Emily Konstantas, CEO of the The Safeguarding Alliance, and Fiona Cottam, principal of Hartland International School in the UAE, pushed for a coordinated global approach to child protection at last week’s Council of British International Schools (COBIS) annual conference in London.
They warned delegates that gaps between different jurisdictions around the world are allowing safeguarding concerns involving teachers working overseas to go unreported.
Cottam posited that the sector must move towards a “stronger safeguarding practice globally” for British schools operating worldwide, built around shared policies and collective responsibility.
Cottam said British education “has got that standard of quality, and therefore we believe that through this we can make sure that the institution of British education certainly is safeguarded globally.”
The discussion centred on a new safeguarding white paper that examines weaknesses in international reporting systems and proposes reforms to improve accountability.
Cottam described the paper as a key driver for policy change and urged schools to support its safeguarding pledge. And she stressed that the make-up of the group supporting the white paper was the key to its success.
“This is where we put aside differences in policy and practice that we have as global organisations, and we really do come together for what is right to try and make a difference and to try and make a collective change globally,” she said.
This is where we put aside differences in policy and practice that we have as global organisations, and we really do come together for what is right
Fiona Cottam, Hartland International School
Meanwhile, Konstantos outlined what she called a significant safeguarding loophole connected to international teacher prohibition checks.
She pointed out that schools often have no mechanism to report safeguarding concerns back to UK regulators once teachers move overseas, creating tensions between professional mobility and professional accountability.
The report draws on data from more than 15,000 international schools serving some 7.7 million children worldwide, alongside freedom of information requests, school consultations and safeguarding case studies.
Konstantos said the findings revealed persistent problems around professional boundaries, inconsistent reporting routes and jurisdictional barriers that complicate investigations for teachers working internationally.
She explained that one of the biggest issues facing educators was the inability to report back to the regulator effectively, adding that safeguarding systems currently struggle to operate across borders.
The proposed reforms include the creation of a gateway triage system for safeguarding referrals, mandatory reporting at key employment “anchor exit” points, and internationally recognised guidance for recruitment and disclosure procedures.
The paper also calls for greater collaboration with agencies including the National Crime Agency, INTERPOL and ACRO Criminal Records Office to pilot new disclosure and referral mechanisms for international schools.
Sector leaders are additionally seeking broader access to UK prohibition checks and safer recruitment systems for international school associations.
Cottam said the initiative reflects growing recognition that safeguarding cannot stop at national borders, particularly as British international education continues to expand globally.
The group plans to circulate the white paper to member schools once regulatory and government reviews are completed, while continuing discussions with UK authorities over the legal basis for international reporting mechanisms.
