Safeguarding Policy

iBOS Safeguarding Policy The aims of our school are:

• A school where teachers, staff, and students are expected to support and extend the atmosphere of respect, courtesy, the love of learning and the value of friendship that is held dear at iBOS.
• iBOS aims to develop students to become well-rounded individuals. We aim to empower our students with the best tools and resources, making them capable in following and achieving their dreams, to become valued members of our global societies, and to allow them to make a positive difference to the world, wherever they choose to progress to.
• Students leave iBOS prepared for university. They are confident, contributing, and caring members of the global community and they have embraced the challenge of our specialised education. They will have gained the values that equip them to make a positive contribution.

Responsibility of: The Principal

Date Ratified: 03 July 2025

Review Date: 03 July 2026

iBOS aims to assure a safe and secure education provision for all its students. All our staff must be aware of warning signs and their responsibility regarding safeguarding. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined for this guidance as:

• protecting children from maltreatment;
• preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development;
• ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care;
• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes. The school also recognizes its duties under:
• The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) under the Equality Act 2010
• The obligation to act in the best interests of the child in line with Article 3 of the UNCRC
• The importance of multi-agency working, including escalation where necessary through the Local Safeguarding Partnership We believe that every child, no matter their age or background has the right to feel safe and protected from any situation where they are at risk of physical or psychological damage. The school encourages students to talk about any concerns and encourages them to see the school as a safe place. Students’ worries and concerns will be taken seriously by iBOS; however, staff must make referrals if anything of concern is brought to their attention to the relevant agencies. Staff are encouraged to be vigilant and always act in the best interests of the student. iBOS will support every student in the following ways.
• The school ethos promotes a positive and secure environment for learning
• Making sure all students are aware of and follow the school behaviour policy
• Liaise with parents/carers to ensure the relevant local authority is aware that distance learning is being utilized.
• Where a matter comes to our attention, we will immediately notify the relevant agencies This policy has been developed in accordance with the principles established by the Children Acts

1. 1989 and 2004, and in line with the following:

• ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’- statutory guidance for schools and further education colleges - September 2023 KCSIE Sep 2023
• “Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018” - July 2018 Working Together

To Safeguard Children July 2018

• Information Sharing Guidance for Safeguarding Practitioners Information

Sharing Guidance - DfE July 2018

• Statutory Guidance issued under section 29 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security

Act - 2015 Prevent Duty Guidance

• Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment between Children in Schools and Colleges – May

1. 2018 Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment between Children in Schools and

Colleges

• The Equality Act - 2010 Equality Act 2010: guidance - GOV.UK
• The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
• What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused - March 2015 What to do if you are worried a child is being abused In our school, if we have suspicions that a child’s physical, sexual or emotional well-being is being, or is likely to be, harmed, or that they are being neglected or abused, we will follow the procedures set out by the statutory guidance for schools and colleges: Keeping children safe in education (January 2021), ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ Guidance July (2018), or if we come into contact with alleged or suspected cases of child abuse. We will also make sure the following is adhered to:
• Ensure teachers and other critical members of staff are an integral part of the safeguarding process
• Accept that safeguarding students is a priority for all members of staff
• Ensure all staff are fully trained to recognize the possibility that a student is at risk of suffering harm and know the procedures to follow to report suspicions to the relevant agencies
• Share our concerns with relevant agencies and keep records of our sharing of concerns
• Safeguard against instances of bullying and take steps to stop such bullying as soon as it has been brought to our attention The principal (Dr Farshad Mohammadi) has been designated as safeguarding lead for child protection. The vice-principal (Mr. Faizal Jaumbocus) will act as alternate leads on safeguarding. Policy objectives The overall aim of the policy is the safeguarding of students we are helping to educate. The emphasize of the policy is on prevention, through support and guidance. We perform full enhanced DBS checks to ensure nobody who is deemed unsuitable works with our students. Our prime consideration and responsibility are to the vulnerable student. We will ensure all staff have enough training to recognize key markers which may indicate abuse. Ensure all staff are fully aware of the referral procedures and ensure clear communication between the school and relevant agencies where a referral has been made.

Safeguarding

iBOS does all it can to ensure students are protected, we ensure all our staff undergo enhanced DBS checks and that they are carefully screened and supervised. We operate safe recruitment practices, including obtaining at least 2 references for all employees one of which is their last employer. Before employing anybody, the following checks are made.

• Personal contact is made with the referee to ensure suitability
• Enhanced DBS checks are taken out on the successful applicant- should there be a cause for concern any offer of employment will be immediately withdrawn
• Identity documents are checked

• Character references are drawn prior to employment being offered
• Previous employment history will be scrutinized, and any gaps accounted for. We keep records electronically on all staff, these records are stored at our offices at 156 Clapham Park Road, SW4 7DE, these records contain DBS check results as well as other details held on members of staff. All new starters are given an induction day, prior to starting their employment with iBOS with an overview of the organization, its aims and purposes. A full handbook is available to all staff setting out full procedures and processes for alerting relevant agencies where cases of abuse are suspected. All staff must have read and signed the following documents:
• The school’s code of conduct
• The school safeguarding policy As well as ensuring that we address child protection concerns we require staff to have read the schools
• Behavior policy
• Health and safety policy The school will use its best endeavors to contribute effectively to any inter-agency cases. We will strive to develop effective links with relevant agencies and cooperate with their enquiries regarding safeguarding matters. We will notify children and family services if we:
• Exclude a student either permanently or for a fixed term
• We have unexplained absences for a student on the child protection register Any member of staff who has access to information about a child or the child’s family must take all reasonable steps to ensure that such information is only disclosed on a need-to-know basis. Regardless of the duty to confidentiality, if any member of staff has reason to believe that a child is in danger or suffering harm, it is their duty to forward this information without delay to the designated member of staff for child protection. The school must ensure that professional behavior applies to relationships, between staff and students, and that all members of staff are clear on what constitutes appropriate behavior. As an online school, iBOS staff should be aware of the following potential dangers
• Sending and receiving messages through classroom software. All messages a member of staff should save all messages from a student they are concerned about.
• Dealing with sensitive issues
• Giving and receiving gifts from either a student or parent
• Contact students outside of the school software e.g. text, social media, email
• Disclosing personal details
• Meeting students outside of school Should any member of staff have any information relating to a student being abused in any way and fails to inform senior staff and the relevant agencies we will treat this as gross

misconduct and appropriate action will be taken. It is the duty of the Chair of Governors to liaise with relevant agencies if any allegations are made against the Principal. If there are concerns that issues are not being progressed expediently, staff/students/parents/carers should escalate concerns to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) via First Response. Protection procedures Any concerns should immediately be brought to the attention of the principal or in his absence the vice principal. Allegations of child abuse must take top priority and be referred immediately to the principal. The principal will then arrange for the following files to be obtained.

• Any sound or video files
• Lesson recordings
• Transcripts from the ‘private chat’ function Parents will be contacted should there be an incident (although if we feel students are in immediate danger this will take precedence). Any allegations of child abuse will be immediately be reported to the relevant authorities. Our staff must be mindful that an innocent action can be misinterpreted, and staff must take steps to protect themselves from any allegations. For the protection of the staff and students, all lessons are recorded and stored electronically. These recordings will be used during any investigation. If any allegations are made against any iBOS staff that they may have:
• Committed an offence against a child
• Placed a child at risk
• Behaved in an inappropriate manner Any students who are deemed as vulnerable will be subject to additional monitoring during their time at iBOS. We ensure that:
• We have a designated member of the Leadership Group who has undertaken appropriate training for the role. Our DSL / DDSLs will be required to update their training following the Learning Pathway agreed by government guidance.
• We have one other member of staff (DDSLs) who has also received training for the role of DSL. In the absence of an appropriately trained member of staff, the most senior member of staff on-site will assume this role.
• All adults (including supply teachers and volunteers) new to our school are made aware of the school’s policy and procedures for child protection and the name and contact details of the DSL/DDSLs. The DSL is responsible for:
• Managing referrals to statutory agencies including Children’s Services and the police

• Acting as a point of escalation when safeguarding concerns are not progressing via proper channels
• Ensuring staff training is updated regularly, at least annually
• Keeping detailed and secure records, ensuring they are appropriately retained and transferred when a student leaves All members of staff must complete regular safeguarding training, attend regular refresher training and partake in any training opportunities arranged or delivered by the DSL/DDSLs. Updates are shared with all staff throughout the year and a minimum of once a year. All parents/carers must be made aware of the school’s responsibilities regarding child protection procedures through this policy, which is available on our website. All staff, parents/carers and children are made aware of the school’s escalation process which can be activated in the event of concerns not being resolved after the first point of contact. We acknowledge that an individual’s safeguarding responsibility does not end once they have informed the DSL of any concerns, although specific details of further actions may be appropriately withheld by the DSL as information will only be shared on a need-to-know basis. Allegations against members of staff, including volunteers, are referred to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO). In all cases, the Chair of Governors must be notified and is responsible for ensuring the school complies with the Managing Allegations framework, including safeguarding against low-level concerns (as defined in KCSIE 2024). All concerns, even if not criminal, must be recorded and stored in a separate Low-Level Concerns Log.

Record Keeping

iBOS will ensure that full and accurate records are kept of any allegations and concerns for the welfare of students. These records will be kept in a secure online system with access restricted to only those members of staff who will be dealing with any investigation. iBOS will disclose any written information to parents relating to child protection matters unless it is deemed inappropriate to do so. If there have been past issues parents are encouraged to let the school know in full confidence. Notes of this nature will be held in a password-protected file. Warning signs Staff must immediately let the principal know if they notice a pattern of signs including:

• Poor attendance
• Change in behavior
• Health or emotional health concerns
• Bullying Any written reports must be
• Clear and concise
• Factual
• Non-judgmental

All staff must be aware of the following key aspects

• The principal is the designated safeguarding lead – in his absence the vice principal
• Promptly refer all cases of concern to the principal for referral to the relevant authorities
• Keeping accurate and secure records
• Pass records on to the parent as appropriate
• To keep up to date with current best practice regarding referrals for abuse. Students missing sessions At iBOS, we take students missing sessions with great seriousness. We recognize that all children are entitled to a full education. But that a child going missing from education is a potential red flag for abuse or neglect.
• We ensure our staff are watchful for the following signs
• Students cease to attend, not due to exclusion
• Students do not attend, and no medical reason is given as part of our duty of care iBOS will:
• Ensure absence reference is cross-referenced with risk assessments for children
• Ensure staff are trained on the warning signs to ensure timely and accurate victim identification

Domestic Abuse

iBOS is aware that living in a house of domestic abuse is frightening for a child. Children living in such an environment are likely to become victims of other abuses. Where staff have suspicions, abuse is occurring in the home they will be watchful for signs of students

• Becoming aggressive
• Displaying anti-social behavior
• Suffering from depression or anxiety
• Failing performance at school
• Not delivering homework assignments Where such concerns are noted, staff will refer their notes to the principal for review and further action.

Sexting

Sexting is the sending of obscene/pornographic materials to friends/other students on a mobile phone. Young people are often not aware of the potentially negative consequences of their actions, once such imagery has been sent. The sender once they have sent these images has no control over where they end up, potentially being seen by future employers. By having these images in their procession of a person under the age of 18 the sender is potentially breaking the law. Ibos is committed to ensuring that:

• All staff and students are aware of the criminal implications of sexting and the serious nature of such behavior
• Staff will treat any reports of sexting immediately and refer such reports to the principal
• Any students who are upset by such incidents are given appropriate support

E-Safety Online safety As a school that operates online, it is essential that children are safeguarded from potentially harmful and inappropriate online material. iBOS recognizes the benefits and opportunities that new technologies offer to teaching and learning. We encourage the use of technology to enhance skills and promote achievement. However, the accessible and global nature of the internet and the variety of technologies available mean that we are also aware of potential risks and challenges associated with such use. Our approach is to implement safeguards within the School and to support staff and learners to identify and manage risks independently. We believe this can be achieved through a combination of security measures, training and guidance and the implementation of our associated policies. In furtherance of our duty to safeguard learners and protect them from the risk posed by extremism and radicalization, we will do all that we can to make our learners and staff stay safe online and to satisfy our wider duty of care. The reporting responsibilities for e-safety follow the same lines of responsibility as the College Safeguarding.

All Staff

• Responsible for ensuring the safety of learners
• Must report any concerns or disclosures immediately to the Designated

Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

• Never offer assurance of confidentiality everything discussed must be reported
• Must keep to the terms and conditions of the IT Acceptable Use Policy at all times
• Must attend staff training on e-safety and display a model example to learners at all times.
• Must actively promote through embedded good e-safety practice.
• Must communicate with learners professionally and in line with the school’s ethos All staff must also be alert to the emergence of deepfake technology, AI-generated harassment, and the misuse of synthetic imagery or voice replication. Online risks will be addressed through PSHE and media literacy components embedded across the curriculum.

