Safeguarding Archives - Âé¶¹´«Ã½ /category/isl-magazine/safeguarding/ The most comprehensive, current and objective data and intelligence on the world¡¯s international schools Wed, 06 Aug 2025 14:21:32 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-Âé¶¹´«Ã½-FAVICON-32x32.png Safeguarding Archives - Âé¶¹´«Ã½ /category/isl-magazine/safeguarding/ 32 32 The Critical Incident Office: Supporting Students and Staff during Experiential Learning Programs /isl-the-critical-incident-office/ Thu, 07 Aug 2025 09:00:48 +0000 /?p=39175 Nicolas Forde highlights the Critical Incident Office as a key element of effective risk management, enabling experiential learning programmes to operate with confidence through clear protocols, collaborative decision-making, and a culture of transparency.

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The Feeling of Helplessness?

During a recent personal visit back to the United Kingdom, I found myself involved in a minor car accident while driving a rental vehicle. Despite having driven for over three decades without incident, the experience left me momentarily stunned. Sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, I realised I didn¡¯t know what to do: Should I call the police? Should I move the car? The overwhelming sense of indecision was paralysing.?

This feeling of helplessness is not uncommon during emergencies or accidents and can serve as a stark reminder of the challenges we face during moments of crisis. Twice a year, our secondary school organises over twenty Experiential Learning Programmes (ELPs) for students in Grades 6-12, spanning both local and international destinations. These programmes encompass a diverse range of activities, including cultural tours, outdoor education, place-based learning, and service learning through community engagement. Inevitably, incidents arise ¨C ranging from travel disruptions, illnesses and injuries, and, occasionally, hospitalisations. Clear procedures for managing risk are vital, yet stress often undermines effective decision-making during emergencies. This challenge is further compounded when a single, unsupported senior staff member back at school is tasked with managing the situation.?

The Role of the Critical Incident Office?

To address these challenges, we established a Critical Incident Office (CIO), which formalises risk management procedures for ELPs. Staffed by two or more senior leaders, the CIO functions as a centralised command centre during these programmes. By ensuring that emergency situations are not left to the sole responsibility of one individual, the CIO fosters shared decision-making and centralised communications for all trips. This collaborative approach mitigates the risk of isolated actions that might inadvertently escalate difficult situations.??

Furthermore, assigning senior leaders to this role clearly reassures our community. While our parents are highly supportive of experiential learning within the curriculum, they also seek to understand the risk mitigation strategies in place. For our teachers, knowing there is a first and second line of defence for logistical, behavioural, and emergency situations enables them to concentrate on optimising student engagement in the experiential ¡®classroom¡¯.?

Encouraging Transparency in Risk Management?

A core function of the CIO is supporting team leaders in the field as issues arise. Incidents typically fall into two categories: logistical and health and safety issues, or safeguarding and behavioural concerns. By assigning multiple CIO staff members to be on duty, we ensure that the appropriate person handles each type of issue effectively. The school¡¯s designated safeguarding lead (DSL) remains an integral part of the CIO team, guaranteeing the consistent application of safeguarding and behavioural protocols which would be used back at school.?

During an ELP week, incidents are categorised by severity using a four-level colour coding system ranging from blue (near miss) to red (emergency services involved). Field staff are required to complete an online incident form for all occurrences. While level 3 and above (orange and red) necessitate a call to the CIO, staff are encouraged to report less serious incidents (blue or green) if they wish to discuss them. Similarly, regular communication between field staff and the CIO team regarding behaviour and safeguarding incidents is vital in building trust and fostering collaboration. All incident records are reviewed prior to each daily CIO meeting, aiding in the identification of trends or issues across different trips.?

Influenced by Clare Dallat¡¯s research at , the CIO¡¯s team approach intentionally avoids fostering a culture of blame when incidents occur. Instead, it recognises the inherent complexity and uniqueness of emergencies. Daily CIO team meetings cultivate openness, encouraging team members to acknowledge when they don’t have the answers and to seek support from others.?

The Power of Scenario Simulations?

Before each ELP, the CIO team engages in ¡®live¡¯ simulations of potential incidents. These will often include other members of senior leadership. These exercises replicate real-world variables, such as conflicting information or deviations from established protocols, and allow team members to simulate receiving and managing emergency calls. Scenario observers provide constructive feedback, and simulations can be paused to reflect and refine responses. This proactive practice encourages thoughtful engagement with incidents and reduces the inclination to resolve them hastily, fostering better outcomes.?

Risk Assessment: A Continuous Process?

Risk assessment is not a one-time exercise but rather an ongoing process of reflection and refinement. Feedback from trip leaders plays a pivotal role in our annual reviews of policies governing ELPs. Additionally, our school conducts annual reconnaissance trips to program destinations to thoroughly assess risks. Photographs and film taken on these can be invaluable for the CIO to picture the conditions when a call comes in. Collaborations with organisations such as ensure access to up-to-date country profiles and enable effective responses to major medical emergencies or repatriations.?

¡°Risk assessment is not a one-time exercise but rather an ongoing process of reflection and refinement.¡±

Building Confidence and Safety?

Ultimately, the CIO serves as a cornerstone of our risk management strategy, enabling our ELPs to thrive by prioritising transparency, collaboration, and preparedness. By investing in structured protocols, scenario-based training, and continuous risk assessment, we have cultivated an environment where students and staff can engage in meaningful and safe exploration, confident in the support systems in place. The CIO not only enhances immediate responses to emergencies but also lays the foundation for long-term trust and growth within our community.?

Tips for Supporting Students and Staff on Experiential Learning Programs?

  • Conduct annual reconnaissance trips to programme destinations to communicate clear health, safety, and security expectations to vendors.?
  • Use examples of near misses or ¡®right outcome, wrong process¡¯ as case studies for future simulations.
  • Monitor adherence to communication and safety protocols among programme leaders ¨C deviations may indicate a need for additional training or procedural adjustments.?
  • Highlight the CIO¡¯s role to build trust and confidence among parents, encouraging greater student participation in programmes.??

By Nicholas Forde

A headshot of Nicolas Forde

Nicholas Forde is the Principal of Secondary School at The ISF Academy, Hong Kong. You can connect with him via email.

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Creating safe and secure learning environments: a school’s perspective /creating-safe-and-secure-learning-environments/ Thu, 23 Nov 2023 11:00:49 +0000 /?p=37455 Sanah Batta explains some challenges schools are faced with when it comes to implementing strategies for child protection and safeguarding, and lists some key areas that schools can work on to overcome such obstacles.

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By Sanah Batta

The latest data on child abuse shows that over 1 billion children between the ages of two and 17 experience violence every year, but the numbers could be much larger due to under-reporting. Violence against children can take many forms, such as physical, emotional, sexual and online abuse. It is mostly perpetrated by someone who has emotional and physical proximity to the child, which means, the perpetrator is close to the child and could be a family member, a relative, a friend or a caregiver. While violence against children is often invisible, its impact has lifelong consequences on the health and wellbeing of children, families, communities and nations. Due to the vulnerable age of a child and complexities surrounding child abuse, most cases go unreported, leaving children to deal with the consequences on their own.

