I don’t know what to do.

Don’t be ridiculous, she is a TA who has reported it to the HT and the SLT. I think that is due diligence done on her part.

With all due respect, if this all comes out later down the line that OP has not reported a safeguarding concern that was disclosed directly to her, then she won’t have a job anyway. And it will be very difficult for her to find another one in a school, ever again. It is really serious to not uphold safeguarding procedures, and to actively choose not to report disclosures. It is a huge breach of duty of care.

It all sounds like a dreadful situation. I really feel for you.

I can’t believe that it’s known for a DSL to ‘have form’ for lying and covering up. That is absolutely awful and desperately worrying for the children in that school.

I’ve seen that a kind HT / DSL have offered for you to DM on here, I really hope they can offer some valuable guidance and clear steps on why to do next. I’m sure they will.

Just as an aside, I would also perhaps look for another job.. I know it sounds like personal life is quite tricky at the moment but I couldn’t work in a school where I couldn’t do what was required of me morally and professionally for fear of losing my job. That’s truly dreadful, and I’m so sorry that is the position you are in.

OP, you really need to think of yourself and your family now. If you go above the HT and the SLT then it is going to end badly for you, however well intentioned and principled you are. Don’t risk your own financial stability on the advice of strangers on the internet

Click on the three little dots at the top right corner and look for PM.
It is anonymous

OP- are you an LA or academy school? I’ve asked this a couple of times.
I am a long-standing HT and DSL. Feel free to DM me

I work in a school. If the DSL tried to cover up a safeguarding issue and was supported by the head of report to both The Chair of Governors and LADO.

They are acting in they’re best interests not the children and this is a significant safeguarding breach.

How awful that by doing the right thing puts your job in jeopardy.

I am fighting with big wigs in an academy right now and I’m telling you to protect your job at all costs. If you think you have done everything your job requires you to do and no one has been hurt then leave it.

The more troubling part is the way it’s already been handled by the DSL at school. You don’t sound like you are safeguarding trained. So perhaps not best for you to comment with general opinions? The safeguarding lead in a school is not following policy which is extremely troubling in an educational setting.

I don’t think that kids milling about at night on a school trip is troubling. I’m not sure why the kids owned up to it in the first place as no harm came to them

You seriously need to act on this today. The delay in your reporting it is already really bad. I know it is really stressful but you have got to do the right thing.

Just Imagine your daughter had told a staff member at school something troubling, and no one else knew and that member of staff did nothing else with the knowledge. That’s dreadful.

You know what you have to do but you’re just avoiding it and trying to rationalise it’s ok to yourself because it is very difficult to do.

Do you know for an actual fact that the DSL told the girl she’s too late to report it, or has you’ve just been told this by the child?

He could have said, yes, that’s all been dealt with already.

Unless you have actual facts from the adults you work with, DSL and H/T then there is nothing to report.

The issue isn't the small incident that happened. The issue is that a child was told to keep it to themselves and the incident was not noted down at all. Every incident can be noted down - it's not difficult.

If it later transpired that one of these children was groped in a tent they weren't supposed to be in - the original notes of children swapping tents (as minor as this sounds) would be vital.

I think its complete overkill that because people were out their tent/pod its classed as a safeguarding issue. No wonder the world is going to hell in a handbasket.

That’s why I asked if LA or academy. The LADO works for the LA, same as OP. Whistleblowing policies exist to protect this. The LA is the ultimate employer, not the school itself.
An academy is harder for protection

@Samysungy the LADO would look into that. IMO it’s the safeguarding culture that needs to be challenged.
The original incident may well have been minor (for all any of us know) and children pushing boundaries on residentials is common place. However, my real issue here is that DSL and HT aren’t creating a conducive safeguarding environment or following anything from KCSIE.
It‘a their behaviour that’s concerning OP (and others) not necessarily the children.
They are letting safeguarding incidents happen, and wanting them not to be mentioned, which is a massive breach of their professional duty. Hence the need for the LADO- that’s exactly their job

She will literally get managed out if she does this.

But you go to the LADO for the staff.

The original report has not been dealt with and will not get dealt with if you just go to the LADO.

The safeguarding of the children needs reporting. You can go to the DDSL. They have a duty to deal with the child incident and the staff incident.

If you suspect misconduct from another colleague around child safeguarding you need to report it yourself to the LADO.
DSL's are not above this rule.
You need to report the DSL to the LADO if you feel they have put children at risk.
It's your duty of care to report if you feel the DSL is not doing their job properly.