1. Our Commitment
At Anka Academy, the safety and wellbeing of children using our services is a priority.
We provide online tuition for children in Years 1-6 and are committed to maintaining a safe, professional and positive online learning environment.
Our safeguarding arrangements reflect the nature of Anka Academy as an online tuition provider and are designed to help identify, respond to and appropriately refer safeguarding concerns.
Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. Tutors and others working on behalf of Anka Academy are expected to act appropriately where they become aware of a concern about a child's safety or welfare.
2. Safeguarding Responsibility
Anka Academy maintains responsibility for safeguarding arrangements relating to the aspects of its tuition service within its reasonable control.
Safeguarding concerns should be reported promptly through Anka Academy's designated safeguarding arrangements.
Safeguarding contact: safeguarding@ankaacademy.co.uk Telephone: +44 7784 230021
Tutors must not attempt to deal with serious safeguarding concerns independently and should follow Anka Academy's safeguarding reporting procedures.
3. Safe and Suitable Tutors
Anka Academy takes reasonable and proportionate steps to assess the suitability of tutors before they are permitted to teach children through our service.
- identity verification;
- appropriate DBS checks where applicable;
- relevant suitability and background checks;
- verification of relevant information provided by the tutor; and
- safeguarding guidance or training appropriate to the tutor's role.
Tutors are expected to maintain professional standards and appropriate boundaries when working with children.
No recruitment, vetting or background-checking process can guarantee an individual's future behaviour. Any safeguarding concern that comes to Anka Academy's attention will therefore be taken seriously and handled in accordance with our safeguarding procedures.
4. Professional Boundaries and Online Conduct
Anka Academy tutors must conduct online lessons professionally and use language and behaviour appropriate for children. Tutors must maintain appropriate professional boundaries with pupils.
Unless specifically authorised by Anka Academy for a legitimate purpose, tutors must not:
- establish inappropriate private communication with pupils;
- communicate socially with pupils through personal social-media accounts;
- request unnecessary personal photographs, videos or information from pupils;
- arrange private or unauthorised meetings with pupils;
- engage in inappropriate conversations or behaviour;
- give or request inappropriate gifts or favours; or
- develop relationships with pupils that breach appropriate professional boundaries.
Communication concerning bookings, payments, attendance, scheduling and other administrative matters should normally take place with the child's parent or guardian through approved communication channels.
Any concern regarding inappropriate communication or behaviour should be reported to Anka Academy.
5. Online Lessons
Lessons should take place through platforms and arrangements approved by Anka Academy.
Tutors and pupils are expected to participate from an appropriate environment as far as reasonably practicable.
Anka Academy provides online educational services. It does not provide childcare or physical supervision of children.
Any recording of lessons must comply with Anka Academy's applicable policies and data-protection requirements. Tutors must not make unauthorised recordings, screenshots, photographs or copies of lesson content involving pupils.
6. Parents and Guardians
Because tuition takes place remotely, parents and guardians remain responsible for their child's physical environment, general welfare and appropriate supervision at the location from which the child accesses tuition.
Parents and guardians are expected to:
- provide a reasonably appropriate environment for online tuition;
- ensure Anka Academy has accurate and current contact information;
- provide age-appropriate supervision of their child's general device and internet use;
- inform Anka Academy of relevant information reasonably necessary for the safe delivery of tuition; and
- contact emergency services or appropriate specialist services directly where immediate assistance is required.
These responsibilities do not remove Anka Academy's responsibility to take appropriate safeguarding measures in relation to aspects of its own service that are within its reasonable control.
7. If a Child Makes a Disclosure or a Concern Arises
If a child makes a disclosure during tuition, or a tutor or Anka Academy otherwise becomes aware of information that may indicate a safeguarding concern, it will be taken seriously.
Tutors should listen appropriately, avoid promising confidentiality, avoid asking unnecessary or leading questions, and report the concern through Anka Academy's safeguarding procedure as soon as reasonably practicable.
Anka Academy will not attempt to conduct a child-protection investigation that is properly the responsibility of children's social care, the police or another statutory authority.
However, Anka Academy may make appropriate preliminary enquiries, preserve relevant information, manage concerns or allegations relating to tutors or others working through the service, and take reasonable safeguarding, contractual or disciplinary action where necessary.