As an advocate and promoter of a school in New Delhi, India, I ask myself whether schools, communities and governments are doing enough to prevent and protect children from abuse and violence. Irrespective of which country we reside in, or what nationality we are, child abuse is a universal problem and investing in protecting children from violence and abuse must become a global priority. As per the latest , there are nearly 2.4 billion children below the age of 18 in the world, of which, 431,053,832 are in India. Much more needs to be done to formulate local laws and policies, raise awareness and sensitisation, conduct timely and efficient capacity building programmes, and strengthen welfare systems and response services.

A child spends a substantial amount of time of their day in school. Educators, who have the opportunity to closely observe and interact with children, are in a unique position to identify those who are in need of help and protection. This can help to ensure that children receive timely support and the assistance they require, and families can obtain services that will remedy situations posing a threat to the child¡¯s welfare.

As school leaders and educators, it is important to reflect on the mechanisms and protocols we put in place to address child abuse and violence. Differences arise due to demographic factors, local legislation, school structures and boards, but the ultimate aim remains the same ¨C to ensure an effective, efficient and transparent prevention and protection system to address child abuse and violence.

My training in law and professional experience of running a K-12 school in India enables me to train educators, sensitise parents and work with government agencies to help enforce child protection laws, design frameworks for schools and bring about systemic change.

In my experience, no matter how well written and clear the statutory laws or how cooperative the police agencies are, I often find schools asking complex legal questions in the midst of a crisis. From understanding the legal language, addressing peer-on-peer abuse, coping with parental denial/pressure and dealing with media trials, school leaders find it exceedingly challenging to handle safeguarding cases.

Irrespective of which country we reside in, or what nationality we are, child abuse is a universal problem and investing in protecting children from violence and abuse must become a global priority.

The challenges

There are multiple challenges faced by schools and school leaders all over the world when formulating strategies for child protection and safeguarding. I have listed a few below:

  • Implementation of laws: the challenge lies in implementing the laws due to lack of awareness and sensitisation, inadequate human resources and absence of quality prevention and rehabilitation services. This coupled with cultural and social differences poses a great threat to proper implementation of child protection laws. There are many harmful practices, such as child marriage, child labour and corporal punishment, which are still prevalent in spite of legislation prohibiting it. As a result, millions of children continue to be subject to many forms of violence, abuse and exploitation.
  • Increased exposure to online material: the internet is a vast space with limitless information and content. Inevitably, children are exposed to adult/ inappropriate material which may lead to exploitation. The industry, governments, schools and parents have a role to play in keeping children safe online. There is a need for stricter protocols on content regulation and age verification checks.
  • Staff recruitment and training: a school is home to staff and students from culturally diverse backgrounds. Knowledge and training depend on the experiences and exposure a person has had. Without proper and regular training and sensitisation, it is difficult for schools to ensure compliance and implementation of local laws. In my opinion this is the biggest challenge faced by schools.
  • COVID-19 challenges: studying from home, online classes, isolation and loss of loved ones has resulted in many socio-emotional challenges, leading to behavioural concerns. This has led to an increase in peer-on-peer abuse, aggression and bullying, making enforcement of school rules as well as local laws a growing problem for schools.
  • Counselling support: from the moment a child undergoes an incident of abuse until just relief is achieved (which may or may not happen), the child relives that incident many times in their mind. It is difficult for anyone to comprehend the emotional trauma that the child experiences. We must ask ourselves how a school addresses the psychological impact of violence and child abuse. Is the support we provide as an educational institution adept at addressing the trauma and turmoil the child experiences? Many times, counsellors are the first ones to hear about abuse/violence. Students and families rely heavily on the counsellor for support and guidance to help them navigate the after-effects of trauma and abuse.
  • Whole school approach: looking at abuse and child protection in isolation has led to schools implementing policies on paper or being reactionary in their approach. Child protection and safeguarding does not just mean drafting a child protection policy in school. It is a revamp of the whole school¡¯s vision and mission. Every aspect of the school and the teaching-learning process must embody aspects of protection and safeguarding. Whether it is looking at infrastructure, disability or curriculum, all components of a school environment need to align with the ethos of child protection and safeguarding.

The way forward

It is difficult to have a foolproof framework free from loopholes and flaws. Abuse may occur despite the legislation, policies, rules and regulations. However, it is our responsibility as educators to protect our students. We must prepare and empower ourselves to prevent and manage abuse and ensure our staff is trained and students feel protected. Some of the key areas to work on are highlighted below:

  • Implementation of local laws and policies: the school administration (with the help of a lawyer) must ensure that requisite safety checks, protocols and compliances are in place and enforced.
  • Training and capacity building: ensure all staff members are familiar with their legal obligations, such as mandatory reporting under the laws of your country. Train them on indicators and signs of abuse.
  • Parental involvement: sensitise parents on types of abuse, online exposure and the importance of open and transparent lines of communication.
  • Reflect on best practices: there are varying standards and practices across jurisdictions. This can help build a repository of best practices to cope with difficult situations and scenarios.
  • Documentation and tracking: it is essential to keep everything documented and recorded. Safety checklists, CCTV footage, committee minutes, etc, are useful when investigating a case.
  • Student voice: empower students to recognise different forms of abuse. Educate them on hotline numbers, agencies or any other platforms that are available to them for reporting and support.

Sanah Batta author image

Sanah Batta is Legal Practitioner and Promoter of , New Delhi, India, and a Child Protection Specialist. .

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Safeguarding in international schools: operational vs. strategic leadership /safeguarding-in-international-schools/ Thu, 23 Nov 2023 11:00:35 +0000 /?p=37453 Matt Harris from ChildSafeguarding.com shares some safeguarding considerations for schools and school leaders to think about.

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By Matt Harris

The scope of safeguarding in international schools is vast. Every element of the school is impacted and has a role to play in protecting children from serious harm and danger. And as many of us in international education know, safeguarding has been a central focus of reputation, accreditation and operations for several years.

However, few of us entered the profession with an eye towards safeguarding. It has become something we have had to learn and focus upon in our roles as educators. And we have all learned that in the Maslow hierarchy of a school, child protection is fundamental, living both in safety needs and physiological needs.

Yet understanding the full scope of child protection and safeguarding can be quite daunting for schools and school leaders.

Strategic leadership ensures the school uses safeguarding language in communications, builds and maintains a culture of safeguarding, sets policy, allocates resources to safeguarding and child protection, and gives direction to the operational safeguarding leadership.

To help, we have put together an .

In this overview, we outline 12 categories schools need to account for in their safeguarding programmes:

  • School culture
  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Student wellbeing
  • Procedures
  • Documentation
  • Record-keeping
  • Personnel oversight
  • Training
  • Environmental security
  • Local context and connections
  • External resources and services
  • Evaluation

Schools and school leaders can use these categories as a guide to help foster discussion, personnel needs and resource allocation. Schools that are most effective in their safeguarding programmes have addressed or considered actions for each of these areas.

