Child Protection and Safeguarding
CIS fully recognizes its responsibilities in child protection and is committed to fostering a safe, secure, and supportive learning environment for all enrolled students, free from any form of harm. The welfare of all students is of paramount importance to the CIS community. Members of the CIS community are required, ethically and legally, to act promptly and professionally to ensure the protection of our students in instances of suspected abuse or neglect.
CIS believes that safeguarding children is the responsibility of all staff members and we are committed to safeguarding students at all grade levels. As such, our teaching staff are required to complete the Level 1 safeguarding course through www.childsafeguarding.org. Teaching assistants and parent-facing CIS staff, as well as our after school activities coaches and instructors, are required to complete the Awareness-level safeguarding course through the same organization.
The Child Protection Team at CIS is composed of six members of staff from both the Elementary School (ES) and Middle High School (MH), with designated leads in each section. Staff at CIS are required to report suspected child abuse and child welfare concerns to the team through the CIS Child Protection Referrals. The Child Protection team then uses a risk assessment matrix adapted from the UN Rights of the Child and regularly participates in relevant training to stay updated on best practices. Posters with information regarding members of the team and a QR link to the referral are visible throughout the school which supports how the school encourages students, staff, and parents to share safeguarding and child protection concerns.