All about safeguarding

If you are looking for a position in an international school, it is good to form a full understanding of safeguarding. 

Simply put, safeguarding is ensuring all members of staff are actively keeping the students safe at all times, ensuring the appropriate polices and procedures are followed. Safeguarding ensures the well-being and health of every student is taken into consideration and allows vulnerable people to live without harm, neglect and abuse.

Safeguarding is a term used in the UK and Ireland, so is predominantly used in the British international schools.

Safeguarding includes staff raising concerns when necessary, working with other agencies and organisations to ensure children are protected, and promoting wellbeing and awareness within the classroom environment and school.

If you are interviewing or are taking a job at a British international school, it is essential to be aware of what safeguarding is, and how it will effect to you as a teacher.

Safeguarding covers:

- Protection of children from maltreatment

• Preventing anything that impairs a child’s growth or development

• Ensuring that all children have the opportunity to grow up in an environment consistent with safe and effective care.

• Ensuring action is taking to allow all children to have the best possible outcome.

Schools will have the policies and procedures in place to ensure that safeguarding is a top priority.

An overview of a school that successfully prioritises safeguarding will:

• Always act in the children’s best interests

• Listen and respect all children

• Consider the child when making decisions that involve them

• Never tolerate bullying, racism, homophobia, sexism and any other forms of discrimination

• Ensure the curriculum offers opportunities for children to learn how they can keep themselves safe

• Keep clear child protection records

• Ensuring teachers and staff members know how to escalate concerns about a student or staff member

• Dealing correctly with any allegations/concerns about other staff

… along with other factors taken into consideration.

We hope this gives you an introduction into understanding what safeguarding is all about. Here are some great British schools across China looking for teachers: