English Private School of Kalba is committed to Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of all of its pupils. Each pupil’s welfare is of paramount importance. We recognize that some children may be especially vulnerable to abuse. We recognize that children who are abused or neglected may find it difficult to develop a sense of self-worth and to view the world in a positive way.
Emirati values and Islam is very clear about the amana (trust) that adults have concerning the welfare of children and we will always take a considered and sensitive approach in order that we can support all of our pupils.
Child Protection in English Private School Kalba encompasses the following areas:
The school has used the guidance set by the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Education, Child Protection Centre and all the other applicable state and federal laws therein as the basis of this document. All staff that join the school will receive a copy of this policy.
This policy applies to all adults, including volunteers, working in or on behalf of the school.
Everyone working in or for our school service shares an objective to help keep children and young people safe by contributing to:
There are four main elements to our school’s child protection policy:
We will follow the steps to:
We recognise that children who are abused or witness violence may find it difficult to develop a sense of self-worth. They may feel helplessness, humiliation and some sense of blame. The school may be the only stable, secure and predictable element in the lives of children at risk. When at school their behaviour may be challenging and defiant, or they may be withdrawn.
The school will endeavour to support the pupil through:
We understand that our responsibility to safeguard children requires that we all appropriately share any concerns that we may have about children. The designated person responsible for child protection at English Private School Kalba is Mrs.Fatima Khalid, and her responsibilities are explicit in their job description, which describes the broad areas of responsibility. The designated person had the authority and given time, fund, training, resources and support to provide advice and support to other staff on child welfare and child protection matters, to take part in inter-agency meetings – and/or to support other staff to do so - and to contribute to the assessment of children.
What is Abuse?
A form of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. They may be abused by an adult or adults or another child or children.
What is defined as ‘abuse’?
The following categories of abuse are recognised for the purpose of the child protection and are taken from the MOI Child Protection Centre guidance – Child Protection Dimensions
Physical abuse: a form of abuse which may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or care fabricates the symptoms of or deliberately induces, illness in a child.
Emotional abuse: the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond a child’s developmental capability as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyberbullying), causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, although it may occur alone.
Sexual abuse: involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.
Neglect: the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or care failing to: provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment); protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger; ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers); or ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.
English Private School Kalba fully recognises the contribution it can make to keeping children safe and supporting the pupils in its care. Each child in our school regardless of their background or home circumstances could be the victim of child abuse, whether it is by a parent or other adult known to them. They are therefore all entitled to the same degree of protection and support. School also recognises the specific child protection or safeguarding issues internationally known as listed below.
School is aware of the other issues pertaining to child protection mentioned in Child Protection Dimensions, MOI Child Protection Centre; they are:
The way in which a member of staff talks to a child who discloses abuse could have an effect on the evidence that is put forward if there are subsequent proceedings, and it is important that staff do not jump to conclusions, ask leading questions, or put words in a child's mouth.
If a child makes a disclosure to a member of staff or other adult working in school s/he should:
Experience, and consultation with children, shows that they will talk about their concerns and problems to people they feel they can trust and they feel comfortable with. This will not necessarily be a teacher. It is therefore essential that all staff and volunteers in a school or establishment know how to respond sensitively to a child's concerns, who to approach for advice about them, and the importance of not guaranteeing complete confidentiality.
Children also want to know that they will be listened to and their concerns will be taken seriously, so School should seek to demonstrate to children that it provides them with a safe environment where it is okay to talk. Any member of staff or volunteer who is approached by a child wanting to talk should listen positively and reassure the child. They should record the discussion with the pupil as soon as possible and take action in accordance with the establishment's child protection procedures.
If a child chooses to disclose, you SHOULD:
You should NEVER:
Vulnerable Groups: For children with communication difficulties or who use alternative/augmented communication systems, you may need to take extra care to ensure that signs of abuse and neglect are identified and interpreted correctly, but concerns should be reported in exactly the same manner as for other children.
Staff must acknowledge their individual responsibility to bring matters of concern to the attention of School Principal or designated officer(s). Although this can be difficult this is particularly important where the welfare of children may be at risk.
You may be the first to recognise that something is wrong but may not feel able to express your concerns out of a feeling that this would be disloyal to colleagues or you may fear harassment or victimisation. These feelings, however natural, must never result in a child or young person continuing to be unnecessarily at risk. Remember it is often the most vulnerable children or young person who is targeted. These children need someone like you to safeguard their welfare.
Reasons for whistle blowing:
The following chart must be followed should a safeguarding concern arise. This is regardless of the severity of the case. If there is any risk of serious harm to the child, a referral should be made to MOI Child Protection Centre straight away.
Whilst the school is extremely thorough in its recruitment procedures to ensure that only those appropriately qualified and suitable to work with young people are employed, we must always have an “it can happen here” approach with respect to safeguarding.
