A source of reassurance

Rick Gardner rethinks safeguarding for lasting impact

At the start of a new academic year, all of us working in education are caught up in the familiar bustle: new timetables, pupils returning with fresh energy, and colleagues preparing for the term ahead. It’s an exciting time, but it is also a natural time to reflect. What worked well last year? What needs refining? And how can we make this year safer, more supportive, and more rewarding for all our community?

Amid this flurry of activity, safeguarding remains a non-negotiable priority. It is more than a statutory duty or inspection requirement – it is the foundation of school cultures where children can succeed. The challenge we face is setting a new standard for safeguarding that is more than just a set of processes. Universal safeguarding is a living, breathing part of school life, requiring an approach that connects data, teams and communities to ensure every pupil is supported to thrive.

Why a universal approach matters

We cannot ignore the scale of mental health needs among young people. NHS data tells us that one in four now lives with a mental health condition. The pandemic’s legacy is still visible; increased anxiety, disrupted social development, and complex behavioural needs remain front and centre. In independent schools, these challenges often take unique forms. Boarders can feel the weight of isolation if issues at home arise, scholarship pupils may carry invisible pressures others do not see, and school staff are under strain, balancing pastoral care with heavy academic expectations.

We know from experience that early intervention is key. Spotting a concern early, joining the dots between different members of staff, and responding with targeted support can transform a pupil’s outcomes. Technology can never replace professional judgement, but it can equip us with the insight and confidence to act before issues escalate.

Is your safeguarding fit for purpose?

Despite the urgent need for robust safeguarding, it surprises me when speaking with schools how many still rely on fragmented or outdated processes: paper visitor logs, safeguarding notes kept on spreadsheets, or systems that don’t integrate with one another. These may feel familiar, but they carry real risks including gaps in compliance, missed patterns, and the stress of scrambling for records when an inspection looms.

A modern safeguarding platform should be a source of reassurance, making it effortless to record information, protect data integrity, and demonstrate compliance with confidence. More than that, it should empower your staff to spend less time chasing paperwork and more time building meaningful connections with pupils.

What to look for in safeguarding software

Every school has its own criteria, but there are common features we should all expect from a system that truly supports a complete, connected approach to pupil safety and wellbeing:

1. Customisation and flexibility: No two schools are alike. Your system should reflect your setting, whether that means tracking trends across lower, upper, and sixth form, or configuring reporting categories to match local requirements. A flexible tool grows with your school, rather than boxing you in.
2. Trend identification: Safeguarding is never just about individual cases. It’s important for us to see the bigger picture, including absences across year groups, repeated low-level concerns, or shifts in behaviour patterns. A good system helps reveal these trends, so interventions are swift and targeted.
3. Data security: Confidentiality of sensitive pupil information is paramount. A robust system ensures secure, role-based access and anonymised views where necessary, giving leaders clear actionable insights without compromising privacy. For international schools, it’s important to know your safeguarding platform is hosted on market-leading technology, providing confidence your data is protected with the highest level of security standards on the market – no matter where you are located.
4. Integrated visitor management: Safeguarding extends to everyone on site. A comprehensive solution should seamlessly link visitor records with safeguarding data, so schools can gain a more complete picture of interactions and potential risks while also strengthening site security.
5. Seamless management information system/student information system integration: The most effective systems link directly with schools’ MIS or SIS, ensuring pupil records are automatically updated. This integration reduces human error, eliminates work duplication, and gives staff confidence that they’re always working with the most accurate and up-to-date information.
6. Unified platform: School staff already juggle a multitude of responsibilities each day. A unified, integrated safeguarding platform breaks down data silos, streamlines workflows, and brings key data together in a single source. The result is more time to focus on supporting students.

It’s worth remembering safeguarding software is not the sole solution: what it provides is clarity, consistency and confidence. The real impact comes when that technology is embedded into a culture of safety and wellbeing, where every adult in your school and community sees safeguarding as their responsibility, and where leaders set the tone for openness and proactive care.

That’s why the most effective schools use technology not to replace professional judgement, but to enhance it – ensuring patterns are spotted early, risks are escalated properly, and staff feel empowered rather than overburdened.

As we step into the year ahead, ask yourself whether your current systems are truly fit for your purpose, providing the insights you need and allowing you to do what we came into education to do: nurture, support, and inspire young people.

Rick Gardner is managing director at safeguarding software firm CPOMS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rick Gardner