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Blog by Thomas Michael

Children are accessing social media and online content around the clock, unsupervised and at ages below the minimum age limit. It’s no wonder that teachers recently reported harsh wellbeing consequences of social media use in young people.

Young people now grow up with modern technology and tend to be digitally literate from a very young age – but how safe are they online? How do teachers and school staff safeguard against digital threats?

In an increasingly digital world, it's essential that children grow up knowing how to navigate the online world safely and in a way that they get the most out of it. Keep reading to find out how teachers can support this in schools. 

Ensuring the safety of children is a top priority for any school leader, especially when considering staff members who have worked or will work internationally. The International Child Protection Certificate (ICPC) is a crucial tool for verifying the backgrounds of individuals intending to work with children or vulnerable adults overseas.

International schools face significant safeguarding and child protection challenges. Serving communities from diverse cultural, legal, and societal backgrounds, these schools must navigate complex issues to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their students.

From the 26th October 2024, a new duty under the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 will require employers, including schools and colleges, to proactively prevent sexual harassment in their workplaces.

83% of international safeguarding leads are seeing an increase in safeguarding concerns compared to 5 years ago. With this rise in concerns, having a secure and reliable system for managing student wellbeing is more important than ever.

Buying online staff safeguarding training course by course? See how your school could benefit by subscribing to Tes Safeguarding.

Child protection is a critical concern for international schools, given the diverse backgrounds and unique challenges faced by their student populations. This blog post aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the fundamental principles and practices of child protection in international educational settings.

Recent concerns about widespread sexual violence and harassment among children highlight the urgent need for schools to adopt a zero-tolerance policy and a supportive approach. Two-thirds of girls and young women have experienced sexual harassment in school, underscoring the importance of addressing and preventing such behaviour to ensure a safe environment for all students.

Jennie Devine, head of primary and designated safeguarding lead at her international school in Spain, explains how she ensures all her staff know how to keep their students safe with our safeguarding and duty of care training package.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families and carers has a role to play. Here we explore the different roles and responsibilities in international schools and the importance of understanding the child welfare legislation in your own nation or territory.