Should you have any concerns with regards to safeguarding then please contact the school office and ask to speak to the Designated Safeguard Lead (DSL), or Deputy DSL.   They will be able to discuss your concerns in the strictest of confidence.    You will find the names of our current DSLs in our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy below.

Safeguarding Images - ‘We've changed the angle, not the story’

At The Gateway Federation of Gorsley Goffs Primary School, Lea Church of England Primary School and Gateway Lodge Nursery, we love celebrating the learning, creativity and achievements of every child, and we know how much families enjoy sharing these special moments with us.

In response to growing concerns about how images of children can be misused online, including through emerging AI technologies, we have reviewed our approach to public photography and made some changes to further strengthen our safeguarding practice.

From October 2026 onwards, when photographs are shared publicly, we will focus on:

• Hands-on content – learning, exploring and creating without showing faces.
• Backs of heads – capturing the moments that matter without identifying pupils.
• Side-facing photographs – used only where we already have your permission to use photographs of your child and never as front-facing images.

This approach allows us to continue sharing the wonderful things happening in our schools every day, while taking sensible steps to reduce the risk of children being identified through images online.

Please note that this updated approach applies to photographs taken and shared from this point forward. We are not planning to review or remove images that have previously been published in line with the permissions and safeguarding practices in place at the time. Instead, this change reflects our commitment to adapting our practice as technology and online risks continue to evolve.

Why we're making this change

Safeguarding is, and always will be, our highest priority. As technology evolves, also the risks associated with sharing images publicly does. We believe it is important that we adapt our practice in response to these changes, ensuring that we continue to celebrate school life in a positive and responsible way.

Where a child's side-facing photograph is used, this will only ever be where we already hold valid parental consent under our existing photo permission arrangements. If you would like to review or update your photo permissions at any time, please contact the school office and we will be happy to help.

The flyer below explains this in more detail and provides examples of the types of photographs that may be used moving forward.