Stockport MP praises Academy in House of Commons
Chris Prince
/ Categories: News
Ann Coffey MP is to meet the Children’s Minister to discuss a ground breaking scheme used by Stockport Academy to keep its pupils safe.
Ms Coffey, the MP for Stockport, was invited to a meeting with Edward Timpson after she raised the issue in the House of Commons today.
Ofsted recently praised Stockport Academy for doing “outstanding” work to keep pupils safe.
The school is using a new software application where staff input any concerns they have about a child, including if they are missing from lessons or behaving unlike themselves. Anyone can input concerns about a child and a picture can build up – accessible to senior safeguarding staff at the school, which could trigger further investigation, or be helpful in cases of missing episodes.
Attendance at the school has increased, exclusions have reduced and teachers immediately check on the whereabouts of those who have not turned up for a lesson to make sure they are in a safe place.
Ms Coffey said: “This approach using modern technology should be adopted by more schools to safeguard our children, including those who are missing from school and may be at risk of child sexual exploitation. Using modern technology in this way means everyone has an input into keeping children safe.”
Mr Timpson praised Ms Coffey for her “assiduous” work to help keep children safe and said he wanted to meet her to hear more about the Stockport initiative and to see how such “best practice” could be used more widely.
Stockport Academy Principal Mr McCarron said: "We are delighted that our work to safeguard our young people will be shared with others. Here at Stockport Academy, we see it as our duty and our moral obligation to put into place not only reactive support, but also to be proactive in protecting our students from some of the dangers of modern society in the most effective way that we can."