Child Safeguarding - Amman Academy

CHILD SAFEGUARDING

OVERVIEW

Child safeguarding policies are crucial, serving to protect children's safety and well-being.

Policies provide clear guidelines for preventing, identifying, and responding to risks of abuse or harm within the school environment. By fostering a culture of awareness and accountability, these policies ensure that educators, staff, and the broader community understand their roles in safeguarding children. They also address emerging challenges like cyberbullying, reflecting a commitment to creating a safe and nurturing environment where children can thrive.

Purpose of Child Safeguarding Policy

We implement a play-based approach in our Early Childhood program. Play-based learning is integral to the children’s everyday education. Drawing from their natural inclination, play-based learning encourages children to engage in experiences aligned with their interests, strengths, and developing skills. When children initiate play, they become more motivated to learn and develop positive attitudes towards learning. Through a variety of fun activities inherent in play, children develop cognitive, social, language, fine motor, and gross motor skills. Play allows them to explore, discover, negotiate, take risks, create meaning, and solve problems — all essential foundations for developing literacy, numeracy, and social skills.

Key Personnels

Overview of Policy - Three main elements

Amman Academy's Child Safeguarding Policy is built around three key elements: Prevention, Preparedness, and Prompt Response. Together, these guide how we create a safe school environment, prepare our staff to recognise concerns, and take appropriate action when a child's safety or well-being may be at risk.

Prevention

We believe that creating a safe school environment starts with prevention. Amman Academy aims to provide a positive, respectful, and supportive environment where all students feel valued and protected.

This includes:

Promoting respectful relationships between students and adults.
Teaching students about personal safety, healthy relationships, and appropriate boundaries.
Providing pastoral care and support to meet students’ needs.
Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries throughout the school community.

Preparedness

All adults who work with or regularly interact with students have a responsibility to understand child safeguarding and their role in protecting children.

Amman Academy ensures that staff are provided with appropriate training, guidance, and clear procedures so they can:

Recognise possible signs of abuse, neglect, or other safeguarding concerns.
Understand how to respond appropriately to a student sharing a concern.
Know when, how, and to whom concerns must be reported.
Understand their responsibilities under the school’s Child Safeguarding Policy.

Prompt Response

All safeguarding concerns must be taken seriously and addressed promptly. The safety and best interests of the child must always remain the priority.

When a concern is raised, the school follows established reporting procedures, ensures relevant information is documented, and involves the appropriate safeguarding personnel.

Students affected by safeguarding concerns are offered appropriate support, and further action is taken when necessary.

Have a concern?

All Amman Academy employees are required to report suspected abuse, neglect, or concerns about a student's safety or well-being to the Child Safeguarding Coordinator (CSC).

Please refer to our Reporting and Responding to Safeguarding Concerns section for further information.

Child Safeguarding Training & Awareness

All Amman Academy employees are required to report suspected abuse, neglect, or concerns about a student's safety or well-being to the Child Safeguarding Coordinator (CSC).

Please refer to our Reporting and Responding to Safeguarding Concerns section for further information.

Staff Training

Amman Academy works with TES (Training for Education Services) to provide Child Safeguarding training.

New staff complete the International Child Protection for International Schools training as
part of their orientation.
Returning staff complete regular refresher training to keep their knowledge and understanding up to date.
Volunteers, coaches, and other adults who regularly interact with students are provided with appropriate safeguarding guidance and training.

Training covers key areas including:

Recognizing possible signs of abuse, neglect, or other safeguarding concerns.
Understanding how and when to report concerns.
Responding appropriately and sensitively to student disclosures.
Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries when working with children.
Understanding the school's Child Safeguarding Policy and procedures

Student Awareness

Students learn about personal safety, healthy relationships, appropriate boundaries, and how to seek help from trusted adults through classroom lessons and social-emotional learning.

Professional Boundaries

All adults must maintain respectful and appropriate relationships with students. Staff and volunteers are expected to:

Treat students with dignity and respect.
Never use physical punishment or inappropriate physical contact.
Ensure one-to-one meetings take place in observable settings.
Maintain appropriate and professional interactions.
Report inappropriate adult behaviour or safeguarding concerns.

Reporting Suspected Abuse / Neglect and Next Steps

All staff must report suspected abuse, neglect, or any concern about a student's safety or well-being to the Child Safeguarding Coordinator (CSC), whether the concern occurs inside or outside school.

What should staff do?

Listen calmly and take the student seriously.
Reassure the student and never promise secrecy.
Do not investigate the concern yourself.
Record relevant information, including the student’s exact words where possible.
Report the concern promptly to the CSC.

What happens next?

The CSC documents and reviews the concern, working with the School Counsellor and school leadership to determine appropriate next steps. This may include providing student support, assessing risk, or involving external agencies when necessary.

Confidentiality

All concerns are handled sensitively. Information is shared only with those who need to know to protect the student.

Concerns involving staff

Concerns about a member of staff must be reported to the Head of School or Principal. Anyone raising a concern in good faith will not be penalised for doing so.

If a student is in immediate danger, staff must follow the school’s emergency procedures.