An essential part of Dan Furness' role is answering our member questions about safeguarding and well-being. Low-level concerns is a common topic. Here's some guidance.

How do international schools maintain high-quality records of safeguarding and behaviour concerns while protecting and upholding students’ right to privacy and secure data protection? The International Task Force on Child Protection invites international school colleagues to contribute to a survey on practice in this area.

‘Every generation's experience of youth is different. And ours is framed by social media.’ The quote is from a speech by a 14-year-old keynote speaker at a Childnet Safer Internet Day event in 2023. It makes it clear that young people have a unique experience to share. It's vital that we promote student agency and include their voices in our work to ensure they have the skills to navigate the online world safely, especially in the context of a rapidly changing tech world.

When students know you care about the issues affecting them online and can guide them with up-to-date and engaging online safety education, the space for discussion and support begins to take shape. Here are resources to help.

As international schools continue to expand their horizons with off-site educational trips, the importance of student safety during these excursions has never been more important. Leila Holmyard outlines ten practical steps all schools can follow to ensure off-site adventures are not only educational and enriching but also safe and secure.

As we reflect on the past year, it's with a sense of pride that we share the milestones and innovations that have marked our journey. 

In schools worldwide, educators and staff members play a critical role in promoting the well-being of students. One pressing concern that schools must address is self-harm among students. Self-harm is a complex issue that demands a sensitive and informed approach that takes account of your school’s culture and context.

We're hearing that schools are increasingly concerned about suicidal ideation and the risk of suicide in their communities, especially since the pandemic. Leila Holmyard outlines some resources and guidance around prevention, response and policies.

Safeguarding in international schools is often complex. Child protection concerns must be handled sensitively and in accordance with local laws as well as international standards. When school leaders proactively identify legal mechanisms and requirements that impact safeguarding, they can better respond to concerns when they arise. We offer ten legal questions that schools can explore proactively and advice on how to find the answers to these questions in your context. 

Educational institutions have long explored methods to respond to student behavioural issues, interpersonal conflicts, and student/staff tensions in the classroom and beyond. Restorative practices offer an alternative approach, looking through a lens of harm, accountability, and restoration.

We asked two specialists about the challenges facing our community related to child protection and safeguarding right now (and what our workshops can do to help).

From cyberbullying to social networking to digital identity, Safer Internet Day each February aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and current concerns.

Explore seven key texts plus supporting evidence and resources from Alysa M Perreras and Dr Emily Meadows who look at safeguarding through an equity lens. They guide schools to build more robust protections against harm in schools and strengthen existing child safeguarding measures.

As we update our CIS Safeguarding and Governance Briefing for 2022, Leila Holmyard looks at some unique considerations for schools to take into account when planning safeguarding training for their board.

Amazing work has been achieved by the International Taskforce on Child Protection volunteers since they joined together in 2014. Jane Larsson highlights the breadth of experience they contribute and the opportunity to get involved and further expand the pool of knowledge.

Part three of a blog series to unpack well-being in international education welcomes student voice and perspective as a mini-case study to shine a light on what’s truly important when it comes to their well-being.

'Being LGBTQ+ isn’t a risk factor for anything, but stigma and discrimination creates risks.' More than ever, schools and universities recognise the importance of safeguarding their staff and students. Learn about three areas to address for schools seeking to become truly inclusive, plus an insightful case study.

Educational visits and outdoor learning play an extremely important role within a school community, enriching the educational programme and helping to develop students’ self-confidence, character, resilience and positive relationships with peers and adults. Jake Wiid explains the importance of an Educational Visits Coordinator role and how it could be a key part of your community.

Checking on the well-being of our students and staff is one of the most important responsibilities of educational leaders, especially when cultural norms and a lack of inclusion and diversity may prevent them from speaking up and asking for support.

Imagine the scenario. A 16-year student sobbing in a school teacher’s classroom because on the surface it would appear that he is struggling to cope with the stress of his first semester school examinations. Then you discover that this young man has a known history of anxiety and lost contact with his professional support when he transitioned between international schools and countries. Natasha Winnard gives valuable advice to help schools and educators.