To fully manage a school¡¯s safeguarding responsibilities requires structured leadership. However, where many schools run into problems with safeguarding leadership comes when the school relies on a single person as the safeguarding leader. A single person cannot effectively lead and manage all the 12 categories listed above.

Instead, schools should consider two complementary elements of safeguarding leadership: strategic and operational.

Strategic safeguarding leadership bears the torch for a school¡¯s commitment to protecting children. Strategic leadership ensures the school uses safeguarding language in communications, builds and maintains a culture of safeguarding, sets policy, allocates resources to safeguarding and child protection, and gives direction to the operational safeguarding leadership.

This strategic leadership should include members of the school community with influence and the ability to make large-scale and long-term decisions, such as the head of school and board members or owners. A visible and effective safeguarding programme is guided by the words, attitudes and actions of this group.

Operational safeguarding leadership takes a different role. If the strategic leadership is responsible for culture and commitment, then operational leadership is responsible for systems and management. Operational leadership manages safeguarding procedures and resources, maintains data and documentation, monitors environmental security and ensures that every member of the school community is adequately trained. They put the protection needs of the children at the forefront by focusing school operations on prevention, intervention and support.

Typically, operational leadership is run by the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) or a similar titled position. The DSL is most effective when they are a senior member of staff who has flexibility in their schedule to address issues as they arise and authority to make decisions. We often see deputy division heads or vice principals take on DSL roles in addition to their core job responsibilities. The amount of time needed to manage safeguarding operations varies from school to school. Some schools will have a full-time DSL and several appointed deputies while others will give release time to a single leader to oversee safeguarding operations.

Here is a guide to the .

Regardless of how a school approaches safeguarding leadership, it is important to separate the strategic and operational roles. At times, the operational leadership will need to focus on functional responsibilities or incident management while the strategic leadership focuses on internal and external relations. When these tasks are handled by a single person, they can be done incorrectly, inefficiently or at conflict with the best interests of the child.

Instead, by clearly defining strategic and operational safeguarding leadership roles in a school and by maintaining clear lines of communication and supervision, the school is best positioned to run a strong safeguarding programme that meets their legal, moral and practical responsibilities to protect children.

Considerations for your school¡¯s safeguarding programme:

  • Clearly define strategic and operational safeguarding leadership roles.
  • Strategic leadership should include members of the school community with influence, such as head of school or board members.
  • The role of strategic leadership is to set policies, allocate resources to safeguarding and child protection, and giving direction to the operational safeguarding leadership.
  • Operational leadership is responsible for implementation and management of the child safeguarding policies and systems.

Matt Harris Author Photo

Matt Harris, Ed.D. is the Co-Founder and CEO of . ChildSafeguarding.com offers multilingual child protection training for all members of the school community, including teachers, support staff, volunteers, and parents.

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Role models support pathways for girls /role-models-support-pathways-for-girls/ Tue, 06 Jun 2023 08:00:13 +0000 /?p=36807 Dubai College was shortlisted for a 2023 International School Award. Cliona McMenamin, Head of Careers and teacher of Mathematics, explains the future pathways initiative that was recognised.

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Dubai College was shortlisted for a 2023 International School Award. Cliona McMenamin, Head of Careers and teacher of Mathematics, explains the future pathways initiative that was recognised.

By Cliona McMenamin

The teenage years can be challenging for students and navigating them is not getting any easier. In addition to traditional difficulties, such as peer pressure and negative body image, new challenges like smart technology, cyber-bullying and mental health concerns, which have grown exponentially since COVID-19, can make things even tougher. These issues often arise at a critical juncture when young people are developing their unique identities and pursuing their aspirations.

During these emotionally difficult years, having a supportive mentor who can listen and guide them can make all the difference. This is the reason our collaboration with UK-based social enterprise came to fruition. We adopted their Big Sister coaching and mentoring programme to assist our girls in year 9 to navigate these challenges and build confidence and resilience for the future.

By carefully matching teenage girls with their mentors, the ability to forge strong working relationships from the outset of the programme is evident. The mentors act as positive role models, provide a safe and supportive space for girls to express their feelings and work through any emotional challenges they may be facing. They can offer academic guidance, set goals and assist in developing positive study habits ensuring success in school and beyond.

As teenage girls begin to think about their future careers, mentors can offer advice and support as they explore different options and develop the skills and knowledge they will need to pursue their goals.

“Having a supportive mentor who can listen and guide can make all the difference.”

Implementing the programme

Before implementing the programme, we recruit our band of Big Sister volunteers. We reach out to our parent body, alumni and local community through social media channels and, this year, we were lucky to have 19 fantastic women step up to support our students.

Our mentors were trained over a full-on weekend session; the women were so enthusiastic and committed, it was difficult not to get caught up in their excitement. Those who volunteered demonstrated 100% commitment to the programme and looked forward to meeting their Little Sisters.

Introductions between Big Sisters and the students begin with a ¡®role model relay¡¯, a dynamic, high-energy, fast-paced event which takes place off campus at a Dubai hotel. The objective is to give our girls access to some empowering female role models, each one a true inspiration.

From barristers to broadcasters, CEOs to consultants, lawyers to librarians, entrepreneurs to environmentalists, university professors to marketing directors and beyond, they were all represented this year. The girls got to listen to their stories then interact with them in a structured and supportive ¡®speed dating¡¯ style format.

Accompanying our students back to school after this event was a rewarding experience; the excitement and positivity from the students was palpable and a large proportion of the girls subsequently applied to become a Little Sister. Reading through their applications and selecting matches was difficult given that all the students had valid reasons for engaging with the programme. With only 19 volunteers this year, the opportunities were limited but, for those selected, extremely impactful. The matching process for the 19 students was conducted with great attention. Given the length of time the Big and Little Sisters spend together throughout the course of the project, the match has to be right.

The commitment involves each Big and Little Sister meeting for one hour per month for a one-to-one mentoring session. This takes place within school time, in a safe and supportive environment. In addition to these mentoring sessions there are four additional workshops that are attended by all the Big and Little Sisters.

Big and Little Sisters

Photo: Big and Little Sisters

The workshops

The first workshop is The Girl Code. This is a two-hour hard-hitting workshop focusing on the three core challenges facing teen girls today: body confidence, healthy relationships and online safety. It allows the girls to engage in open debate around these topics with their peers and their Big Sisters. The Little Sisters find their voices and discuss their ideas within the group. In this year¡¯s Girl Code workshop, there was plenty of evidence of rapport being built between the mentors and mentees. The workshop is followed by one-to-one mentoring sessions for the Little Sisters to discuss their experiences from the event with their Big Sisters.

The second workshop is Mindfulness which involves a morning of bonding between Big and Little Sisters through mindfulness and yoga. The workshop introduces all participants to the art of being present, including meditations and guided visualisation techniques. Discussions centre around the benefits of mindful focus, and of relaxation and wellbeing.

