Safeguarding and Child Protection

Safeguarding and Child protection is something we take very seriously at ISBe. We are committed to our duty to safeguard and promote the welfare and wellbeing of children and young people in our care and those who work in the school. Through our work we aim to ensure a safe learning and working environment for students, staff, parents and visitors alike. Safeguarding is part of the culture of the ISBe community and is the responsibility of all its members.

 When there are safeguarding concerns, staff communicate this to the school’s Designated Safeguarding Team, Sharon Short (Head of Primary), Karen Relf (Head of Secondary) and Gabor Kajli (PE teacher). It is also our aim to ensure that each student feels that they have a trusted adult that they can communicate their concerns or worries to.

There are occasions when our concern about a child may mean that we need to consult other agencies. We always aim to work in partnership with parents to ensure that the appropriate support and interventions are in place to support the child. We work hard to establish positive relationships with professionals outside of the International School of Belgium who can offer specialist support. We work closely with CHS in Antwerp and Brussels.

Our Personal, Social and Health Education lessons support the social and emotional aspects of our students’ learning and help them to identify and express when they are at risk. Our staff work closely to support students with specific concerns. We operate an open-door policy and encourage all students and parents to share concerns so that we can support them with appropriate interventions. Parent workshops are offered to provide an opportunity to learn about and discuss topical issues, such as cyber safety.

We actively promote a culture of care as a community. Supporting our positive emotions with mindfulness and our positive education program ensures that personal growth and happiness stay central to our mission.

 

Staff:

• Staff receive regular training and updates on their professional responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and child protection. Many teaching and classroom support staff hold a basic first aid qualification. Our school is supported by our arrangement with UZA in cases of emergency. A clear reporting system for concerns is in place and understood by all. We have an extensive CCP, excursions and residential trips program which allows our students to take their learning outside of the classroom. All activities are risk assessed, and health and safety are always our priority. We also have our emergency evacuation and lockdown processes in place.

Visitors:

• We welcome parents, families, and visitors to our school. However, access to the school site is closely monitored, with video cameras recording 24 hours a day. All adults who work with our students, including visiting professionals, are appropriately checked and / or supervised.

Safer Recruitment:

• Our recruitment procedures follow ‘Safer Recruitment’ guidelines. This process ensures that we have the best team of professionals working at ISBe. All staff must undertake police checks for all countries that they have resided in. This is supported by detailed application forms, reference checks and a robust interview process.