Safeguarding and Online Safety Policy

Last updated: 13 August 2026

1. Purpose and scope

Volna Online Russian School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of every child who takes part in its online lessons.

For the purposes of this policy, a child is anyone under 18 years of age.

This policy applies to the proprietor, Headteacher, teachers, contractors, students, parents, guardians and other authorised adults involved in Volna Online Russian School’s services.

It applies to group and private lessons, Microsoft Teams and Zoom meetings, class-group chats, lesson recordings, mock examinations and other online activities organised by the school.

2. Our safeguarding commitment

The welfare and best interests of the child are our primary consideration.

We will take reasonable steps to:

Protect children from physical, emotional and sexual abuse, neglect, exploitation, bullying and online harm.
Provide a safe and respectful online learning environment.
Recruit and engage suitable teachers.
Maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
Respond promptly to disclosures, allegations and concerns.
Share safeguarding information with appropriate authorities when necessary.
Treat every child fairly and without unlawful discrimination.

No teacher or other person working for Volna Online Russian School may inflict physical or psychological harm on a child or behave in a way that places a child at risk.

3. Designated Safeguarding Lead

The Designated Safeguarding Lead is:

Elena Vlasenko
Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead
Email: info@volnaschool.com

The Designated Safeguarding Lead is responsible for:

Receiving and assessing safeguarding concerns.
Keeping appropriate confidential records.
Seeking advice and making referrals to relevant authorities.
Supporting teachers in following safeguarding procedures.
Ensuring that safeguarding arrangements and training are reviewed.
Managing allegations or concerns unless the concern involves the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

A concern or allegation involving Elena Vlasenko must be addressed to:

Anton Vlasenko
Proprietor
Email: info@volnaschool.com

The subject line should state: “Private safeguarding concern for Anton Vlasenko”.

A concern involving Anton Vlasenko should be reported to Elena Vlasenko or directly to the appropriate local authority children’s social care service, Local Authority Designated Officer or police.

4. Immediate danger and external reporting

If a child is in immediate danger or a crime is taking place, call 999.

A person does not need Volna Online Russian School’s permission to contact the police, children’s social care or another safeguarding authority.

Concerns about a child in England may be reported to the children’s social care service for the local authority in which the child lives. If the child’s location is not known, advice may be sought from the police or the NSPCC.

The NSPCC Helpline for adults concerned about a child is 0808 800 5000.

Children and young people may contact Childline on 0800 1111.

Where a child is outside England, the school will contact or advise the reporting person to contact the appropriate safeguarding or emergency authority for the child’s location.

5. Safer recruitment and suitability

Before a teacher is permitted to teach children through Volna Online Russian School, the school checks their:

Identity.
Relevant qualifications and experience.
Employment or professional references.
Suitability to work with children.
Appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service status for the role.

The school does not rely on a DBS check as the only assessment of suitability.

DBS status is reviewed annually where the school is legally entitled to perform an Update Service check and has the individual’s permission. Where an Update Service check is unavailable or unsuitable, the school will decide whether a new check or other evidence is required.

Any concern affecting a teacher’s continued suitability must be reported immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or, where the concern involves the Designated Safeguarding Lead, to the proprietor.

6. Training

The Headteacher and teachers complete safeguarding and online-safety training at least annually.

Relevant current training undertaken through another school or educational organisation may satisfy this requirement where Volna Online Russian School receives appropriate confirmation.

Teachers must understand:

How to recognise possible abuse, neglect, exploitation, bullying and online harm.
How to respond when a child makes a disclosure.
How and when to report a concern.
How to maintain professional boundaries online.
How to respond to concerns about another adult.
The school’s recording, communication and confidentiality rules.

