Child Protection

Child Protection and Safeguarding at the British School in Colombo

The British School in Colombo is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, parents, visitors and volunteers to share this commitment. Every pupil should feel safe and protected from any form of abuse which, in this policy, means any kind of neglect, non-accidental physical injury, sexual exploitation or emotional ill-treatment. 

If you have any concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a BSC student, please email [email protected]

The School will take all reasonable measures to: 

• Ensure that safe recruitment is practiced by thoroughly checking the suitability of staff and volunteers (including staff employed by another organisation) to work with children and young people.   All international staff must provide an International Child Protection Certificate,
• Protect each pupil from any form of abuse, whether from an adult or another pupil. 
• Be alert to signs of abuse both in the School and from outside.
• Deal appropriately with every suspicion or complaint of abuse.
• Design and operate procedures which promote this policy.
• Design and operate procedures which, so far as possible, ensure that teachers and others who are innocent are not prejudiced by false allegations.
• Support children who have been abused.
• Be alert to the medical needs of children with medical conditions.
• Operate robust and sensible health & safety procedures.
• Take all practicable steps to ensure that School premises are as secure as circumstances permit.
• Operate clear and supportive policies on drugs, alcohol and substance misuse.
• Consider and develop procedures to deal with any other safeguarding issues which may be specific to individual children in our school or in our local area. 

Every complaint or suspicion of abuse from within or outside the School will be investigated by the school. 

Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy

Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy in English

For Sinhala or Tamil versions, please contact the school directly.

Adult Visitor Guidelines and Code of Conduct

• BSC supports a culture of mutual respect; all communications should be positive, respectful and inclusive.
• Visitors must display the BSC visitor’s pass prominently at all times.
• Permission from BSC must be granted before taking any photos or videos; no images of students may be shared in any social media or online forum; any images of students must be deleted after the permitted purpose is complete.
• Visitors may use toilets designated for adults only; no use of student toilets is permitted.
• Visitors must not take personal information from any student nor give personal information to any student including contact details and social media profiles unless permission is granted.
• Visitors must never be alone with any student nor touch any student nor invade any student’s personal space.
• Visitors must not respond to physical contact from any student; if contact occurs, visitors must report it immediately to a member of the Child Protection Team.
• Visitors must report any suspicious or unacceptable behaviour including physical or verbal abuse by and/or between any

Child Protection Team ([email protected])

• Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL)
  • Benjamin Humphreys (JS)
  • Sylvana Marjan (SS)
• Deputy DSLs
  • Thomas Greenwood (SS)
  • Kathryn Edwards (JS)
  • Jannine Churchill (JS)
  • Thisara Fernando (SS)

Reporting a Concern

If you have any concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a student at BSC, please do not hesitate to speak with the Principal, one of the Designated Staff members listed above or email [email protected]