This year¡¯s third workshop saw our girls and their mentors travel to PricewaterhouseCooper¡¯s Academy Middle East for a workplace visit, where four women discussed their career journeys. This was followed by an interactive #iamremarkable workshop where the Big and Little Sisters work together to realise their own worth. It is inspiring to see the girls engage with industry professionals, gain more insights into the working world and to realise that they are each remarkable just the way they are!

The final event is the graduation which takes place in May as the year-long programme ends. This is an opportunity for the Big and Little Sisters to celebrate together their journey of mentoring and support. It¡¯s designed to be an empowering event for all, with plenty of thanks, shared journeys and a platform for all of the goodbyes.

We believe that by introducing the girls to this diverse group of female role models, who have journeys to share and wisdom to impart, we can help them change the narrative, harness their potential and find their voice for their future pathways.

Implementing a mentoring programme

  • Start recruiting volunteers early and recruit more than required to allow for changes in circumstances.
  • Ensure that all volunteers know the time commitments in advance and stick to these dates so that they can organise their work schedule.
  • Form a collaborative team to run the programme but ensure that all staff are aware of the aims and objectives to ensure buy-in and sustainability.
  • Get feedback from volunteers, school staff, students and parents at regular intervals to ensure that you are providing a programme that is relevant and interesting.

Cliona McMenamin

Cliona McMenamin is Head of Careers and teacher of Mathematics at , UAE. Connect with Cliona directly on

 

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Helping where it matters /helping-where-it-matters/ Thu, 16 Feb 2023 09:30:42 +0000 /?p=36528 The American School of Warsaw (ASW) in Poland won the Community Partnership Award at the 2023 International School Awards for a student-led community initiative with scale and impact as explained by Jon Zurfluh and Ligita Miele.

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By Jon Zurfluh and Ligita Miele

The American School of Warsaw (ASW) in Poland won the Community Partnership Award at the 2023 International School Awards for a student-led community initiative with scale and impact.

In February 2022, when the war in Ukraine began, many people from many different nations allied to help those affected by the tragedy. Warsaw instantaneously became a refugee hub for people fleeing the war. Since then, over 5 million people have come to Warsaw, seeking safety, food, warmth and shelter. According to the Polish President, Andrzej Duda, there are currently Ukrainian refugees in Poland, and with the energy and infrastructure being targeted by Russia in these cold months, there has recently been an increase in the number of people fleeing Ukraine in the past weeks.

An immediate response

The #ASWforUkraine chapter began on 28 February 2022, right after our return from the school¡¯s winter break. On that Monday, we launched a where we communicated the needs of the Ukrainian refugees and how anyone in the ASW community or beyond could contribute immediately. ASW parents responded by offering help in so many ways: accommodation, legal counselling, babysitting, translation services, contributing to food preparations, transporting donations or picking up people or pets from the Polish-Ukrainian border. More than 70 ASW families opened their homes to more than 300 Ukrainian people, most of whom were mothers and children.

A fundraising RallyUp campaign was initiated where people from all around the world could donate money and items, including clothing, medicine, food and baby supplies to support #ASWforUkraine efforts. A core group of students was formed which decided how to best allocate all the incoming donations and respond to the requests for need, and ASW volunteers sorted and collated supplies to send to relevant destinations. Students made decisions on how to best support refugee centres in Warsaw and at the border, as well as orphanages and organisations for the disabled.

On 6 March, a bus carrying 29 people from the Pechersk School International, along with a few dogs and cats, arrived at the Ukrainian-Polish border from where they walked to the Polish side, and then got on a bus to finish their journey to the school campus. The group arrived at ASW late that night, greeted by the school director, school staff and PTO representatives. After a short welcome with warm drinks, all the Ukrainian families were invited by ASW families to their homes and provided with shelter, food and words of encouragement. Some of the fleeing families continued their journey to other countries, while the rest stayed in Warsaw.

#ASWforUkraine center became a well-known hub for humanitarian aid

Sustained support

On 7 March, a phone call from an ASW family began a new and very important chapter in #ASWforUkraine story. Lipowa Center was born: a refugee centre run by the ASW community in a store front location in the city¡¯s Lipowa 35 area, where Ukrainian people from all over Warsaw could come to receive food and clothing.

Soon the #ASWforUkraine centre became a well-known hub for providing humanitarian aid and workshops for Ukrainian people, serving daily meals to refugees under the guidance of a volunteer chef and being a venue for student, parent and staff volunteering.

Student-led campaigns engaging with other schools have resulted in an ongoing flow of donations. Individuals and organisations from all over Europe organised transport so that goods could be further distributed through ASW channels to support the Ukrainian people around Warsaw, Poland and beyond. Trucks full of goods from the UK, Spain and Portugal came several times a week. Each week, more than 400 boxes left Lipowa to supply refugee centres in Warsaw and at the border. Students from all grade levels came to load trucks, sort donations, distribute food and greet people.

Since then, students, parents and staff have been working at the centre six days a week, including breaks and vacations. In addition, a total of 293 refugees have been housed by the ASW community, over 1,000 donation boxes have been distributed to Ukrainian refugees, US$293,000 raised to continue the support and 43 displaced international school students from Kyiv and Moscow have been able to continue their studies at ASW.

5th graders at the American School of Warsaw

Photo: Fifth graders at the American School of Warsaw working at the Lipowa Center

Impact across communities

Our students have been deeply involved throughout the service learning initiative, some students as part of the #ASWforUkraine leadership team as well as entire grade levels through planned activities. Many have volunteered extensive hours after school. Participation has included significant community engagement to mobilise support, continual service engagement with Ukrainian recipients to ensure the most relevant needs are being addressed and practical help to maintain the Lipowa Center and ASW donation chain.

Support continues and . Together we are helping where it matters.

Ligita Miele ?John Zurfluh

Jon Zurfluh is Director and Ligita Miele oversees the Service Learning programme at the , Poland. Connect directly with Jon on

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Addressing suicide ideation in schools /addressing-suicide-ideation-in-schools/ Thu, 16 Feb 2023 09:30:28 +0000 /?p=36520 North London Collegiate School (NLCS) Jeju received the Safeguarding Award at this year¡¯s International School Awards in January for an initiative to confront suicide ideation as James Caudle explains.

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By James Caudle

North London Collegiate School (NLCS) Jeju received the Safeguarding Award at this year¡¯s International School Awards in January for an initiative to confront suicide ideation.

This article relates to suicide and its impact on communities.

In several member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), including South Korea, Australia and the United Kingdom, suicide is the leading cause of death among 15¨C29-year-olds and globally, it is the second-leading cause of death for people in that age group.

Suicide is one of the most significant public health issues facing the world today and within the broader context of a multi-sectoral approach, schools have a great deal of power to make their own school communities suicide-safer.

A focus on emotional health and mental wellbeing

Most schools, seem to be placing an increasing level of emphasis on the emotional health and mental wellbeing of their students. However, the stigma and misconceptions surrounding suicide can mean that suicide prevention is excluded from school-based initiatives and training.

