Safeguarding at Hill Park School and The Hive Centre
At Hill Park School and The Hive Centre, the safety and wellbeing of our pupils is our highest priority. We are committed to creating a secure, nurturing environment where every child is protected, valued, and supported to achieve their full potential.
As a special school and an alternative provision, we recognise that our pupils have additional vulnerabilities, and safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do. Our staff receive regular training to identify and respond to concerns quickly and effectively. We work closely with families, external agencies, and professionals to ensure the best outcomes for our children.
Our Commitment
-
We promote a culture of vigilance where safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
-
All staff and volunteers undergo safer recruitment checks and safeguarding training.
-
We listen to pupils’ voices and provide safe, trusted adults they can talk to and that understand them.
-
We work in small class teams to ensure that every child has a group of adults that knows them well.
-
We teach pupils about safety, relationships, and wellbeing in ways appropriate to their individual needs.
-
We take all concerns seriously and follow clear procedures to protect children from harm.
Designated Safeguarding Leads

Working Together
Safeguarding is a partnership. We encourage parents, carers, and professionals to share any concerns with us at the earliest opportunity. By working together, we can ensure every child feels safe, respected, and able to thrive.
For more detailed information, please see our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.
If you ever have a concern about a child, please contact the school immediately on 01273 422855 and ask to speak to one of the Safeguarding team or email our Safeguarding team on:
cp@hillpark.brighton-hove.sch.uk
If you do not want to go through the school, you can also make a referral to Front door for Families, the local multidisciplinary team.
Front Door for Families
Tel: 01273 290400
Online Safeguarding
Keeping our pupils safe online, is an ever evolving and changing area. We aim to keep staff awareness high about the risks and their role in monitoring what our children look at online. We also buy into Smoothwall which blocks unsuitable material. In addition, one of the Safeguarding team, receives alerts if pupils are blocked trying to access unsuitable websites or content. They then refer this to the pupil's teacher to investigate.
We also have a range of resources to support parents in helping their children stay safe on line. We run workshops to support parents in this area and are always happy to advise.
Operation Encompass
Hill Park and The Hive are Operation Encompass schools. This is a partnership between police and schools where incidents of domestic abuse are shared. In practice this means that we are notified if the police have attended an incident of domestic abuse.
Further information can be found at
The LADO
Every local authority has a statutory responsibility to have a LADO. They are responsible for co-ordinating the response to concerns that an adult who works with children may have caused or could cause those children harm. The LADO works within Children’s Services and gives advice and guidance to employers, organisations and other individuals who have concerns about the behaviour of an adult who works with children.
Please email the LADO if you have any concerns relating to the issues above. LADOenquiries@brighton-hove.gov.uk
