Our Commitment To Safeguarding
At AFNORTH International School, our first priority is the safety and welfare of our pupils. We have clear systems and processes in school to ensure all members of our school community understand their duties and responsibilities in safeguarding our children. Our staff are committed to ensuring our children are safe, happy and nurtured at all times.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play. In order to fulfil this responsibility effectively, all practitioners should make sure their approach is child-centred. This means that they should consider, at all times, what is in the best interests of the child. No single practitioner can have a full picture of a child’s needs and circumstances. If children and families are to receive the right help at the right time, everyone who comes into contact with them has a role to play in identifying concerns, sharing information and taking prompt action.
Designated Safeguarding Leads
Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is Sheena Macleod
Our Deputy DSL is Peter Brown
Our SGC member with a safeguarding responsibility is Dr Shona Johnston // WO Julian Spalding
All members of the safeguarding team can be contacted via the school office.
Safeguarding in practice
We actively undertake our safeguarding commitment in a number of practical ways – these include:
Our staff
Our children
Site safety
MyConcern
Sometimes we need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child’s welfare. We use MyConcern (an online reporting tool) to record logs or concerns about children which may contribute to safeguarding information. These may include behaviour, attendance, information shared by parents etc. We will ensure that our concerns about our children are discussed with parents/carers at an appropriate point, unless we have reason to believe that this would be contrary to their welfare.
Resources for parents and children
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/underwear-rule/
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect/bullying-and-cyberbullying/
Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing
Every adult at AFNORTH International School understands that they play a vital role in nurturing and supporting our children to feel valued, nurtured and cared for. We all also understand that there are times when children may need additional help or support to ensure they feel safe, secure and happy both at school and at home.
If you feel like your child may need additional support or you have a concern, please talk to your child’s class teacher. We can offer a range of support depending on your child’s needs. This may range from specific strategies applied in the classroom, or it may involve support from specialist staff in school or other agencies.