Cyber Security

iBOS IT systems and the School’s Information Security Management System is certified to meet the following Information Security and Cyber Security standards:

• ISO 27001 – Information Security
• Cyber Essentials Scheme These standards are regularly reviewed by independent experts providing staff, pupils and stakeholders reassurance that the iBOS IT system’s cyber security follows the highest levels of best practice. Any breach of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 including all forms of hacking or acquiring/accessing someone else’s digital identity is a criminal offence and will be referred to the school’s disciplinary procedure, and sent to the police for investigation. The school has robust filters and monitoring systems in line with KCSIE 2024. Staff are trained to identify signs of harm caused via digital means, including:
• Exposure to inappropriate, extremist or abusive content
• Online grooming or coercion

• Persistent low mood, withdrawal or school avoidance linked to online experiences

Training

Pupils will be provided with e-safety guidance by personal tutors during PSHE and have access to e-safety information on the Student portal. Tutorial planning will include appropriate and relevant e-safety guidance for learners. The PSHE programme will also ensure learners consider their digital footprint in both a personal and professional context. Issues associated with E-safety apply across the curriculum and learners should receive guidance on what precautions and safeguards are appropriate when making use of the internet and mobile technologies. Learners should also know what to do and who to talk to where they have concerns about inappropriate content, either where that material is directed to them, or where it is discovered as part of a random search. A link to the school e-safety expectations will appear when users first log on to the school network as well as highlighting e-safety themes within PSHE and awareness campaigns throughout the academic year. Within classes, learners will be encouraged to question the validity and reliability of materials researched, viewed or downloaded. They will also be encouraged to respect the copyright of other parties and to cite references properly. Staff will receive an introductory session for digital learning/working systems and environments within the induction period. This introductory session will signpost the E-Safety Policy and provide an overview for academic staff. Formal agreement to the expectations and terms will be managed by the Human Resources department. Each member of staff must record the date of the training attended on their CPD calendar. Any new or temporary users will also be asked to sign the college Staff IT Policy. Education at home Where children are learning online at home the DfE has provided advice to support schools to do so safely, see safeguarding-and-remote-education. All staff are aware of the school’s policy relating to acceptable use of ICT and expectations relating to:

• Creating a safer Online learning environment,
• Giving everyone the skills, knowledge and understanding to help children stay safe online, question the information they are accessing and support the development of critical thinking,
• Inspiring safe and responsible use of mobile technologies, to combat behaviours online which may make students vulnerable, including sexting (youth-produced sexual imagery),
• Use of mobile technology both within the school and during educational visits,
• Use of camera equipment, including smartphones,
• What steps to take if there are concerns and where to go for help
• Staff use of social media Cyberbullying by children, via texts, social media and emails, will be treated as seriously as any other type of bullying and will be managed through our anti-bullying procedures. This includes sexting and image exchange under threat or through coercion.

Students, staff and parents/carers are supported to understand the risks posed by:

• the CONTENT accessed by students
• their CONDUCT on-line
• and who they have CONTACT with in the digital world
• The risk of COMMERCE i.e. Online gambling, inappropriate advertising, Phishing or Financial Scams. Sending nude or semi-nude images Sending nude images or semi-nude images, is one of a number of ‘risk-taking’ behaviors associated with the use of digital technologies, social media or the internet. It is accepted that children experiment and challenge boundaries and therefore the risks associated with ‘online’ activity can never be completely eliminated. Further advice and guidance can be found using the link below: Sharing nudes and semi-nudes Staff, students and families are supported, via training, to understand the creation and sharing of sexual imagery, such as photos or videos, of under 18s is illegal. This includes images of students themselves if they are under the age of 18. Any youth produced sexual imagery disclosures will follow the normal safeguarding practices and protocols for our school. We will also use the guidelines for responding to incidents, as set out in: Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) produced by the UK Council for Internet Safety. If the incident meets the threshold, it may be necessary to refer to the police in a timely manner; contact will be through a safer schools’ officer, a PCSO (Police Community Support Officer), local neighborhood police or by dialing 101. We will always endeavor to speak to the families of the students involved prior to any report being made to the police. Child on child abuse iBOS believes that all children have a right to attend school and learn in a safe environment free from harm by both adults and other students. We recognize that children are capable of abusing their peers. Abuse will never be tolerated or passed off as “banter”, “just having a laugh” or “part of growing up”, as this can lead to a culture of unacceptable behaviors and an unsafe environment for students. We also recognize the gendered nature of child-on-child abuse. However, all child-on-child abuse is unacceptable and will be taken seriously. Most cases of students hurting other students will be dealt with under our iBOS’s behavior policy, but this child protection and safeguarding policy will apply to any allegations that raise safeguarding concerns. This might include where the alleged behavior is:
• Is serious, and potentially a criminal offence in British law
• Could put students in the school at risk
• Is violent
• Involves students being forced to use drugs or alcohol
• Involves sexual exploitation, sexual abuse or sexual harassment, such as indecent exposure, sexual assault, upskirting or sexually inappropriate pictures or videos (including the sharing of nudes and semi- nudes)

