Pastoral Care & Safeguarding | Pastoral care and safeguarding for all students at BISR.

EAL and Support for Learning provision includes in-class support, individual or small group intervention or regular lessons with our specialist teachers. Some of our students access support for a limited period of time whilst others do so on a regular basis throughout their time with us. A small number of students require daily, individualised and intensive support. This level of support is allocated after consultation with teachers, families and the school’s leadership teams. Additional charges are made for this level of support.

EAL and Support for Learning colleagues promote working in partnership with parents. Developing a supportive, honest and open relationship between school and family benefits all students. Our team will keep you informed regarding requests for support, learning plan reviews and routine interventions. Support is provided for parents through regular Parent Forums and workshops. Our specialist teachers are available at formal Parent Teacher Conferences (PTCs) and Student Led Conferences (SLCs).

Our Counsellors offer a specialised support service to help individuals understand themselves and others, explore relationships, develop coping strategies, and assist with specific issues such as conflict resolution, communication, problem solving, and decision making. This role closely complements the pastoral roles of the class teacher, tutor and head of year, and works in close partnership with the Safeguarding Team. School counselling provides brief interventions that aim to help clear pathways to learning and are, as far as possible, goal centered.

Counsellors work to professional confidentiality standards. Conversations are private and confidentiality would only be breached in case of risk. It is important to recognise that students can only benefit from counselling if they choose this option and are invested in the process. It is the counsellor’s responsibility to ensure that the student’s rights to autonomy are respected in this process. Parental approval is required for primary students to attend counselling, but using the Gillick Competency and Fraser Guidelines (1982), older students may make this choice for themselves.

We run a Peer Listener programme at Al Hamra, Al Waha and our DQ campuses. Peer listeners are students who volunteer for this role and are trained to provide support and a listening ear to other students. They are, of course, not counsellors or therapists, but rather students who have been selected and trained to offer empathy, understanding, and a safe space for their peers to talk about their problems or concerns.

Safeguarding is integral to BISR’s recruitment and training. All staff members, from teachers to governance, undergo rigorous safeguarding training, ensuring accountability and awareness at every level. The school’s code of conduct mandates that all individuals, including part-time staff and volunteers, adhere to strict standards protecting students' safety and well-being.

BISR is committed to empowering students to speak up and fostering a culture where concerns are heard and addressed without fear. The school embraces its multicultural environment, integrating respect for cultural diversity into daily practices and curriculum delivery, ensuring inclusion and equity for all students.

BISR’s safeguarding policies reflect core principles: collaboration, safety, empowerment, cultural sensitivity, and trust. These values underpin every decision and interaction at the school, reinforcing its dedication to a safe, caring educational experience for all students.