Child given money by "Vicar" at school

Right 👍

I’ve just checked the websites of each primary in our trust. They all give the office phone number and general email address, no DSL contact details. I can get into the inbox remotely with a school laptop with stringent security. That laptop is an huge old brick and would exceed my luggge allowance. It is possible to access the inbox via a mobile but it is not easy and we are told NOT to work during holidays (although I often do when in the UK).

And who pays the roaming charges? I never pay for roaming (on free WiFi at the moment)

I honestly do understand the importance if safeguarding and this is why I said the OP should contact the LADO.

SLT contracts actually state reasonable work!and being contactable in holidays and safeguarding failures can result in Ofsted failure. I have never known a school to have zero safeguarding in the holidays at all!

You rotate it. That's the deal.
I've never heard of a state school that is remiss on this issue. There is always an emergency contact number on the website.
It's rarely "working" it's like emergency on call. In 15 years I've only had to deal with a few issues over the holidays.
It has to be done, though.

Which member of SLT should skip the Easter holiday then? We have two SLT, one in South America, one skiiing somewhere I think.

I do take safeguarding seriously but I don’t get paid for the holidays. My hourly rate is so low that I am only overseas because my husband earns a realistic salary. I’ve never worked in a primary school where members of staff were “expected” to work during the holidays.

That's poor. Usually there is someone to pick up on issues, supposing something critical occurs?
A designated person is standard.

Not true I’m afraid. We are a small school. One DSL one deputy - both currently overseas as is their right. Then me - also overseas.

No, she doesn't, because there is no "other side" to a safeguarding concern. She's reported it, so that's that for the time being.

Fing out the other side of this story before you go diving in

Bristol schools have the same Easter hols too- they only broke up from Good Friday (means we’ve got a good deal on a Mexico holiday as most of the rest of the country seems to have broken up the week before

@TakeALookAtTheseSwatches As a matter of interest, is this person a man or a woman?

As others have said, all school have designated safeguarding leads (DSL) who are contactable. If you can't find that information easily now, you have made contact with the school but it might be worth following it up with checking the procedure for reporting safeguarding is clear on their website and known to all parents for future reference. You could also contact local police on a non emergency online form. If they deem a follow up necessary they will contact you. You can explain you have contacted school but due to holidays there is obviously an understandable delay. Police might do nothing; they might reassure you; they might want to speak with your daughter; they might/likely know the DSL for the area. If it was me,I'd want peace of mind that I'd done all I could.

Absolutely, this has been said clearly and I don't know why people don't understand it.
That's the procedure.

This isn’t a matter for the class teacher, it’s for the DSL. Safeguarding of children doesn’t stop just because it’s the school holidays. The advice the OP has been given to contact them on the school email address is appropriate and correct.

Safeguarding team will absolutely be contactable. Before every school holiday my school reminds parents and students of the email address that will be checked daily.

Yep, teaching staff will be on Easter Break. Anyone thinking that the teacher is contactable needs to get a grip. Not only are they expected to be contactable 24hrs during term time they're also expecting them to answer emails during their holidays? Seriously? My sister is a teacher, her workload is mental, let them have a blooming break!

OP you sound sensible, don't let the ones out control influence your clear and controlled approach to this.

You are absolutely right to follow up with the school first. They'll investigate properly and you will be seen to follow the right process rather going a bit ott and calling the police!

Why would that make it any better?

This. Everyone knows it's a red flag, and anyone with the least amount of awareness knows that you don't give a strange child a gift and ask them to keep it a secret.

Depends on whether he’s got form doesn’t it ? He gave the kid a fiver and told her not to tell anyone - it’ll just be between the two of them. If that’s not a red flag I don’t know what is. What would you prefer OP do - wait until there’s evidence of abuse ? At best it was bad judgement. At worst it’s a sign of grooming. Either way it needs investigating.

The answer probably is nothing

I’m shocked that you felt the need to ask complete strangers ( MN) if this is appropriate 🤦🏼‍♀️

Is everyone in this thread sniffing glue? What the hell are the police going to do about someone giving a kid a fiver for some chocolate? The world has gone absolutely batshit, Mumsnet is like a parallel universe sometimes.

Very strange, hope you get it sorted and hope it was just a very naive person who needs to be told he cant do things like that!

Yes, your concern is valid—and it’s appropriate to take this seriously without jumping to conclusions.
The key issue isn’t the £5 or the Easter context itself, but the fact that an adult gave your child money and asked her to keep it “just between me and you.” That kind of secrecy is a red flag in safeguarding terms, even if the person didn’t intend harm. Schools in the UK have very strict safeguarding policies, and staff or visitors (including a vicar or trainee) are generally not supposed to give gifts directly to individual children, especially with any suggestion of secrecy.