All staff operate a zero-tolerance policy to child on child abuse and will not pass off incidents as ‘banter’ or ‘just growing up’. All staff recognize that child on child issues may include, but may not be limited to:

• Bullying (including cyber bullying)
• Racial abuse
• Sexual violence and sexual harassment
• Causing someone to engage in sexual activity without consent, such as forcing someone to strip, touch themselves sexually, or to engage in sexual activity with a third party
• Abuse related to sexual orientation or identity
• Sending nude or semi-nude images (consensual & non-consensual) Up skirting and initiation/hazing type violence and rituals The DSL will ensure all allegations are risk assessed using a clear template and a chronology of concern is kept. A copy of this will be retained in the student’s safeguarding file. All victims will be offered trauma-informed support. Emotional abuse Abuse within intimate partner relationships: All staff should be able to reassure victims that they are being taken seriously and that they will be supported and kept safe. The following will be considered when dealing with incidents: Whether there is a large difference in power between the victim and perpetrator i.e. size, age, ability, perceived social status or vulnerabilities, including SEND, CP/CIN or LAC
• Whether the perpetrator has previously tried to harm or intimidate students
• You must record the allegation and tell the DSL, but do not investigate it
• Any concerns about the intentions of the alleged perpetrator o Procedures for dealing with allegations of child-on-child abuse o If a student makes an allegation of abuse against another student:
• The DSL will contact the local authority children’s social care team and follow its advice, as well as the police if the allegation involves a potential criminal offence
• The DSL will put a risk assessment and support plan into place for all children involved (including the victim(s), the child(ren) against whom the allegation has been made and any others affected) with a named person they can talk to if needed.
• The DSL will contact the children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), if appropriate for UK based students, or other appropriate bodies for non UK students
• If the incident is a criminal offence and there are delays in the criminal process, the DSL will work closely with the police (and other agencies as required) while protecting children and/or taking any disciplinary measures against the alleged perpetrator. We will ask the police if we have any questions about the investigation.

In order to minimize the risk of child on child abuse taking place, iBOS must:

• Deliver RE/RSE/PSHE to include teaching pupils about how to keep safe and understanding what acceptable behaviour looks like
• Ensure that students know that all members of staff will listen to them if they have concerns and will act upon them
• Have systems in place for any student to be able to voice concerns
• Develop robust risk assessments if appropriate
• Challenge any form of derogatory or sexualized language or inappropriate behavior between peers, including requesting or sending sexual images
• Be vigilant to issues that particularly affect different genders – for example, sexualized comments towards female students, and initiation or hazing type violence with respect to boys
• Ensure our curriculum helps to educate students about appropriate behavior and consent
• Ensure students are able to easily and confidently report abuse using our reporting systems
• Ensure staff reassure victims that they are being taken seriously
• Be alert to reports of sexual violence and/or harassment that may point to environmental or systemic problems that could be addressed by updating policies, processes and the curriculum, or could reflect wider issues in the local area that should be shared with staff
• Support children who have witnessed sexual violence, especially rape or assault by penetration. We will do all we can to make sure the victim, alleged perpetrator(s) and any witnesses are not bullied or harassed
• Consider intra familial harms and any necessary support for siblings following a report of sexual violence and/or harassment Ensure staff are trained to understand:

1. 1. How to recognize the indicators and signs of child-on-child abuse, and know how to identify it and respond to reports
2. 2. That even if there are no reports of child-on-child abuse in school, it does not mean it is not happening – staff should maintain an attitude of “it could happen here”
3. 3. If they have any concerns about a child’s welfare, they should act on them immediately rather than wait to be told, and that victims may not always make a direct report. For example:

• Children can show signs or act in ways they hope adults will notice and react to A friend may make a report
• A member of staff may overhear a conversation
• A child’s behavior might indicate that something is wrong That certain children may face additional barriers to telling someone because of their vulnerability, disability, gender, ethnicity and/or sexual orientation. That a pupil harming a peer could be a sign that the child is being abused themselves, and that this would fall under the scope of this policy.

