES
6. Has the Risk Assessment taken account of the risk of harm relevant to online teaching and learning remotely?	YES
7. Has the DLP attended available child protection training?	YES
8. Has the Deputy DLP attended available child protection training?	YES
9. Have any members of the Board attended child protection training?	YES
10. Has the school appointed a DLP and a Deputy DLP?	YES
11. Are the relevant contact details (Tusla and An Garda Síochána) to hand?	YES
12. Has the Board arrangements in place to communicate the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement to new school personnel?	YES
13. Is the Board satisfied that all school personnel have been made aware of their responsibilities under the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools (revised 2023) and the Children First Act 2015?	YES
14. Has the Board received a Principal’s Child Protection Oversight Report (CPOR) at each Board meeting held since the last review was undertaken?	YES
15. Since the Board’s last review, did each CPOR contain all the information required under each of the 4 headings set out in sections 9.5 to 9.8 inclusive of the procedures?	YES
16. Since the Board’s last review, has the Board been provided with and reviewed all records relevant to the CPOR?	YES
17. Is the Board satisfied that the records provided are anonymised and redacted as necessary to ensure that the identities of children and any other parties, including school personnel, to whom the concern or report relates are not disclosed?	YES
18. Since the Board’s last review, have the minutes of each Board meeting appropriately recorded the records provided to the Board as part of CPOR?	YES
19. Have the minutes of each Board meeting appropriately recorded the CPOR?	YES

20. Is the Board satisfied that the child protection procedures in relation to the making of reports to Tusla/An Garda Síochána were appropriately followed in each case reviewed?	YES
21. Is the Board satisfied that, since the last review, all appropriate actions are being or have been taken in respect of any member of school personnel against whom an allegation of abuse or neglect has been made?*	N/A
22. Where applicable, were unique identifiers used to record child protection matters in the Board minutes?	YES
23. Is the Board satisfied that all records relating to child protection are appropriately filed and stored securely?	YES
24. Has the Board been notified by any parent in relation to that parent not receiving the standard notification required under section 5.6 of the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools (revised 2023)?	NO
25. In relation to any cases identified at question 20 above, has the Board ensured that any notifications required under section 5.6 of the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools (revised 2023) were subsequently issued by the DLP?	N/A
26. Has the Board ensured that the Parents’ Association (if any), has been provided with the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement?	YES
27. Has the Board ensured that the patron has been provided with the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement?	YES
28. Has the Board ensured that the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement is available to parents on request?	YES
29. Has the Board ensured that the Stay Safe programme is implemented in full in the school? (applies to primary schools)	YES
30. Has the Board ensured that the Wellbeing Programme for Junior Cycle students is implemented in full in the school? (applies to post-primary schools)	N/A
31. Has the Board ensured that the SPHE curriculum is implemented in full in the school?	YES
32. Is the Board satisfied that the statutory requirements for Garda Vetting have been met in respect of all school personnel (employees and volunteers)? *	YES
33. Is the Board satisfied that the Department’s requirements in relation to the provision of a child protection related statutory declaration and associated form of undertaking have been met in respect of persons appointed to teaching and non-teaching positions?*	YES
34. Is the Board satisfied that, from a child protection perspective, thorough recruitment and selection procedures are applied by the school in relation to all school personnel (employees and volunteers)?*	YES
35. Has the Board considered and addressed any complaints or suggestions for improvements regarding the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement?	NONE
36. Has the Board sought the feedback of parents in relation to the school’s compliance with the requirements of the child safeguarding requirements of the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools (revised 2023)?	YES
37. Has the Board sought the feedback of pupils in relation to the school’s child safeguarding arrangements?	YES
38. Is the Board satisfied that the ‘Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools Post-Primary Schools (revised 2023) are being fully and adequately implemented by the school?	YES
39. Has the Board identified any aspects of the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement and/or its implementation that require further improvement?	NO
40. Has the Board put in place an action plan containing appropriate timelines to address those aspects of the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement and/or its implementation that have been identified as requiring further improvement?	N/A
41. Has the Board ensured that any areas for improvement that were identified in any previous review of the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement have been adequately addressed?	N/A

Signed _ Brian Kealy Date 25^th November 2025 Brian Kealy, Chairperson, Board of Management

Lorna Diffley Date 25^th November 2025 Lorna Diffley, Principal/Secretary to the Board of Management