This portion of the policy refers to staff that have:
If there are any concerns with respect to the criteria above, the following process should be followed without delay:
In the first instance, the School Principal or child protection officer, or chair of governors will immediately discuss the allegation with the MOI Child Protection Centre. The school will provide CPC officer(s)with as much evidence as possible about the nature of the allegation, the process which will happen.
There may be situations when the chair of governors will want to involve the police immediately, for example if the person is deemed to be an immediate risk to children or there is evidence of a possible criminal offence. Where there is no such evidence, the chair of governor should discuss the allegations with the CPC officer(s)in order to help determine whether police involvement is necessary. The CPC officer(s)will establish, in discussion with the School Principal that the allegation is within the scope of the CPC procedures and may require further investigation. There may be up to 3 strands considered as part of this consideration and the discussion will centre upon whether there is a need for:
If the staff member is suspended and/or subject to disciplinary process the Chair of Governors or School Principal must seek and follow HR advice and guidance to ensure that the disciplinary process is correctly applied.
The decision on suspension of the staff member subject to the allegation is the responsibility of the Board of Governors and School Principal. Suspension should never be an automatic step for staff subject to allegations; each case should be dealt with on its merits taking into consideration factors such as the seriousness of the allegation, the potential risks to children and whether it is possible to investigate the allegation whilst the person is still at work. The strategy meeting will make a recommendation to the setting if one is required but the ultimate decision rests with the Chair of Governors.
If a suspended person is to return to work, appropriate help/support and supervision arrangements will be put in place e.g. provision of a mentor, and how to manage contact with any child/ren who made the allegation. All staff need to be aware that it is a disciplinary offence not to report concerns about the conduct of a colleague that could place a child at risk. When in doubt, please consult Designated Child Protection officer.
Early support for children means providing support as soon as a problem emerges, at any point in a child’s life, from the foundation years to teenage years. In the case of English Private School Kalba, from year KG1 to Year 12. Provide targeted early support services to address the assessed needs of a child and their family which focuses on activity to significantly improve the outcomes for the child. Teachers should, in particular, be alert to the potential need for early support for a child who:
School policy is that brief notes should be kept at the time of the incident or immediately after with the subsequent completion of a Child Protection – Incident / Welfare Concern Form. Records may be used in legal proceedings and must be kept accurate and secure. All records should be given to the designated person and should include factual information rather than assumption or interpretation. Records may be used at a later date to support a referral to an external organisations.
It is the responsibility of the Designated Child Protection Officer to ensure that any child protection file is kept up to date and a chronology is maintained in every child protection file. A chronology is the brief overview of the schools concerns and highlights all the significant events for the child. It should not contain details, just a brief sentence statement of what has occurred, who was involved and what happened as an outcome.
The contents of the file can include:
Should third party reports be included, then the owner of such reports should be aware that it will be included in the child protection file.
When a child transfers to another school the Designated Child Protection Officer should inform the receiving school with in five school days by telephone or in person that a child protection file exists. The receiving school should routinely ask the previous school if a child protection file exists, for all transfers. The original child protection file must be passed on either by hand or sent recorded delivery, separate from the child’s main school file within these five school days. Care must be taken to ensure confidentiality is maintained and the transfer process is as safe as possible. If the records are posted, they should be copied and these copies retained until these has been confirmation in writing that the originals have arrived at the new school. They can then be shredded.
Child protection information is confidential and personal. Other than the agreed communication lines in school, it is for the Designated child protection lead to decide what information needs to be shared, with whom, how and when, and whether consent needs to be gained for this process.
Schools play an essential role in helping children to understand and identify the parameters of what is appropriate child and adult behaviour; what is ‘safe’; to recognise when they and others close to them are not safe; and how to seek advice and support when they are concerned. American School of Kalba will use the curriculum to provide opportunities for increasing self-awareness, self-esteem, social and emotional understanding, assertiveness and decision making so that students have a range of contacts and strategies to ensure their own protection and understand the importance of protecting others. Systems have been established to support the empowerment of children to talk to a range of staff when they are in difficulty and to raise comments, complaints and feedback about their school experience. Children at American School of Kalba will be listened to and heard and their concerns will be taken seriously and acted upon as appropriate. Records will be kept of reported incidents in line with guidance.
Any member of staff affected by issues arising from concerns for children’s welfare or safety can seek support from the designated child protection officer. Effective supervision provides support, coaching and training for the staff member/volunteer and promotes the interests of children. Supervision should foster a culture of mutual support, teamwork and continuous improvement which encourages the confidential discussion of sensitive issues.
