Child Safeguarding Policy

1. Our principles

• The child’s welfare is the most important consideration in everything we do.
• Every child has the right to be safe from harm, abuse, bullying and exploitation, whatever their age, gender, background or ability.
• Parents and guardians are partners. We keep them informed and involved.
• Anyone can report a concern, and no one will be punished for raising one in good faith.

2. How we choose and check teachers

Before a teacher is allowed to teach children, we:

• verify their identity and Quran teaching qualifications, including Ijazah where claimed;
• interview them and take up references from previous employers or institutions;
• give them a copy of this policy and our code of conduct and require them to confirm in writing that they will follow it;
• start with a trial period and review the teacher’s lessons and parent feedback regularly.

3. How lessons are kept safe

• Approved platform only. Lessons take place on an online video platform through a link we or the parent set up. We do not teach children through personal social media accounts.
• Parent presence. For younger children we ask a parent or guardian to be nearby, and we welcome parents joining any lesson at any time.
• Camera and setting. Students learn from a shared family space, not a bedroom, wherever possible. Teachers use a neutral, appropriate background and dress.
• Teacher choice. Parents can ask for a female teacher for girls, or a male or female teacher for boys, and we will do our best to match this.
• One lesson, one purpose. Lessons focus on Quran, Tajweed and Arabic. Teachers do not ask about a child’s private life, family problems or appearance beyond what is needed to teach.

4. Rules for teachers

Our teachers must never:

• contact a child privately outside agreed lesson arrangements, or ask a child to keep a secret from their parents;
• exchange personal phone numbers, social media accounts or private messages with a child. All contact with the family goes through the parent or guardian, or through our official channels;
• share or ask for photos, videos or personal details of a child outside lessons;
• use physical, verbal or emotional punishment, shame, threats or humiliating language;
• give gifts or favours to a child, or accept them, in a way that could be seen as inappropriate;
• behave in any sexual or inappropriate manner towards a child, or discuss sexual topics.

Teachers must report any concern about a child’s welfare to us straight away. Breaking these rules leads to immediate suspension and, where appropriate, removal and a report to the authorities.

5. What we ask of parents

• Check the lesson link and platform, and keep the link private.
• Stay close by, especially with younger children, and feel free to join any lesson.
• Talk to your child about online safety and ask how lessons are going.
• Tell us right away if something your child says or something you see in a lesson worries you.

6. Raising a concern

Please contact us if you are worried about the safety or welfare of a child, whether the worry is about one of our teachers, another adult, another student or something happening outside lessons.

Email us at [email protected], message us on WhatsApp (+20 122 550 3374), or use our contact page. Please start your message with “Safeguarding concern”. Your message goes to a senior member of our team, not to the teacher concerned. If you are not sure whether something is a concern, tell us anyway.

7. What we do next

1. We acknowledge your report within 24 hours.
2. If there is a risk to a child, we immediately pause the teacher’s access to that student, and to other students where needed.
3. We record what was said, who reported it and the action taken, and keep this information confidential and secure.
4. We investigate fairly and keep the family informed, as far as the law and the child’s safety allow.
5. Where required, or where a child may be at risk of harm, we report to the relevant authorities in the child’s country, such as police or child protection services, and cooperate fully.
6. We review what happened and improve our procedures.

8. Where to get outside help

You can contact these organisations at any time, even before speaking to us. Please check their websites for current details.

9. Review of this policy

We review this policy at least once a year, and after any safeguarding incident. We also train our teachers on it when they join and each year after that. For how we handle personal information, see our Privacy Policy.