Callywith College

TRAUMA AND MENTAL HEALTH INFORMED COLLEGE AWARD

Callywith College is an Ofsted Outstanding Further Education post-16 college in Bodmin, Cornwall, which opened in September 2017.

The College was created in association with Ofsted Outstanding Truro and Penwith College to serve students aged 16–19 from North and East Cornwall. Callywith College received the go-ahead in February 2016, funded as a Free School. The College provides the outstanding Truro and Penwith College experience for young people in Bodmin and North and East Cornwall.

At Callywith College we recognise our duty to ensure arrangements are in place for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and we carry out this duty through our teaching and learning, pastoral care and extended activities.

Section 175 of the Education Act 2002 gives maintained schools and colleges a statutory duty to promote and safeguard the welfare of children, and to have due regard to the 'Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education’ policy, Children Act 1989 and 2004 and Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This means that we have a child on child abuse and safeguarding policy with appropriate procedures in place.

All members of the college community (including volunteers and governors) will at all times establish and maintain a safe and stimulating environment where young people feel secure, are encouraged to talk to adults they can trust and are listened to.

Through training, all staff (teaching and non-teaching) will be able to recognise the signs of abuse and understand their responsibilities when young people may be at risk of harm. Training of all staff is updated regularly.

Where the sharing of personal information with appropriate agencies is necessary for the vital interests of a student or other person (for safeguarding or life preserving measures), we will do this in accordance with our duties under the General Data Protection Regulation or other current legislation.

We will ensure that our concerns about our students are discussed with his/her/their parents/carers first (as appropriate); unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the student's welfare.

The college recognises the importance of attendance at all meetings called when there is a concern regarding the safeguarding of a student.

In addition, Callywith College has a designated Trustee for Safeguarding.

Overall Assessment:

"Callywith College has a culture that has relationships and care for every member of the college community at its heart. This is visible, explicit and felt at every level from trustees, Senior Leaders Academic Tutors, Student Support and Peer to Peer student relationships. Pastoral care is not discrete or the domain of a few specialist staff it is everybody’s business, and this is understood and embraced by all adults. Relationships are exceptional at every level. Students cannot speak highly enough of the college because they feel valued, respected and have their needs met.

There is high visibility and easy access to EAAs and every adult in the college is skilled and equipped to perform that role from the premises team to the head of student services. The academic environment is vibrant and engaging, every student is encouraged and supported to achieve their potential and access destinations of choice. Barriers to learning are removed and all staff go the extra mile for the students.

Staff invest in the students because senior leaders invest and care for them. Staff understand the need for a TIS approach in order to engage students. They talked about how they have to understand the things that students have experienced and are given the freedom to develop positive professional relationships with students.

Fundamentally Callywith college achieves the success it does because it is built on the foundations of compassion, care and professional love for all." - TISUK Assessor