Last updated: 9/9/26

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The Maths Mindset Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people who access our services.This policy applies to both online tuition and face-to-face tuition, including individual tuition, small-group sessions and community-based Maths Clubs.

We aim to provide a safe, inclusive and supportive learning environment in which every young person is treated with dignity and respect. We recognise that some students may have additional needs or vulnerabilities and are committed to ensuring appropriate safeguarding arrangements are in place for all learners.​

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1. Our Commitment to Safeguarding

The Maths Mindset Academy is committed to:

• Protecting children and young people from abuse, neglect, exploitation and harm.

• Creating safe and appropriate online and face-to-face learning environments.

• Listening to children and taking their concerns seriously.

• Maintaining clear professional boundaries.

• Acting promptly when a safeguarding concern arises.

• Working appropriately with parents/carers and relevant safeguarding agencies.

• Following current UK safeguarding legislation and guidance.

• Providing an inclusive environment for children with SEND and additional needs.

The welfare of the child is our primary consideration.

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2. Safeguarding Responsibility

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for The Maths Mindset Academy is:

Aimee Chapman – Owner and Tutor

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The DSL is responsible for receiving, recording and responding to safeguarding concerns and, where necessary, referring concerns to the appropriate safeguarding services.

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The tutor holds an Enhanced DBS check appropriate to their role working with children and young people.

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If additional tutors or staff are engaged in the future, appropriate safeguarding checks, recruitment procedures and training will be completed before they work with children.

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3. Recognising Safeguarding Concerns

Safeguarding concerns may include, but are not limited to:

• Physical abuse

• Emotional abuse

• Sexual abuse

• Neglect

• Bullying, including online bullying

• Exploitation or grooming

• Domestic abuse affecting a child

• Concerning changes in a child's behaviour or wellbeing

• Inappropriate communication or behaviour

• A child making a disclosure

• Unsafe home or learning environments

• Concerns about another student, adult, tutor or member of staff

A child does not need to make a direct disclosure for a safeguarding concern to be taken seriously.

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4. Responding to a Disclosure or Concern

If a child discloses something that raises a safeguarding concern, the tutor will:

• Listen calmly and take the child seriously.

• Avoid asking leading or unnecessary questions.

• Not promise to keep the information secret.

• Explain, in an age-appropriate way, that information may need to be shared with somebody who can help keep them safe.

• Make an accurate, factual written record as soon as possible.

• Record the date, time, circumstances and, where possible, the child's own words.

• Take appropriate action based on the nature and urgency of the concern.

Where appropriate, concerns may be discussed with the child's parent/carer. However, a parent/carer will not be contacted where doing so could place the child at greater risk or interfere with a safeguarding investigation.

Where a child is believed to be at immediate risk of significant harm, the appropriate emergency or safeguarding service will be contacted without delay.

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5. Face-to-Face Tuition and Maths Clubs

Face-to-face sessions will take place in appropriate venues that have been considered for their suitability and safety.

The Maths Mindset Academy will:

• Carry out appropriate risk assessments for venues and planned activities.

• Maintain appropriate supervision throughout sessions.

• Keep an up-to-date emergency contact for every student.

• Establish clear arrival and collection arrangements.

• Ensure students are released only in accordance with arrangements agreed with their parent/carer.

• Maintain appropriate tutor-to-student boundaries.

• Ensure movement activities, games and brain breaks are appropriate to the students and environment.

• Make reasonable adjustments where appropriate for students with SEND or additional needs.

• Take reasonable steps to prevent bullying, intimidation and inappropriate behaviour between students.

• Ensure students know how to raise a concern or ask for help.

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Parents/carers must provide relevant information that may affect their child's safety or ability to participate in a session.

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Collection and late collection

Parents/carers are responsible for ensuring appropriate arrangements are in place for their child's arrival and departure.

Where a child is permitted to arrive or leave independently, this must be agreed with the parent/carer in advance.

If a parent/carer is unexpectedly late collecting a child, the child will remain supervised in an appropriate location while reasonable attempts are made to contact the parent/carer or nominated emergency contact.

A child who is expected to be collected will not be sent home alone without appropriate parental agreement.