The important role they have to play in preventing child-on-child abuse and responding where they believe a child may be at risk from it. That they should speak to the DSL if they have any concerns. That social media is likely to play a role in the fall-out from any incident or alleged incident, including for potential contact between the victim, alleged perpetrator(s) and friends from either side. The DSL will take the lead role in any disciplining of the alleged perpetrator(s). We will provide support at the same time as taking any disciplinary action. Disciplinary action can be taken while other investigations are going on, e.g. by the police. The fact that another body is investigating or has investigated an incident doesn’t (in itself) prevent our School from coming to its own conclusion about what happened and imposing a penalty accordingly. We will consider these matters on a case-by-case basis, taking into account whether:

• Taking action would prejudice an investigation and/or subsequent prosecution – we will liaise with the police and/or LA children’s social care to determine this
• There are circumstances that make it unreasonable or irrational for us to reach our own view about what happened while an independent investigation is ongoing
• Refer to any other relevant policies when dealing with incidents, such as the Online Behavior and Etiquette Policy and/or the Anti-Bullying Policy Sharing of nudes and semi-nudes (‘sexting’) Your responsibilities when responding to an incident If you are made aware of an incident involving the consensual or non-consensual sharing of nude or semi-nude images/videos (also known as ‘sexting’ or ‘youth produced sexual imagery’), you must report it to the DSL immediately. You must not:
• View, copy, print, share, store or save the imagery yourself, or ask a student to share or download it (if you have already viewed the imagery by accident, you must report this to the DSL)
• Delete the imagery or ask the student to delete it
• Ask the student(s) who are involved in the incident to disclose information regarding the imagery (this is the DSL’s responsibility)
• Share information about the incident with other members of staff, the student(s) it involves or their, or other, family and/or carers
• Say or do anything to blame or shame any young people involved
• You should explain that you need to report the incident, and reassure the student(s) that they will receive support and help from the DSL.
• Initial review meeting Following a report of an incident, the DSL will hold an initial review meeting with appropriate staff – this may include the staff member who reported the incident and the safeguarding or leadership team that deals with safeguarding concerns. This meeting will consider the initial evidence and aim to determine:
• Whether there is an immediate risk to student(s)
• If a referral needs to be made to the police and/or children’s social care
• If it is necessary to view the image(s) in order to safeguard the young person (in most cases, images or videos should not be viewed)

• What further information is required to decide on the best response
• Whether the image(s) has been shared widely and via what services and/or platforms (this may be unknown)
• Whether immediate action should be taken to delete or remove images or videos from devices or online services
• Any relevant facts about the student involved which would influence risk assessment
• If there is a need to contact another school, college, setting or individual
• Whether to contact family or carers of the student involved (in most cases family/carers should be involved) The DSL will make an immediate referral to police and/or children’s social care if:
• The incident involves an adult
• There is reason to believe that a young person has been coerced, blackmailed or groomed, or if there are concerns about their capacity to consent (for example, owing to special educational needs)
• What the DSL knows about the images or videos suggests the content depicts sexual acts which are unusual for the young person’s developmental stage, or are violent
• The imagery involves sexual acts and any student in the images or videos is under 13
• The DSL has reason to believe a student is at immediate risk of harm owing to the sharing of nudes and semi-nudes (for example, the young person is presenting as suicidal or self-harming) If none of the above apply then the DSL, in consultation with the headteacher and other members of staff as appropriate, may decide to respond to the incident without involving the police or children’s social care. The decision will be made and recorded in line with the procedures set out in this policy. Further review by the DSL If at the initial review stage, a decision has been made not to refer to police and/or children’s social care, the DSL will conduct a further review to establish the facts and assess the risks. They will hold interviews with the students involved (if appropriate). If at any point in the process there is a concern that a student has been harmed or is at risk of harm, a referral will be made to children’s social care and/or the police immediately. Informing parents/carers The DSL will inform families/carers at an early stage and keep them involved in the process, unless there is a good reason to believe that involving them would put the student at risk of harm. Referring to the police If it is necessary to refer an incident to the police, this will be done through the Safer Schools Officer/101/999, or the local body where the student(s) are based.