Teachers and school staff are well placed to recognise warning signs and to show care in response. Feelings of uncertainty about how to respond and the persistent myth that talking about suicide might ¡®plant the idea in someone¡¯s head¡¯ are among the key barriers to school staff taking action when concerns arise.

A responsibility for all

Creating opportunities to talk about suicide saves lives. Open talk about suicide reduces the fear and stigma that surrounds it. But how careful do we need to be about handling this topic? Is it something that only the ¡®experts¡¯ should address? Can suicide be addressed in classroom settings, tutor groups or assemblies?

Schools tend to err on the side of caution in addressing suicide and the powerful prevailing myth of ¡®talking about it might plant the seed in someone¡¯s mind¡¯ can lead to not talking about it at all. It is true that group discussions about suicide should be planned deliberately. However, what is seldom considered is the harm done through omission rather than the risks of being imperfect when discussing suicide.

There is no evidence that discussing suicide increases the risk of suicide. It is also worth saying that it is necessary to embrace and accept some imperfections when discussing suicide, which is itself a complicated and imperfect subject.

A multi-pronged approach

Suicide prevention needs to be multi-pronged. There are three parallel initiatives at NLCS Jeju as part of an ongoing strategic approach to safeguarding:

  1. Discussing suicidal ideation with student leaders and co-planning assemblies: these assemblies have been part of the strategy to destigmatise the discussion of suicide ideation. Assembly planning has included careful prior consultation with students, along with the suitable provision for follow-up counselling options.
  2. Promoting safe suicide talk with teachers through short opt-in professional development opportunities: these ¡®pop-up PDs¡¯ are provided at lunchtimes. Part of the discussion in these sessions includes providing reassurance to teachers that engaging with students who choose to talk about suicidal ideation with them is not something to be shunned for fear of ¡®putting ideas in their heads¡¯.
  3. Providing (ASIST) to members of the school community: rather than bringing in external LivingWorks trainers, two staff members have recently become trained who are now, therefore, able to deliver ASIST. Consequently, we now have the capacity to train more faculty members, student leaders and other community members, which in turn will make it more likely that someone experiencing suicidal ideation will be able to connect with someone trained in suicide intervention. Our two trainers are the first in Korea to be trained to deliver ASIST in English and we will also be in a position to provide training to staff from other international schools in Korea.

The need for strategic school leadership

¡®Safeguarding is everyone¡¯s responsibility¡¯ is an oft repeated statement in our school¡¯s policy documents and reinforced in all safeguarding training. To back up these kinds of statements, it is important to provide the kinds of professional training that allow colleagues to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to make a contribution when invitations arise.

Our school is situated within a purpose-built education precinct, in which there are four international schools currently operating. During the 12 years since this ¡®global edu city¡¯ was established, there has been at least one loss of life due to suicide among the schools. It is a sobering fact that these risks are ever present and very real. I mention this to underscore the absolute importance of suicide prevention training in all international schools.

At NLCS, safeguarding has been prioritised strategically by senior leaders. Both the current School Principal and our Designated Safeguarding Lead and Vice Principal joined NLCS Jeju in 2019. At that stage the school was eight years old and the safeguarding systems needed to be updated to reflect the way the school had transformed. Investing in suicide prevention professional training has been one of the most impactful decisions as part of the strategic update. Based on the data we track via our online safeguarding platform , the preventative power of the training provided has been stark. The most notable reduction has been on the number of reported suicidal behaviours.

Training completed by our boarding staff through LivingWorks Start and SafeTalk has led to the democratisation of suicide intervention. Rather than deferring conversations about suicide until an ¡®expert¡¯ is called in, staff have gained the skills and confidence to engage in those initial conversations about suicide and help create ¡®safety for now¡¯ at the very least.

NLCS Jeju is now the first school in Korea to have its own faculty members, trained to deliver ASIST here in South Korea in English (training in Korean has been long available through an organisation in Seoul). Our inaugural two-day training course was well endorsed and generated a considerable ripple effect for participation in future training.

Key takeaways:

  • School leaders have both the opportunity and the responsibility to make suicide prevention a priority. Strategic planning for safeguarding training has real impacts. It is not just a matter of compliance.
  • Decentralising suicide prevention can be achieved through the provision of training. Giving colleagues the skills and confidence that flow from training allows them to enact the philosophy that ¡®safeguarding is everyone¡¯s responsibility¡¯.
  • Young people with thoughts of suicide may provide opportunities or invitations for intervention to a range of people, not just those faculty ¡®designated¡¯ by the school. The wider we are able to spread basic intervention knowledge and skills among our school communities ¨C including students ¨C the more likely it will be that those invitations will be accepted and acted upon.
  • Talking about suicide reduces stigma. Reducing stigma makes it more likely that students with thoughts of suicide will seek help. This, in turn, saves lives.
  • The effects of suicide transcend school boundaries and our professional roles and responsibilities as educators. By engaging in training, we create not only suicide-safer schools but suicide-safer families and suicide-safer communities.

James Caudle is the Designated Safeguarding Officer at , South Korea. Connect with James directly on email jcaudle@nlcsjeju.kr

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Data-driven interventions for Third Culture Kids /data-driven-interventions-for-third-culture-kids/ Tue, 15 Nov 2022 09:00:47 +0000 /?p=36292 Third Culture Kids (TCKs), children who grow up outside their passport countries, face a lot of mobility and transition which increases difficulties that serve as sources of resilience ¨C if adequate support is provided. When that support is not present, we see struggles with regulation, connection and empathy for others.

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By Lynn Kogelmann and Tanya Crossman

I often hear that children are resilient. While we want that to be true, and it certainly can be, resilience is not automatic. Resilience is developed when children go through difficulties with the support of caring and trusted adults. Third Culture Kids (TCKs), children who grow up outside their passport countries, face a lot of mobility and transition which increases difficulties that serve as sources of resilience ¨C if adequate support is provided. When that support is not present, we see struggles with regulation, connection and empathy for others.

The pandemic increased these struggles exponentially. During multiple lockdowns in Malaysia, counselling staff at International School Kuala Lumpur (ISKL) noted students experiencing isolation, sleep issues, lack of social interaction and inability to practice social conventions in real-time. This pandemic effect continues even with the ¡®return¡¯ to normal. While the world believes in moving forward, our children struggle with their lost years of social and emotional development.

Yet this is not a time to despair, but rather a time for action. We can teach our students the tools of not just surviving but thriving, implementing strategies we know protect and support students in our care.

Relying on research

Data collection is vital to effective interventions. A classroom teacher in the midst of behaviour challenges can feel like these challenges are happening all the time. When we collect data, however, we discover these behaviours are happening 40% to 60% of the time. There are good moments in between, which, once we have that data, we can recognise and capitalise on.

Much of TCK care leans on anecdotal evidence due to a lack of specific research, especially in regard to long-term outcomes. New research by offers insights that give a solid foundation and direction for our work, showing why certain tools we use are vital for student wellbeing over the lifetime of a child.

