Parent-School Collaboration: Keeping Children Safe at Home and at School
International schools offer an enriching educational environment to students from diverse cultural backgrounds. Given the diverse and dynamic environments these institutions foster, child safeguarding in international schools is a critical priority.
Collaborating with parents plays a key role in this effort, as they are partners in understanding their children's unique needs and vulnerabilities. While school plays a crucial role in ensuring a student's safety and well-being, it is equally important that parents remain actively involved, without expecting school staff to also take on parental responsibilities.
Safeguarding encompasses not just physical safety but also emotional, social, and digital well-being. In an international school setting, heightened awareness of norms and expectations regarding child protection is necessary. Local laws may differ significantly in terms of child protection practices, so schools must maintain high safeguarding standards. While schools are responsible for providing a secure environment, the home remains the foundation of a child’s upbringing.
Parents play a vital role in the overall development and protection of their children. Schools can only do so much within the confines of the academic day; the responsibility for a child’s moral, emotional, and social growth begins at home. Key areas where parents must take the lead include:
Teaching children right from wrong, empathy, and respect for others is primarily the responsibility of parents. While schools can reinforce these values, it is the home environment where children learn their foundational beliefs and behaviours. Parents need to model and instil ethical behaviour in their children, setting boundaries and expectations.
It is the parents' role to provide emotional support and security for their children. Schools can offer counselling services and support systems, but parents are the ones who are most attuned to their child's emotional needs. Maintaining open communication with children, being aware of their challenges, and offering a nurturing space for them to express their feelings is essential.
Discipline and the establishment of boundaries are critical aspects of a child’s upbringing. Schools can enforce rules within the academic setting, but it is up to parents to ensure that children understand appropriate behaviour in various contexts. Parents must set expectations for behaviour at home and provide consistent guidance, helping their children develop self-discipline and respect for authority.
Schools have a duty of care to provide a safe and nurturing environment for all students. In terms of safeguarding, schools are responsible for:
Schools must ensure that their campuses are secure, with appropriate measures in place to protect children from physical harm. This includes having secure entry points, trained security staff, and clear evacuation plans in case of emergencies.
Schools should foster a culture of respect and inclusivity, ensuring that bullying is addressed promptly and effectively. By implementing anti-bullying policies and promoting kindness and tolerance, schools create a safe social environment where students feel valued and protected.
In today’s digital age, schools must teach children how to navigate the online world safely. This includes offering digital literacy programs, setting guidelines for online behaviour, and educating students about the risks associated with the internet, including cyberbullying and online predators.
Safeguarding can only be effective if parents and schools work together closely. This collaboration should not lead to blurred boundaries, in which parents expect schools to take on responsibilities that belong to them.
School and parents can work together without overstepping each other's responsibilities in the following ways:
Effective communication is the cornerstone of safeguarding. Schools must provide parents with clear information about their safeguarding policies and procedures, while parents need to keep schools informed about any issues at home that may affect their child's well-being. Regular meetings, workshops, and newsletters can help maintain this flow of information.
Both parents and schools must understand and respect the boundaries of their responsibilities. Schools should not take over parental duties, and parents should not expect them to. For example, while a school counsellor can offer support to a child experiencing emotional distress, it is the parents’ responsibility to address the underlying causes at home and provide ongoing emotional care.
Digital safety is an area where both schools and parents need to collaborate closely. Schools can teach children about safe online practices and monitor their digital behaviour during school hours. However, parents must take an active role in overseeing their children’s online activities at home, setting appropriate screen time limits, and engaging in conversations about online dangers.
Parents should be active participants in their child’s school life, attending parent-teacher meetings, joining parent associations, and volunteering for school activities. This involvement helps parents stay connected with the school and ensures they are aware of any issues that may affect their child's safety.
This collaboration, based on mutual trust and clearly defined roles, ensures that children receive the protection they need, both at school and at home.
TeachUp has developed A Parent’s Guide to Safeguarding to help establish a shared understanding of child safeguarding policies, practices, and procedures at their child's school. Available now on YouTube
Article written by Daniel Boyd
