In international schools, the board of trustees carries ultimate responsibility for child safeguarding — yet this critical responsibility is too often underestimated or misunderstood.
A designated Safeguarding Trustee provides the essential strategic link between governance and practice. Their role is not to manage individual cases, but to ensure the school’s safeguarding framework is robust, reviewed regularly, and genuinely embedded in culture — not simply policy on paper.
This means asking the right questions, scrutinising safeguarding data, and consistently holding school leadership accountable.
Without a trustee who truly understands safeguarding at a strategic level, even well-intentioned schools can carry significant hidden risk.
Effective safeguarding always starts at the top. Does your board have it covered?
chris gould: 112 safeguarding 