Building Consistency in Safeguarding Across Early Years with CPOMS StudentSafe

Having already used CPOMS successfully in a school setting, Sarah Harper knew it would translate well into early years. In fact, she felt nurseries needed it even more because of the complexity of staff rotations and transitions.

Key reasons for choosing CPOMS included:

• Consistency: One format, one approach. Every staff member records concerns in the same way, ensuring quality and clarity.

• Ease of use: CPOMS’ simple, intuitive interface gave staff confidence quickly.

• Transfers: Moving children between rooms—or eventually onto school—was made seamless through CPOMS’ transfer function.

• Audit trail: Records are detailed, formal, and factual, removing subjectivity or informal note-passing.

• Sector alignment: With most local schools already using CPOMS, adopting it in the nursery ensured continuity of information when children transitioned.

“In nurseries, staff change rooms, children move around, and so many adults interact with them every day. CPOMS brings order and consistency—it’s vital in this environment.” – Sarah Harper

The rollout was carefully phased: 

1. Leadership team first: Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) were introduced to CPOMS. 
2. Room leads next: Room leaders were trained to log and monitor cases, acting as key points of communication. 
3. Whole staff training: CPOMS’ clear online training and documentation helped staff gain confidence, supported by internal training from the leadership team. 

Setup was smooth, even without a Management Information System (MIS). CPOMS provided guidance on using CSV files for data import and helped tailor safeguarding categories to suit early years needs. 

Importantly, CPOMS also brought formality and professionalism to safeguarding conversations: 

“CPOMS eliminated gossip. There’s now a clear, factual way to record and share safeguarding concerns. It gives staff clarity on their responsibilities.” – Sarah Harper 

Since introducing CPOMS StudentSafe, Little Acorns has seen significant improvements: 

• Consistency: Safeguarding information is now logged in one secure, standardised format, ensuring clarity across teams. 

• Detail & quality: Incidents are recorded with greater accuracy and formality, strengthening the nursery’s safeguarding culture. 

• Efficiency: Transitioning children between rooms—or onto primary school—is seamless, with records transferred securely and instantly. 

• Compliance: During an unannounced Ofsted inspection, the nursery was able to confidently demonstrate safeguarding through CPOMS. 

• Accountability: Regular audits within CPOMS allow leadership to monitor staff engagement, offering refresher training if needed. 

• Cultural shift: Staff now understand safeguarding as everyone’s responsibility, supported by a consistent, user-friendly system.