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6. Physical Contact and Movement Activities

Some sessions may include educational games, movement activities and brain breaks.

Physical contact between tutor and student will be avoided unless it is necessary, appropriate and proportionate, for example to prevent immediate injury or respond to an emergency.

Students will not be required to participate in physical or movement-based activities where doing so would be inappropriate for their individual needs.

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7. Online Tuition

Online lessons are delivered through an appropriate video-conferencing platform.

To maintain a safe online environment:

• Lessons are not routinely recorded.

• Students and parents/carers must not record, photograph or take screenshots of sessions without prior agreement.

• Appropriate professional standards apply to clothing, language and behaviour.

• The tutor will deliver lessons from an appropriate environment.

• Students should participate from an appropriate location within their home.

• Parents/carers should remain contactable during online sessions.

• The tutor may end a session if a significant safety or safeguarding concern arises.

For younger students, parents/carers should ensure appropriate adult supervision is available within the home.

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8. Communication and Professional Boundaries

Communication relating to tuition should take place through approved business communication channels.

The Maths Mindset Academy will:

• Maintain professional relationships with students at all times.

• Not engage in inappropriate private or personal communication with students.

• Not connect with students through personal social-media accounts.

• Direct administrative communication, bookings and payment matters through parents/carers where appropriate.

• Not share unnecessary personal information with students.

• Avoid favouritism or relationships that could compromise professional boundaries.

Any communication directly with a young person will be appropriate, necessary and related to their education or welfare.

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9. Photography, Video and Social Media

Photographs, videos or other identifiable images of students will not be used for promotional purposes without appropriate consent from a parent/carer and, where appropriate, the young person.

Consent for marketing photography will be optional and will not be a condition of accessing tuition.

Personal information about students will not be published unnecessarily.

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10. SEND and Additional Needs

The Maths Mindset Academy aims to provide an inclusive environment for students with SEND, neurodivergence and additional learning needs.

Parents/carers are encouraged to provide relevant information that will help us make reasonable adjustments and support their child safely.

Adjustments may include movement breaks, changes to activities, reduced sensory demands, additional processing time and other reasonable adaptations.

Having SEND or additional needs will never result in a safeguarding concern being dismissed as simply part of a child's condition or behaviour.

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11. Behaviour and Peer-to-Peer Concerns

Students are expected to treat other students and tutors respectfully.

Bullying, harassment, discriminatory behaviour, sexualised behaviour, violence or other behaviour that could place another student at risk will be taken seriously.

Where behaviour raises a safeguarding concern, it will be dealt with as a safeguarding matter rather than solely as a behaviour issue.

Parents/carers may be contacted where appropriate, and participation may be suspended where necessary to protect the welfare of students.

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12. Confidentiality and Record Keeping

Safeguarding information will be handled sensitively and shared only where there is a legitimate safeguarding or legal reason to do so.

Safeguarding records will:

• Be factual and accurate.

• Be stored securely.

• Be kept separately from ordinary teaching notes where appropriate.

• Be accessible only to those who genuinely need the information.

• Be retained and disposed of appropriately.

Information may be shared without parental consent where this is necessary to protect a child or another person from harm.

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13. Emergencies, Illness and First Aid

Parents/carers must provide current emergency contact details and inform The Maths Mindset Academy of relevant medical, accessibility or support information necessary for their child's safe participation.

In an emergency, appropriate first aid and/or emergency services will be sought.

Parents/carers will be contacted as soon as reasonably possible following a significant accident, illness or emergency involving their child.

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14. Concerns or Allegations About the Tutor

Any concern or allegation regarding the conduct of a tutor or other adult working on behalf of The Maths Mindset Academy will be taken seriously.

Where an allegation indicates that a child may have been harmed, a criminal offence may have been committed, or an adult may pose a risk to children, advice/referral will be sought from the appropriate safeguarding authority and/or police.

The Maths Mindset Academy will cooperate with any safeguarding investigation.

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15. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed at least annually, and sooner where:

• Safeguarding legislation or guidance changes.

• The nature of the services provided changes.

• A safeguarding incident identifies a need for review.

• New staff or tutors join the business.

• New risks are identified.

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Last reviewed: September 2026
Next scheduled review: September 2027