safRecording incidents All incidents of sharing of nudes and semi-nudes, and the decisions made in responding to them, will be recorded. The record-keeping arrangements set out in this policy also apply to recording these incidents. Curriculum coverage Students are taught about the issues surrounding the sharing of nudes and semi-nudes as part of our PSHE curriculum and computing programmers. Teaching covers the following in relation to the sharing of nudes and semi-nudes:

• What it is
• How it is most likely to be encountered
• The consequences of requesting, forwarding or providing such images, including when it is and is not abusive and when it may be deemed as online sexual harassment
• Issues of legality
• The risk of damage to people’s feelings and reputation
• Pupils also learn the strategies and skills needed to manage:
• Specific requests or pressure to provide (or forward) such images
• The receipt of such images This policy on the sharing of nudes and semi-nudes is also shared with students so they are aware of the processes iBOS will follow in the event of an incident. Additionally we recognize that ‘Upskirting’ involves taking a photograph under an individual’s clothing without their knowledge. We understand that it causes the victim distress and humiliation and that any gender can be a victim. Staff recognize that ‘Upskirting’ is a criminal offence and must promptly report any such incidents to the Headteacher, DSL or most senior member of staff. Reference will be made to the following government guidance and part 5 of the Keeping Children Safe in Education, Sept 2023 to ensure that all staff have an understanding of the serious nature of sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools. Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges (publishing.service.gov.uk) Online safety The use of technology has become a significant component of many safeguarding issues. Child sexual exploitation; radicalization; sexual predation: technology often provides the platform that facilitates harm. An effective approach to online safety empowers a school or college to protect and educate the whole school or college community in their use of technology and establishes mechanisms to identify, intervene in, and escalate any incident where appropriate. The breadth of issues classified within online safety is considerable, but can be categorized into four areas of risk:

• content: being exposed to illegal, inappropriate or harmful material; for example pornography, fake news, racist or radical and extremist views;
• contact: being subjected to harmful online interaction with other users; for example commercial advertising as well as adults posing as children or young adults; and
• conduct: personal online behaviour that increases the likelihood of, or causes, harm; for example, making, sending and receiving explicit images, or online bullying
• commerce: being exposed to content about Online gambling, inappropriate advertising, Phishing or Financial Scams Safeguarding international students Given the nature of students at iBOS, it is imperative that all our students have access to and are covered by the same safeguarding expectations we have of all our students. International students will be safeguarded following what is detailed by the DfE as Good practice.
• iBOS is in close contact with the embassies of all countries within which our students reside
• iBOS is in close contact with the British consulate and council within the regions within which our students reside
• iBOS is in contact with the different local authorities, including the local police and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, within which our students reside
• Any issues will be dealt with following the rules and regulations outlined by the said authorities in the respected countries, for keeping children safe. iBOS follows the NSPCC guideline regarding Safeguarding and Child protection in schools. For overseas safeguarding concerns, iBOS retains ultimate accountability. Referrals will be triaged in coordination with local consular authorities and child protection bodies in each jurisdiction. A dedicated International DSL Link Officer will oversee these cases. The DSL remains the safeguarding lead for all iBOS students, regardless of residence. In cross- jurisdictional cases, safeguarding must be escalated to:
• Local embassy/consular protection teams
• Relevant country-specific child protection agencies, where practical
• Documented attempts to report where laws do not align

Cultural Issues

As a school, we are aware of the cultural diversity of the community around us and work sensitively to address the unique culture of our students and their families as they relate to safeguarding and child protection. This includes children at risk of harm from abuse arising from culture, faith and belief on the part of their parent, carer or the wider community. Staff must report concerns about abuse linked to culture, faith and beliefs in the same way as other child protection concerns.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying may be defined as ‘the use of electronic communication, particularly mobile phones and the internet, to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature: children and adults may be reluctant to admit to being the victims of cyberbullying.’ It can take several different forms: threats and intimidation, harassment or ‘cyber- stalking’ (e.g. repeatedly sending unwanted texts or instant messages), sexting (e.g. sending and receiving sexually explicit messages, primarily between mobile phones) vilification/defamation, exclusion/peer rejection, impersonation, unauthorized publication of private information/images and ‘trolling’ (abusing the internet to provoke or offend others online). It can be an extension of face-to-face bullying, with technology providing the bully with another route to harass their target. However, it differs from other forms of bullying in several significant ways:

• by facilitating a far more extreme invasion of personal space. Cyberbullying can take place at any time and intrude into spaces that have previously been regarded as safe and personal.
• the potential for anonymity on the part of the bully. This can be extremely distressing for the victim
• the potential for the bully to play very rapidly to a larger audience so the scale and scope of cyberbullying can be greater than for other forms of bullying.
• through the knowledge that the data is in the worldwide domain, disproportionately amplifying the negative effect on the victim, even though the bully may feel his / her actual actions had been no worse than conventional forms of bullying
• the difficulty in controlling electronically circulated messages as more people get drawn in as accessories. By passing on a humiliating picture or message a bystander becomes an accessory to the bullying.
• the profile of the bully and target can be different to other forms of bullying as cyberbullying can take place between peers and across generations. Teachers can be victims and age and size are not important.
• many cyberbullying incidents can themselves act as evidence so it is important the victim saves the information. Cyberbullying and the Law Bullying is never acceptable and the school fully recognizes its duty to protect all of its members and to provide a safe, healthy environment for everyone.

Education Law

• The Education and Inspections Act 2006 (EIA 2006) outlines some legal powers which relate more directly to cyberbullying. Principals have the power ‘to such an extent as is reasonable’ to regulate the conduct of pupils when they are off the school site.
• There is not a specific law which makes cyberbullying illegal but it can be considered a criminal offence under several different acts, including Protection from Harassment Act

(1997), Malicious Communications Act (1988), Communications Act (2003) Obscene

Publications Act (1959) and Computer Misuse Act (1990).

Preventing Cyberbullying

As with all forms of bullying the best way to deal with cyberbullying is to prevent it from happening in the first place. There is no single solution to the problem of cyberbullying but the school will do the following at the minimum to impose a comprehensive and effective prevention strategy E-Safety at Home Several sites offer helpful advice to parents/carers, particularly concerning how they can best monitor their child’s use of the computer at home. Here are some parents/carers might like to try:

• www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents
• www.saferinternet.org.uk This is a whole school policy which also applies to
• www.childnet.com
• www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk
• www.nspcc.org.uk
• Digizen
• DfE Advice for Parents on Cyberbullying
• Childnet Cyberbullying Leaflet
• DfE The use of social media for online radicalisation

Prevent Duty

Children are vulnerable to extremist ideology and radicalisation. Similar to protecting children from other forms of harm and abuse, protecting children from this risk is part of our safeguarding approach.

• We are aware of the Prevent Duty under Section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 to protect young people from being drawn into terrorism. This is a safeguarding matter like any other and these processes will be applied to support children and their families where vulnerabilities are identified.
• All staff complete Prevent training.
• We have in place and monitor appropriate web filtering systems so that students cannot view potentially extreme material.
• Staff understand the need for a culture of vigilance to be present in the school to support safeguarding. This includes awareness and sensitivity to changes in the attitudes of students, which may indicate they are susceptible to an extremist ideology and/or at risk of radicalization.

Assessment Framework

(from Working Together to Safeguard Children, July 2018)Every assessment should draw together relevant information gathered from the child and their family, as well as relevant practitioners including teachers and school staff, early years workers, health practitioners, the police and adult social care. Every assessment of a child should reflect the unique characteristics of the child within their family and community context. Each child whose referral has been accepted by children’s social care should have their individual needs assessed, including an analysis of the parental capacity to meet those needs, whether they arise from issues within the family or the wider community. Frequently, more than one child from the same family is referred and siblings within the family should always be considered. Governance and Oversight The Principal and Governing Body are responsible for ensuring that:

• The school has a compliant safeguarding policy reviewed annually
• There is a designated DSL with appropriate authority and training
• The school engages with multi-agency safeguarding arrangements
• Appropriate staff vetting, recruitment and disciplinary procedures are in place
• There are effective systems for student voice and parent escalation

Safeguarding flow chart