Safeguarding at MIS

Myanmar International School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, governors and volunteers to share this commitment. We believe that our school should provide a safe, caring, positive, and stimulating environment in which pupils can learn and which promotes the social, physical and emotional wellbeing of each individual pupil.

We believe that it is always unacceptable for a child or young person to experience abuse of any kind. We recognise our responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all and strive to ensure our students are safe at school, at home, online and in the wider community.

To fulfill this commitment, a number of safeguarding arrangements are in place.

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:

  • Protecting children from maltreatment
  • Preventing impairment of children’s health or development
  • Ensuring children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.

Child protection is a part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. It refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm. Effective child protection is essential as part of a wider work to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. However, all agencies and individuals should aim to proactively safeguard and promote the welfare of children so that the need for action to protect children from harm is reduced. Schools play an essential role in protecting children from abuse. They have regular contact with children and young people so are in a strong position to identify signs of abuse and neglect. International schools have a moral as well as legal duty tp safeguard the welfare of our students, as well as those children using our facilities or involved with our programs and activities.

We safeguard children at MIS by:

  • Creating a safe environment for children and young people through robust safeguarding practices
  • Ensuring that adults who work in the school, including volunteers, don’t pose a risk to children
  • Making sure staff are trained, know how to respond to concerns and keep up to date with policy and practice
  • Teaching children and young people about how to stay safe
  • Maintaining an environment where children feel confident to approach any member of staff if they have a worry or a problem.

Designated Safeguarding Lead

The school has a trained designated safeguarding lead who supports pupils across the whole school. Our Designated Safeguarding Lead can be contacted at safeguarding@mis-edu.com.

The staff member with responsibility for child protection is Mr. James Oldfield.

Training

All eligible staff and volunteers are required to undertake relevant safeguarding training and this is regularly reviewed to ensure it is up to date. Staff and volunteers are provided with guidance to follow when they suspect a child may be experiencing abuse or is at risk of harm.

We ensure that our concerns about our students are discussed with parents/carers at the earliest appropriate opportunity, and work in partnership with them and other agencies to improve outcomes.

If any parents, families or visitors have concerns about the welfare or safety of any children from MIS, please contact any of our Designated Safeguarding Lead without delay.

James Oldfield
Designated Safeguarding Lead

I have been a part of the MIS team since 2019, and have now taken on the role of Designated Safeguarding Lead at the school. This is a very important role that has been built on year by year and it is now my chance to further develop our approach to safeguarding and have a positive impact on the wellbeing of our staff, students, stakeholders and their families.

As a physical education teacher I have a keen interest in the safety of our school community. I am continually developing my professional knowledge and abilities by taking relevant courses and developing up to date policies and procedures.

In my role as DSL it is my goal to provide training, support and care to our MIS family and encourage proactive involvement to provide a safe and positive place to work, learn and grow.

If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions relating to safeguarding, please feel free to reach out and email us at safeguarding@mis-edu.com.

James Oldfield - DSL