8. Responding to Safeguarding Concerns
Where a safeguarding concern arises, Anka Academy may, as appropriate:
- make and securely retain an appropriate record of the concern;
- seek safeguarding advice;
- take reasonable immediate steps to reduce risk;
- contact a parent or guardian where appropriate and where doing so would not create or increase a safeguarding risk;
- share relevant information with appropriate safeguarding professionals or authorities; and
- make any referral or report required by law or reasonably considered necessary to safeguard a child.
Depending on the circumstances, this may involve children's social care, the police, a Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), emergency services or another appropriate safeguarding authority.
Where there is reason to believe that a child is in immediate danger or requires urgent assistance, the appropriate emergency services should be contacted without delay.
9. Concerns or Allegations About a Tutor
Any allegation or safeguarding concern relating to an Anka Academy tutor or another person working on behalf of Anka Academy will be taken seriously.
Anka Academy may take appropriate steps to protect children while the matter is considered. Depending on the circumstances, this may include restricting or suspending the individual's access to pupils while appropriate enquiries or referrals are made.
Where required or appropriate, Anka Academy may seek advice from or make a referral to the relevant Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), Disclosure and Barring Service, police, children's social care or another relevant authority.
Anka Academy may also take appropriate contractual or disciplinary action.
A tutor leaving, resigning or otherwise ceasing to work with Anka Academy will not prevent Anka Academy from making a safeguarding referral where a referral is required by law or otherwise appropriate.
10. Concerns About Anka Academy's Safeguarding Arrangements
Parents, guardians, pupils and tutors may raise concerns relating to Anka Academy's safeguarding practices using:
Email: safeguarding@ankaacademy.co.uk Telephone: +44 7784 230021
Where a concern relates to the person normally responsible for handling safeguarding matters, it should be escalated through the appropriate alternative safeguarding route or directly to the relevant external safeguarding authority where appropriate.
No person should be discouraged from contacting children's social care, the police or another appropriate safeguarding authority directly where they believe this is necessary to protect a child.
11. Confidentiality, Records and Information Sharing
Safeguarding information will be handled sensitively and, where appropriate, recorded and stored securely.
Access to safeguarding information should be limited to those who reasonably require it for safeguarding, legal or operational purposes.
Anka Academy may share relevant information with safeguarding professionals, authorities or other appropriate persons where this is required by law or reasonably necessary to protect a child.
Safeguarding information will be handled in accordance with applicable data-protection requirements and Anka Academy's privacy and data-protection arrangements.
Anka Academy cannot promise absolute confidentiality where information needs to be shared in order to protect a child or comply with a legal obligation.
12. The Limits of Our Role
Anka Academy takes reasonable and proportionate safeguarding measures in relation to the online tuition services within its reasonable control.
Because tuition is delivered remotely, Anka Academy cannot continuously supervise or control a child's home or other physical environment, household members, personal devices, general internet activity, communications outside Anka Academy's services, or other circumstances outside its reasonable control.
Parents and guardians retain responsibility for their child's physical environment, general supervision and activities outside Anka Academy's reasonable control.
Nothing in this policy transfers responsibility for matters that are legally the responsibility of Anka Academy, nor is anything in this policy intended to exclude or limit any responsibility or liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.
13. Keeping Safeguarding Arrangements Up to Date
Anka Academy may review and update its safeguarding arrangements to reflect changes in the business, safeguarding practice, applicable law and guidance, technology, or the way in which our services are delivered.
Tutors may be required to undertake updated safeguarding guidance or training and comply with updated safeguarding procedures.
The latest public version of this policy will be made available through the Anka Academy website.
14. Reporting a Safeguarding Concern
If you have a safeguarding concern connected with Anka Academy, please contact:
Safeguarding email: safeguarding@ankaacademy.co.uk Telephone: +44 7784 230021
Please provide sufficient information for the concern to be considered appropriately. Do not send unnecessary sensitive information through insecure communication channels.
If a child is in immediate danger or there is an emergency, contact the appropriate emergency services without delay.
This policy should be read alongside Anka Academy's applicable Terms and Conditions, Privacy Notice, Tutor Code of Conduct and internal safeguarding procedures.