Safeguarding our Community

The welfare of our community is the school’s paramount concern. We believe that our school should provide a caring, positive, safe and stimulating environment that promotes the social and physical wellbeing of our community members. Clearly defined and developed policies and procedures pertaining community safety and wellbeing, sit at the very heart of our community welfare programme.

Child Protection

ISZL has adopted the definition of child abuse and neglect as defined by the World Health Organization: “Child abuse or maltreatment constitutes all forms of physical and/or emotional ill‐treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment (including failure to act to prevent harm) resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power.”

To support these beliefs, ISZL has developed a Child Protection Handbook, which includes our Child Protection Policy. All ISZL staff members are trained to Level 1 of the Travel Safe Child Protection Programme, with designated staff members receiving further training to Level 3 as part of their role as Child Protection Officers (CPO).

The aims of the policy are:

• To support the child’s development in ways that will foster security, confidence and independence.
• To provide an environment in which children and young people feel safe, secure, valued and respected, and feel confident, and know how to, approach adults if they are in difficulties, believing they will be effectively listened to.
• To raise the awareness of all teaching and non-teaching staff of the need to safeguard children and of their responsibilities in identifying and reporting possible cases of abuse.
• To provide a systematic means of monitoring children known or thought to be at risk of harm, and ensure we, the school, contribute to assessments of need and support packages for those children.
• To develop a structured procedure within the school which will be followed by all members of the school community in cases of suspected abuse.
• To develop and promote effective working relationships with other agencies, especially the Police and Social Care.
• To ensure that all staff who have contact with children within our school have been checked as to their suitability, including overseas police checks where necessary.

To read more, access the full Child Protection Handbook.