Decades of research have looked at the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on long-term thriving. An ACE score of 4 or more out of 10 has been linked to negative outcomes in behavioural, psychological and physical health. TCK Training ran an of 1,904 adult TCKs and found that 21% of TCKs (including ) had high-risk ACE scores, compared to 12.5% of individuals in the United States and 9% in the Philippines.

Connected research looks at positive childhood experiences (PCEs). These protective factors turn the stressors of ACEs into resilience through the support of parents and community. Seeing the high rates of stressors among TCKs highlights the importance of these supports.

Emotional education

Among all the statistics in TCK Training¡¯s research, perhaps the most striking are the rates of emotional abuse and emotional neglect. In the CDC-Kaiser study of 17,000 Americans, the rate was 11% for each of these categories. In TCK Training¡¯s research, 44% of TCKs experienced emotional abuse, and 39% experienced emotional neglect.

The ability to articulate feelings associated with the life of a TCK requires emotional vocabulary. The subtle differences of sadness versus disappointment versus regret is important. Knowing this nuance can mean the difference between being understood or feeling unseen. Educating adults, and teaching children to express what they are feeling helps them be heard, combatting the felt experience of emotional neglect.

Great books are available to provide strategies for not only learning the language of emotion but becoming fluent in it (see the recommended reading list). At ISKL, we utilise common language based on the zones of regulation and social thinking. Students are taught to identify the zone they are in and utilise coping strategies. Adults and students alike are able to express their feelings by first identifying the zone and then digging into the nuance of which feeling is held within that zone and what thoughts might be associated with that feeling. From there, the story of the feeling can be told and the strategy for supporting the processing of this feeling can be implemented.

Child protection

The data on sexual abuse among TCKs is concerning for the health and safety of our students. Child sexual assault (CSA) as defined in the ACE survey happens before the age of 18 and is perpetrated by an adult or a child at least five years older. 21% of Americans in the CDC-Kaiser survey and 29% of TCKs attending international school experienced CSA. TCK Training also learned that 25% of TCKs experienced child-to-child sexual assault, and 28% of TCKs experienced grooming. This data demonstrates that it is vital for schools to have child protection practices in place, both at the policy level as well as with students of all ages.

ISKL has designated safeguarding leads, flow charts for reporting, and regular meetings to ensure policies, procedures and documentation are implemented consistently to protect children. All schools should formalise these procedures. Items such as who reports, what they report, who they report to and who investigates concerns should be clearly outlined. Regardless of the person in safeguarding positions or the amount of turnover, everyone in the school should have enough knowledge of this in order to support the welfare of students. Parents are also informed about what to look for and how to respond if their child discloses to them about uncomfortable situations or abuse.

Student education can begin at school entry, at any age. At ISKL the counselling staff lead this education, but there are many ways to have these conversations in the classroom. We begin with conversations on safe, unsafe and unwanted touches. Students are taught to identify adults they can report to about interactions that make them uncomfortable; this includes online interactions as well as in-person interactions. Children practise being assertive, how to say no and differentiating between secrets and surprises.

Having these conversations early and often removes the taboo and assures kids they have people they can talk to who will believe them and help them.

Transition care

Rituals around joining and leaving an international school are important for both leavers and stayers. Highly mobile students and their families need opportunities to say good goodbyes and process the grief inherent in these moves. This is hard but important, especially given TCK Training¡¯s findings that high mobility significantly raised the risk of high ACE scores among TCKs. One in three TCKs who moved location more than 10 times or moved house more than 15 times had high-risk ACE scores (compared to one in five overall).

ISKL joined as part of our commitment to providing safe and supportive transitions to our students and families. Several standing committees focusing on standardising procedures across divisions have been developed. Formalising transition processes is important, so they don¡¯t depend on one person (who could move on). One example of standardisation is the alumni back presented to each student leaving ISKL (regardless of grade level). It includes a pin, lanyard, bracelet and stuffed animal: a panther with an alumni cape. Students of all ages want the special panther! These items create an occasion for storytelling, both in this location and in the next.

Leaving circles let students to share their hopes and wishes for a classmate who is moving on. Here the stayers really get a chance to participate, affirming the importance of classmates in the classroom community and thinking ahead with them.

Just as important is the welcome into a community. ISKL¡¯s parent¨Cteacher association created a welcome programme that matches incoming families with established families so they can socialise, ask questions and connect with children around the same age. A sense of belonging begins with these simple interactions.

The research of mobility and transition

It is valuable for those of us working in the international education field to have access to research grounded in international life. Knowing what our students are statistically likely to face and what interventions are best placed to lower risks and increase resilience is of great benefit. PCEs help develop resilience, and emotional regulation is of particular importance given the ACE factors that are high among TCKs.

Here¡¯s an example from ISKL of putting this into practice in the classroom. In the spring of 2021 students were struggling, and needed more than a typical greeting to start the day. A fifth grade teacher used mood meter resources ¨C provided by the counselling staff ¨C 2-3 times a day for several weeks; this enabled her to connect with students more deeply, validating their emotions and experiences.[8] Students expanded their emotional vocabulary, gained understanding of having more than one feeling at a time, learned how to express changes in their moods, and what affected those changes. One student said he¡¯d ¡°never had a teacher ask how I was feeling¡± before. Showing up for students in ways like this is how we see them grow in resilience

“Knowing what students are likely to face and what interventions lower risks and increase resilience is of great benefit.”

More recommended reading

, Julia Simens
, Lauren Wells
, Bren¨¦ Brown
, Marc Brackett
, Marc Brackett
, Elissa Strauss
, Laura McKenna

Lynn Kogelmann

Lynn Kogelmann is Elementary School Counsellor at , Malaysia

Tanya Crossman

Tanya Crossman is Director of Research and Education Services at and the Unstacking Company.

Connect with them on

 

 

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Empowering students to disclose abuse /empowering-students-to-disclose-abuse/ Fri, 29 Apr 2022 07:52:07 +0000 /?p=35764 The International School Ho Chi Minh City ¨C American Academy won the Safeguarding awards at the 2022 International School Awards for an initiative that protects students from abuse and trains international schools in child protection practices. Michael Tower, the school¡¯s Safeguarding Lead, shares details.

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By Michael Tower

The International School Ho Chi Minh City ¨C American Academy won the Safeguarding awards at the 2022 International School Awards for an initiative that protects students from abuse and trains international schools in child protection practices. Michael Tower, the school¡¯s Safeguarding Lead, shares details.

A common part of mandatory safeguarding training is a recounting of statistics on child abuse. The point often made is that child abuse is common. As international school leaders, it¡¯s important to reflect with staff on how aware we are of students in our community who have actually experienced abuse. Are we supporting students at the same rate as we know child abuse occurs in our communities? Often, students under-report abuse and are not receiving support for these overwhelming challenges. We know a variety of personal and academic challenges occur for these students, especially when the trauma remains unaddressed.