Children may make allegations against staff in situations where they feel vulnerable or where they perceive there to be a possible risk to their welfare. As such, all school staff should take care not to place themselves in a vulnerable position regarding child protection or potential allegations. For example, it is always advisable for interviews or work with individual children or parents to be conducted in view of other adults. Physical intervention should only be used when the child is endangering him/herself or others and such events should be recorded and signed by a witness. Staff should be aware of the Whole School Behaviour Policy. Safe working practice ensures that pupils are safe and that all staff:
It is recognized that the use of new technologies presents particular challenges and risks to children both inside and outside of school. English Private School Kalba will ensure a comprehensive curriculum response to enable all pupils/students to learn about and manage the associated risks effectively and will support parents and the school community (including all members of staff) to become aware and alert to the needs of keeping children safe online. Detailed information can be found in the school’s e-Behaviour Promise and E-Safety Policy which can be found in our policy folder.
Our policy on the prevention and management of bullying is set out in a separate policy and acknowledges that to allow or condone bullying may lead to consideration under child protection procedures. We also acknowledge that repeated racist incidents or a single serious incident may lead to consideration under child protection procedures.
The school has a Complaints Procedure available to parents, pupils/students and staff who wish to report concerns. This can be found on our website and policy folder. A complaint box is placed at the entrance and forms are ready available. All reported concerns will be taken seriously and considered within the relevant and appropriate process. Anything that constitutes an allegation against a member of staff or volunteer will be dealt with under the specific procedures for Managing Allegations Against Staff.
English Private School Kalba is committed to ensuring that all steps are taken to recruit staff and volunteers who are safe to work with our pupils/students and have their welfare and protection as the highest priority. The Governing Body and School Leadership Team are responsible for ensuring that the school follows safe recruitment processes which places safeguarding at its centre, regardless of employee or voluntary.
Safer recruitment practice includes scrutinising applicants, verifying identity and academic or vocational qualifications, obtaining professional references, checking previous employment history and ensuring that a candidate has the health and physical capacity for the job. School will verify that a candidate to be employed as a teacher is not subject to a prohibition from MoE. Detailed information can be found in the school’s Safer Recruitment Policy which can be found in our school policy folder.
We will ensure that our premises are fit for purpose. Spaces, furniture, equipment and toys, must be safe for children to use and premises must be secure. We will keep premises and equipment clean, and be aware of, and comply with, requirements of health and safety legislations from Federal Authority for Government Human Resources.
We will take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of children, staff and others on the premises in the case of fire or any other emergency, and have an emergency evacuation procedure. We must have appropriate fire detection and control equipment (for example, fire alarms, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers) which is in working order. Fire exits are clearly identifiable, and fire doors are kept free of obstruction and are easily opened from the inside.
We will only release children into the care of individuals who have been notified to us by the parent, and will ensure that children do not leave the premises unsupervised.
We have a clear and well-understood policy, and procedures, for assessing any risks to children’s safety, and review risk assessments daily. Risk assessments inform staff practice, and demonstrate how we are managing risks. Risk assessments identify aspects of the environment that need to be checked on a regular basis, when and by whom those aspects will be checked, and how the risk will be removed or minimised.
Children must be kept safe while on outings, and we obtain written parental permission for children to take part in outings. We assess the risks or hazards which may arise for the children, and identify the steps to be taken to remove, minimise and manage those risks and hazards. The assessment includes consideration of adult to child ratios. Refer to the school Educational Visits Procedures for further details.
All staff have a responsibility for maintaining awareness of building security and for reporting concerns that may come to light. We operate within a whole school community ethos and welcome comments from pupils/students, parents and others about areas that may need improvement as well as what we are doing well.
We will take all reasonable steps to prevent unauthorised persons entering the premises. Appropriate checks will be undertaken in respect of visitors and volunteers coming into school as outlined within guidance. Visitors will be expected to sign in and out via the office visitors signing log and to display a visitors badge whilst on school site. Any individual who is not known or identifiable should be challenged for clarification and reassurance.
The school will not accept the behaviour of any individual (parent or other) that threatens school security or leads others (child or adult) to feel unsafe. Such behaviour will be treated as a serious concern and may result in a decision to refuse access for that individual to the school site.
The school shares a purpose with parents to educate and keep children safe from harm and to have their welfare promoted. We are committed to working with parents positively, openly and honestly. We ensure that all parents are treated with respect, dignity and courtesy. We respect parents rights to privacy and confidentiality and will not share sensitive information unless we have permission or it is necessary to do so in order to protect a child. Cultural practices must be overlooked if they prejudice the safety of any child at the school.
The school will, in most circumstances, endeavour to discuss all concerns with parents about their children.
However, there may be exceptional circumstances when the school will discuss concerns with CPC or the Police without parental knowledge. The school will, of course, always aim to maintain a positive relationship with all parents. This Child Protection Policy is available on request.
Safeguarding including child protection is to be a regular agenda item at full SLT meetings and staff meetings, giving the designated person for child protection the opportunity to update on staff training and any other relevant issues or changes. Child Protection Policy is reviewed annually by the Governing Body to reflect current best practice and any new guidelines issued by Government or relevant agencies.
For more information/guidance on any safeguarding issues, please visit