WELLBEING

There are weekly assemblies in the Primary Years on Wednesdays. 

The assemblies involve all Primary Years students and teachers and are an opportunity to: celebrate the efforts and achievements of Primary Years students; discuss topics that concern the personal and social development of all students and global issues; and to hear from visiting speakers.

All schools have a responsibility to protect children from harm. They play a very important role in keeping children and young people safe.

ISM takes this very seriously and aims to create a culture where:

• Our students feel confident to speak out if they have a concern about their own or another child’s safety

• Adults feel confident to recognise and respond to safeguarding and child protection concerns

Raphael Lobley is ISM's Primary Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead and Mrs Lindsay Mackenzie-Wright is ISM’s Safeguarding Lead, overseeing all safeguarding matters across each part of the school. They can be contacted at childsafeguarding@ismonaco.com. 

This school year we look forward to reintroducing our Parent Speaker Series, with the support of our PTA. We are currently looking at sessions on Positive Parenting, Online Behaviour, and the Teenage Brain. If you have any specific topics you would like addressed, please inform them.

Ref: Safeguarding Policy

Letter to parents – Loi 1.513 (from Pulse 22/04/2023)

As many of you will be aware, Monaco introduced the Loi 1.513 in November 2021 and this law is against bullying and violence in the school environment.

In reference to the above law, I take this opportunity to remind you of the current policies which exist within ISM and to what extent they are implemented across the whole school. Links are included to the relevant documents.

I start by referring you to our Guiding Statements which outline the school’s vision, mission and values, whilst also describing our learning principles, our statement for international mindedness and also digital citizenship. You will see from these that ISM is fully committed to ensuring its learning environment is one which expects respectful, caring and well disciplined students, allowing them to flourish in a safe environment.

ISM has, for some considerable amount of time, had a robust Behaviour Management Policy in place which sets out that the school rules apply at school, off-site, traveling to and from school or taking part in any activity organised by school. In addition to this, ISM places huge emphasis on the importance of our Anti-Bullying Policy which outlines expected behaviors from our students, the sanctions imposed if these rules are not adhered to and the educational measures the school will use to prevent and combat behaviours of this nature. Loi.1513 is referred to in both of these policies. Our students are educated regularly on these policies as they form part of our culture and ethos at ISM. Our school has student Anti-Bullying Ambassadors who are trained at the highest level by an expert from the UK. We celebrate an Anti-Bullying week in November each year, however ISM commits itself to an Anti-Bullying culture throughout the whole academic year.

ISM works with Action Innocence Monaco to ensure our students have regular interventions regarding online behavior, the laws surrounding misconduct online and how to safeguard oneself online. In addition to this, ISM is undertaking a further collaboration with Childnet UK to ensure our parent, teacher and student body are all fully aware and educated in the field of online conduct. Our ICT Acceptable Use Policy is read by all parents and students before the start of the year and the policy is signed by both parties.

ISM actively promotes and defends the rights of the child to physical and psychological protection and well-being, as defined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Monaco is a signatory. Further details of this can be read in our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. Our staff have regular training regarding Safeguarding and Child Protection and it is our expectation that all adults working with children have the necessary certification in safeguarding and child protection. We have a reporting system within our establishment which allows for the recording and reporting of all behaviors which may be of a concern (www.cpoms.co.uk).

From this, the relevant appointed person within the school can act, in accordance with our behaviour or anti-bullying policies. All incidents are regularly reviewed by Senior Leaders within the school and interventions or sanctions are put in place.

All of the policies stated in this letter are available on the school website and it is ISM’s expectation that all staff, parents and students are aware of the contents of these policies.

ISM has these robust policies in place, allowing for students to learn in the safest, most caring of environments. Loi.1513, which we act in accordance with, has added further significance to our policies and is taken very seriously by the school.

I take this opportunity to remind all parents that ISM has no tolerance of bullying or violence amongst its students. Should you believe your child is suffering any form of bullying behaviour at school it is important that you report it without delay so that the school can investigate and act accordingly.

Yours sincerely,

Lindsay Mackenzie-Wright
Deputy Director Wellbeing

A counselling service is available to students in the Primary Years. This service is provided to students whose teachers and parents feel that they would benefit from such an intervention and is reviewed on a regular basis.

The counselling service is intended to support students during challenging times both at home and in school. 

A student may receive counselling with the authorisation of both the Head of Primary and the parents of the student in question.