Enabling disclosure

At ISHCMC ¨C?American Academy, we embarked on a coordinated effort to empower students to disclose abuse. Every student in the school participated in a series of lessons to train them to recognise physical, sexual and emotional abuse. During the lessons, students learned how to protect themselves and their friends, as well as how the school would respond to a disclosure. In the lessons, we embedded a virtual platform that enabled students to privately disclose information to the counselling team. One middle school girl wrote during a lesson about sexual abuse, ¡°What if the abuser manipulates me and people around me? What if the abuser guilt trips me and/or makes me think it never happened?¡±. By directly asking students if they had experienced any of these traumas, the school was able to actively support students and families for difficulties that had lingered without intervention.

Hotspot mapping is a common contextual safeguarding practice that asks children to identify physical locations in the school where they feel unsafe. At ISHCMC ¨C?American Academy, we extended the scope of hotspot mapping to include online safety and social media, given so much of a student¡¯s social life takes place online. By directly asking students, we learned that 20% of our high school girls were solicited online for sexual videos and images. We also learned that on specific platforms like Omegle, middle school boys were being targeted for paid sexual exploitation. Student survey responses allowed us to immediately intervene in risky situations online, including uncovering a pattern of online sexual harassment of our high school girls from perpetrators in the city. Hotspot mapping the digital lives of our students also allowed us to build classroom lessons and deliver parent seminars on the specific risks our students face.

Readying staff to manage allegations

Many international schools operate in local contexts where there is not an effective child protection authority and community services to support a family in crisis. And yet, students and families still need intervention and support when abuse occurs. It is important to assess staff readiness to manage and support these challenging situations.

Teachers often have the closest relationships with students and need to be prepared to respond to students¡¯ disclosures of abuse. We worked with students to develop training focused on disclosing information to teachers to help them actively recognise allegations of abuse. This led to a culture of teachers actively recognising purposeful and accidental disclosures of abuse and alerting the counselling team to respond.

School counsellors can offer a variety of skill sets ¨C university and career advising, academic advising, social¨Cemotional counselling, and more. In the context of safeguarding, students disclosing abuse rely on a counsellor equipped with forensic interviewing skills to ascertain the facts of the abuse, interview alleged perpetrators and support parents with difficult conversations. Students and families in crisis also rely on a counsellor that can help navigate the short-term and long-term effects of trauma. ISHCMC ¨C American Academy has intentionally recruited counsellors with child protection skills to lead on safeguarding matters. This includes carrying out investigations, supporting students and families experiencing trauma, and training staff across the school.

The school has built the capacity to conduct child protection investigations with practices that meet the standard for legal review. One of these practices is the use of a multi-disciplinary crisis management team that collaboratively manages each child protection matter. This team brings together school leadership, counsellors, medical staff and legal advisors to navigate each case.

Building capacity in the international school community

We collaborate with designated safeguarding leads across Asia, including other schools in the Cognita Schools Group. For several years, we have offered training on forensic interviewing, crisis management and childhood trauma.

This training supports safeguarding leads to practice objective interviewing techniques with alleged victims and perpetrators, and develops their knowledge of how to ask about physical abuse, sexual abuse and emotional abuse for children of different ages. Counsellors often have varied educational and work backgrounds, and it¡¯s important to support their professional development.

The crisis management training we offer supports schools to establish a team that centrally manages safeguarding matters. We identify which school staff play a role in crisis management, and the protocol for team meetings. The protocol includes the documentation of facts, action steps and rationale for decisions for each matter. These practices ensure reliable investigations to address the disclosure, and also manage risks to the school when being involved in circumstances that may trigger police or consulate involvement.

Moving forward

We are beginning to establish a model of how to amplify student voices and disclosure in our context, though serious challenges remain about how to support students¡¯ increasing mental health needs. We are looking at ways to grow our ability to support recovery from trauma given the constraints of a school setting. We are also asking how we can ensure these efforts are sustainable over time and with staff turnover.

Every disclosure of abuse continues to be an opportunity for reflection of how we can enhance our child abuse prevention, intervene earlier and provide effective support to minimise the effects of trauma. Amplifying students¡¯ voices regarding their own protection will continue to drive how we navigate safeguarding students in our care.

5 steps towards effective support

  • Reflect: What is the frequency of child abuse disclosed by students, and what are the actual rates of abuse in your community?
  • Discuss: Do counselling and teaching staff believe they are prepared to respond to allegations of child abuse and support families?
  • Prepare: Consider the skills necessary to manage child abuse in your context, and ensure training is in place for staff.
  • Empower: Educate students on how to recognise child abuse and how the school will respond to disclosures. Include parents and raise awareness of the school¡¯s priority on child protection.
  • Track: Develop approaches to identify students who have experienced abuse, including peer-on-peer abuse, family violence and online exploitation.

Michael Tower is school-wide Safeguarding Lead and Clinical Specialist at Connect with

 

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Supporting students displaced by war /supporting-students-displaced-by-war/ Tue, 05 Apr 2022 12:51:34 +0000 /?p=35691 For the past five years, Amala has worked with young people who are displaced. Here are some things to keep in mind when receiving and supporting students displaced by war.

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By Polly Akhurst

For the past five years, Amala has worked with young people who are displaced. During this time, we have learned how much displaced youth value opportunities to continue their education. At the same time, we have seen the complex challenges that refugee children and young people often face.

Here are some things to keep in mind when receiving and supporting students displaced by war.

Trauma

Being displaced is traumatising. Often, it is only when a person is out of the traumatic situation that they are able to process what has happened to them. Entering into environments that are safe and supportive can often allow the trauma to emerge.

It is vitally important to consider what psychosocial support your school can provide, and whether this can be provided in the mother tongue of the student. Providing a scholarship may not be enough if it does not come with psychological support that will enable the student to heal in order to learn.

Insecurity

The home lives of students and their families who have been displaced by war can be very volatile. For students who have recently been displaced, housing and accommodation will likely be a huge concern. In addition to this, their parents may not be legally allowed to work, causing financial worries. This can result in complex home-life situations. If not addressed, financial concerns may mean that school-age children need to drop out of school to do low-wage jobs to support their parents.

It may be necessary to become more directly involved in finding ways to support the wider families of the students you are supporting by reaching out to your school community networks for accommodation and jobs.

Cultural adaptation

Displacement, as we have seen in the Ukraine¨CRussia war, can happen very suddenly. Unlike most students, it¡¯s important to keep in mind that displaced students will not have had time to consider the move to a new country.

It will take time for them to adapt to a new culture and situation, let alone a new language of learning which is often the case. First impressions count ¨C here, it is important to consider how your school makes these new students feel welcome and cared for right from the beginning.

The basics

Things we may think of as ¡®basic¡¯ ¨C for example, clothes, shoes, notepads, pens ¨C are things students may not have. Does your school have a swap shop or collection where students can access these items?

Take a holistic view

Our overall advice is to try to look at the student¡¯s reality holistically, considering carefully what they have experienced and the situation they will currently be living in. This will enable you to put in place the support a student will need to succeed.

