As part of TES Safeguarding Awareness Week 2026, Queen’s is reflecting on what proactive safeguarding looks like in practice across both the College and Queen’s College Preparatory School.
This year’s campaign focuses on moving beyond compliance towards culture and recognising that safeguarding is not simply about policies and procedures, but about creating environments in which pupils feel safe, supported, heard and understood every day.
At Queen’s College Preparatory School, safeguarding is embedded across all aspects of school life and remains central to decision-making at every level.
Georgia Habanananda (Co-Head, SEND Lead and Safeguarding Lead), Cecilia Bozzi (Deputy Safeguarding Lead) and Michelle Cipriani reflected:
“Safeguarding at QCPS is central to everything we do and underpins our decision making across the entire school. Our staff continue to engage in regular CPD [continued professional development] throughout the year to ensure knowledge and confidence remain current, particularly in relation to emerging risks and early intervention.”
The QCPS safeguarding team also highlighted the importance of shared responsibility and robust structures:
“We have a strong safeguarding structure in place, with one DSL [Designated Safeguarding Lead] supported by three DDSLs [Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead], ensuring clear leadership, shared responsibility and effective coverage. Our systems and procedures are well established, consistently applied, and regularly reviewed, reflecting the seriousness with which we approach safeguarding and our commitment to maintaining a safe environment for all our girls.”
At the College, India D’Arcy (Designated Safeguarding Lead) and Lauren Robinson (Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead) reflected on the increasing complexity of safeguarding in schools today and the importance of proactive, relational practice.
They commented:
“Safeguarding rightly occupies a central place in school life. However, as the nature of risk evolves - particularly within the digital landscape - mere compliance is no longer sufficient. Safeguarding must instead become a lived, collective responsibility, embedded within the culture of the school and reflected in everyday practice.”
They also noted the importance of recognising the nuanced ways vulnerability can present within a girls’ school environment:
“Proactive safeguarding practice means moving beyond responding to disclosures or incidents, and instead cultivating environments where pupils feel seen, heard, and understood before risk escalates. In a girls’ school, this often involves recognising the nuanced ways vulnerability can present: perfectionism masking distress, friendship dynamics concealing coercion, or online identities shaping self-worth.”
The College safeguarding team emphasised the importance of professional curiosity, staff confidence and pupil voice in helping schools identify concerns early and respond effectively:
“Creating safe, structured opportunities for pupils to share their experiences allows schools to respond effectively and efficiently. It also reinforces a culture where safeguarding is not something done to pupils, but something done with them.”
Across Queen’s, safeguarding remains a collective responsibility rooted in care, vigilance, trust and early intervention. As safeguarding challenges continue to evolve, both schools remain committed to ensuring that safeguarding is proactive, embedded and central to the wellbeing of every pupil.