Safeguarding
Online School Safeguarding
Committed To Your Child's Safety
My Online Schooling is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We have consistent effective online school safeguarding procedures in place to support children and young people, their families, and staff at school. All of our staff receive appropriate training, guidance and support to effectively safeguarding our pupils.
Any concerns are passed through the Designated Safeguarding Leads within the school.
Where necessary, My Online Schooling liaises closely with local authorities and multi-agency support hubs (MASH) to seek advice and guidance, as well as to discuss instances of concern with the relevant authorities.
"We offer an individualised, inclusive and internationally accessible British education where our pupils are respected as individuals, enjoy learning and are empowered to thrive in the 21st Century”
Our Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs)
Our Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) take the lead in ensuring that appropriate arrangements for keeping children and young people safe are in place at My Online Schooling. They are there to promote the safety and welfare of children and young people involved in school activities at all times. The main roles of our DSLs include:
- Promoting safety of the members of our school community
- Working with others to act as a source of support, advice and expertise for all staff
- Liaising with staff on matters of safety, safeguarding and welfare (including online and digital safety)
- Promote supportive engagement with parents and/or carers in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, including where families may be facing challenging circumstances
- Information sharing, where appropriate, and maintaining accurate safeguarding records
- Raising awareness of and providing up to date training on information and procedures relating to safeguarding and child protection
- Understanding the views of children. It is important that all children feel heard and understood, and we encourage a culture of listening to children and taking account of their wishes and feelings
Meet our Safeguarding Team
Euan MacLean
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
While I initially studied to be a forensic scientist at university, I went on to train as a teacher at the University of Edinburgh and qualified as a Teacher of Biology with Science. My qualifications include a BSc (Hons) Forensic Biology (First Class), MSc Drug Design & Biomedical Science (Distinction), Post-graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) Secondary Biology with Science. I am currently studying for a Professional Doctorate in Education (EdD).
I started my teaching career with a posting in the Shetland Islands, which proved to be an invaluable experience. Moving away from island life, I travelled more than 2,500km to Prague, where I worked for three years at an independent school with students from more than 40 countries. As a Head of House, Senior Tutor and teacher, I was responsible for both the pastoral care and academic progress of students in my care, not to mention leading various extracurricular activities, from the debating society to the LGBT+ Allies group.
Inclusion and Wellbeing were fundamental areas when My Online Schooling was founded in 2016 and they are hugely significant to our school today. It is our aim that every child has the opportunity to achieve success whatever that looks like to them. The wellbeing of every pupil is incredibly important to us and we are delighted that this role will oversee all aspects relating to inclusion and wellbeing in the school.
In my role, I also work closely with teaching staff and leadership to build upon a curriculum and assessment model that promotes and ensures inclusion across the school. I am responsible for monitoring, tracking and analysing progress of young people with inclusion support needs or who are vulnerable.
Outside of My Online Schooling, I volunteer with a local HIV/AIDS charity in Edinburgh. I also enjoy playing piano, travelling and beach walks with my French Bulldog, Mabel.
Laura Hendry
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
I have 17 years' classroom teaching experience and 15 years experience of working with pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. I have a certificate in teaching pupils with specific learning difficulties, a PGCE Secondary French and German and BA Hons French and German. I trained as a French and German teacher in 1998 and taught for two years in a boarding school in Perthshire, Scotland, before moving to Bedford to work in a selective Independent School, where I gradually became involved in supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. I then trained in 2006 to teach, and subsequently to assess, pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties.
In 2015 I became SENDCo at my previous school, leading a department of two dyslexia support teachers, two specialist teachers and one Learning Support Assistant. Together we supported pupils with a variety of Support Needs including dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and ASD. I am also a trained yoga and teen yoga teacher, which I believe helps me in supporting pupils with SEND.
At My Online Schooling, I oversee and coordinate the support for our pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. This involves liaising with pupils, families, teachers and external agencies to ensure we are doing all we can to support our pupils.
What I love most about my role is being able to work with pupils and their families and seeing that we can make such a difference in their lives, allowing them access to education, which they may have struggled to access in a physical school.
I like to spend my free time with family and friends or climbing, doing yoga, reading and going for walks by the sea.
Staying Safe at School
Our curriculum provides opportunities for increasing self-awareness, self-esteem, social and emotional understanding, assertiveness and decision making so that pupils have a range of contacts and strategies to ensure their own protection and understand the importance of protecting others.
We have systems in place to support the empowerment of children to talk to a range of staff. Pupils at My Online Schooling will be listened to and heard and their concerns will be taken seriously and acted upon, as appropriate.
“The safeguarding of children and young people is everyone’s responsibility"
Find out more - Enquire now
If you are looking for more information about My Online Schooling, please click below to contact our Admissions Team.