Polly Akhurst is the Co-founder and Co-Executive Director of , a not-for-profit organisation that uses the power of education to transform the lives of refugees and their communities. Connect with Polly on

 

 

 

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Introducing progressive child protection /introducing-progressive-child-protection/ Fri, 03 Sep 2021 14:23:03 +0000 /?p=34955 The English School, Kuwait won the International School Awards Safeguarding Award 2021 for a?safeguarding initiative that?supports its entire international community?and that of the?wider?schools network throughout the country.??

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The English School, Kuwait won the International School Awards Safeguarding Award 2021 for a?safeguarding initiative that?supports its entire international community?and that of the?wider?schools network throughout the country.??

In 2016, Kuwait¡¯s Ministry of Health implemented the Kuwait National Child Protection Program. The introduction of these measures brought the conversation of safeguarding to a public arena for the first time in this conservative country. As the strategy gained attention,?The English School recognised the opportunity to support this paradigm shift in understanding,?and took the decision to be accountable for promoting and embedding the agenda across our community.?

Safeguarding within an international context?

There are several factors that make the potential risks and possible harm to children more likely within an international school community, but the likelihood of disclosures or reporting are rarer. Often,?discussions about how to safeguard children in the Gulf revert to stereotypical views of the region’s religious and cultural attitudes. Less known is the positive change in mindset that is becoming more prevalent due to the realities of?a?modern?and international?life.?

The often unspoken challenges of international school communities?include:?the mobility of families and the possibility of children going missing in education; staff turnover and the importance of safer recruitment; and the vast array of conflicting cultural viewpoints due to diversity and the importance of developing a shared understanding about abuse and neglect.?

Although we are a British school, we are also an international school in Kuwait?with many nationalities within our school community, so?when planning our safeguarding initiative,?we?knew we?could not simply?base it on?British values.?However, there is no comparable term?or?position for being international. Therefore,?our?school¡¯s ethos and values?¨C?that we consider keeping children safe and well as the prerequisite for healthy development and effective learning?¨C?underpinned our?core purpose.??

Developing?a?sustainable safeguarding?programme??

We adopted?a three-point approach?to our initiative?in order to raise the profile of safeguarding within the school community,?targeting training, systems, and?introducing a?curriculum to educate children to keep themselves safe from harm.?

The first stage was to improve the quality and frequency of safeguarding training. Initially, this was aimed at staff. When this became an area of strength, the school extended training to our parents through?parent?partnership workshops,?and to the wider community by training the British Council of Kuwait staff.?

The second stage was to improve and enhance our safeguarding systems. An audit identified the need to redraft relevant policies and redesign procedures to improve efficiencies, including acquiring Breezy, a robust HR system. Beyond reshaping our internal practices, a barrier to achieving stronger systems was the shortage of guidance and support available to schools, and the lack of a joined-up inter-agency approach to prevention. Kuwait, unlike the UK, does not have a safeguarding infrastructure such as local authorities and safeguarding boards. Therefore,?setting up a?designated?safeguarding?lead?support network for BSME schools?within Kuwait?(of which we are a member)?was fundamental.?This was named the Safeguarding Forum.?

The final stage was to design our own progressive educational programme.??

From plan to reality?

The school¡¯s governing body was supportive of the initiative, but from the onset were keen for us to work within the parameters of?Kuwait¡¯s?Ministry of Education.?We developed a positive relationship with the Kuwait National Child Protection Team including its Director of Child Protection in the Ministry of Health, Dr Mona Al-Khawari. This helped to evolve our initial idea to an approach that we felt could make a difference to children and?designated?safeguarding?leads within Kuwait.?

At the heart of the initiative is our pupils. In Pre-Prep, we designed a programme called REACH (respect, emotions, authority, care, help). This child-centred strategy involved teaching children to take an active role in keeping themselves and others safe and protected from harm. We wanted to equip our pupils with the knowledge, skills and understanding to identify potential risks and to seek support from a trusted adult if needed.??

In Prep, our pupils took ownership of leading and delivering a strategy around online safety. The programme also linked to the school¡¯s vision to be a fully integrated e-learning school and therefore targeted two core aspects of our school development plan.?Students?took a central role in creating resources and?delivering?training for their peers and their parents, led by a group of pupils called the IT Crew.?

Communicating the agenda successfully through adult and pupil-led?parent partnership workshops?to obtain parental buy-in was important. The school discussed the rationale, content and delivery, and the vocabulary?and?terms. To our surprise, parents were open and supportive of the programme. There was a shared view about potential risks, including peer-on-peer. Inherently, parents saw the benefit in educating all pupils to instil the core concepts behind the REACH and IT Crew strategies.??

Our REACH programme taught pupils how to use values like respect, integrity, empathy, and confidence through our focus on emotions and authority to develop a sense of right and wrong, and decision-making. Additionally, the IT Crew exhibited confidence and positivity in their ability to train pupils and parents about the strengths and weaknesses of online technologies.?

Community engagement and sustainability?

The greatest challenge has been cultural perspectives that conflict with the essence of our safeguarding agenda. The assumption is that Kuwait views this subject as taboo. However, the reality is that the tide is turning through the efforts of organisations like ours and we have seen a willingness to create a positive change.??

As a result of organising the Safeguarding Forum, we became aware that other schools within Kuwait were not covering this important topic and had been reluctant to do so due to a fear of the subject, its taboos, and the lack of support structure around it. However, they were keen to see how we?would deliver this learning, and openly declared they would follow our lead and use the school¡¯s resources and support. Although standing alone was a scary position, we became a forerunner in addressing and educating children about safeguarding and mobilising other schools.?

Pre-empting and addressing cultural clashes of opinion from non-Kuwaiti families is harder. Nevertheless, opening the channel of communication is unprecedented in Kuwait and is a significant achievement.?

The programme is in its infancy and has been stalled by many months of school closures and a period of e-learning. However, the momentum and support are still strong. There is scope to introduce further safeguarding areas in the future, but it is also important to embed those that have already been launched.?

Further staff training on what can be considered a sensitive subject is required. Moreover, safeguarding is a continuous process that requires regular review and development. It is important that it remains a talking point and all stakeholders grow in confidence?in?recognising signs and symptoms and following?correct procedures. Addressing the cultural barriers will be an ongoing challenge that is amplified by a high turnover of our community. Establishing a self-regulating system to disseminate safer practices from our long-standing school community members to our newer members will be key to the initiative’s sustainability.?

Advice?
  1. Consider?your school¡¯s?context.?This will shape everything else.??
  2. Use an?audit?to inform an?action plan.?
  3. Develop a shared expectation.?
  4. Get stakeholders involved, especially students.?
  5. Keep the safeguarding profile high?through?discussions, support, and ongoing training.?

 

 

 

 

Alison Peterson is Head?teacher and Tracey Francis is the designated safeguarding lead and Head of Pre-Prep at?. Connect with Alison on???

 

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