The health, mental health and wellbeing of the students entrusted into our care is of the utmost importance. Every student should feel safe, cared for and advocated for.

ISA is committed to safeguarding all students’ wellbeing in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which sets out the rights that need to be realised for children to develop their full potential, free from hunger and want, neglect and abuse. 

In addition, ISA adheres to the standards in child protection set out by the school’s accreditation agencies and follows the principles set out by the International Task Force on Child Protection (ITFCP):

• All children have equal rights to be protected from harm and abuse.
• Everybody has a responsibility to support the protection of children.
• All schools have a responsibility to build a community that values diversity, equity and inclusion for each child.
• All schools have a duty of care to children enrolled in the school and those who are affected by the operations of the school.
• All actions on child protection are taken with the best interests of the child, which are paramount.

All faculty and staff at ISA share this responsibility. They receive annual training in child protection and are expected to be attentive to signs that may indicate self-harm, child on child abuse, domestic violence, child abuse, or neglect and to respond effectively to these signs.  In addition the school holds itself to a high standard of effective safe recruiting practices with specific attention to child protection. This includes – but is not limited to:

• checks to verify the candidate’s identity;
• checks on employment history and education qualifications;
• completing reference checks with provided referees (to include current supervisor) that include questions on suitability to work with children;
• a criminal background check.

Successful candidates are required to renew their criminal background check at regular intervals.

Child safeguarding describes the actions taken to promote children’s welfare and protect them from harm. It means:

• protecting children from abuse or maltreatment
• preventing harm to children’s health or development
• ensuring that children grow up in a safe environment with effective care
• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes
• providing children with education about their own rights and how to keep safe

Child protection is part of the safeguarding process. It focuses on protecting individual children who are identified as suffering from harm or are at risk of harm.  ISA’s child protection policies and procedures apply to all enrolled students (including those who are 18 years of age or above) and other children who may be at risk of harm such as siblings who may not be enrolled at ISA.