7. Staff code of conduct

Teachers must:

Act professionally, respectfully and in the child’s best interests.
Use only school-approved platforms and communication arrangements.
Keep lesson content appropriate to the student’s age and educational needs.
Avoid favouritism, humiliating language, threats, harassment and discriminatory conduct.
Avoid unnecessary discussion of their private life or a student’s private life.
Never request or exchange personal social-media details with a child.
Never arrange an unauthorised meeting with a child online or in person.
Never send a private message to a student under 18.
Never form or encourage an inappropriate personal, emotional, sexual or financial relationship with a student.
Report safeguarding concerns promptly.
Report any accidental breach of professional boundaries to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Protect confidential and personal information.

Teachers must not investigate a safeguarding allegation themselves or ask leading or repeated questions of a child.

8. Communication with students and parents

Teachers may communicate with students only through the relevant Microsoft Teams class-group chat or during an authorised lesson.

Teachers must not contact a student under 18 through private Teams messages, personal email, telephone, text message, social media or any other private channel.

Where individual communication is necessary, the Designated Safeguarding Lead will contact the student’s parent, guardian or authorised adult by email or telephone.

Class-group chat must be used only for appropriate educational and administrative purposes. Messages may be reviewed by the Headteacher or Designated Safeguarding Lead where a concern is reported.

Parents must ensure that their contact information remains accurate and that they can be contacted when reasonably required.

9. Group and private online lessons

Parental or authorised-adult consent is obtained before a student under 18 enrols. This covers participation in the applicable online course, including group or private tuition where relevant.

Private lessons must:

Be arranged through the school.
Take place through an approved Microsoft Teams or Zoom account.
Be held at the scheduled or otherwise authorised time.
Involve only an authorised teacher.
Follow the same professional-conduct and communication rules as group lessons.
Never be moved to a teacher’s personal account or private communication channel.

A parent or authorised adult should know when a private lesson is taking place and remain reasonably available in case the school needs to make contact, particularly for younger children.

The parent remains responsible for the child’s physical environment, suitable supervision outside the online lesson and access to emergency assistance at the child’s location.

If urgent assistance may be required and the child’s location is not already known, the teacher or Designated Safeguarding Lead may ask the parent or child for their current location solely for emergency or safeguarding purposes.

10. Cameras, microphones and backgrounds

Student cameras are optional but recommended where their use supports participation and learning.

A student will not be penalised merely for keeping their camera turned off unless seeing the student is reasonably necessary for a particular assessment and an alternative has first been discussed with the parent or adult student.

Students and teachers should use an appropriate background and ensure that private or sensitive information is not visible or audible.

A teacher may ask a student to turn off their camera or microphone where their background, conduct or surroundings are inappropriate or may expose another person’s private information.

11. Lesson recordings

Private tuition lessons are not recorded.

Some Microsoft Teams group lessons may be recorded where a student is absent or a parent has requested access for revision. Recordings are made only through the platform’s standard recording function and only where the required advance permission has been obtained.

A recording may include participant names, voices, video, screen sharing, chat or other contributions made during the lesson.

Students and parents will be informed that the class may be recorded. Cameras remain optional.

Recordings are available only to authorised members of the relevant Teams class group. They must not be downloaded, copied, edited, republished or shared outside that group.

Recordings are deleted when the relevant Teams class group is deleted, normally shortly after the summer term ends and no later than 60 days after the end of the academic year unless retention is necessary for a safeguarding investigation, complaint or legal obligation.

Volna Online Russian School does not routinely record Zoom lessons, private lessons or mock examinations. Any exceptional recording would require advance notice and the appropriate permission.

The school may preserve a relevant recording or message where it is necessary to investigate or report a safeguarding concern.

12. Photographs, screenshots and promotional images

Teachers, students and parents must not take or share screenshots, photographs, audio recordings or video recordings of lessons or class chats without advance permission.

Volna Online Russian School will obtain separate parental permission before using an identifiable image, video or contribution from a child for advertising, social media or other promotional purposes.

Permission for promotional use is separate from permission for educational lesson recordings. Refusing promotional permission does not prevent a child from receiving lessons.

13. Online behaviour and acceptable use

Students and parents must:

Use lesson links and class accounts only for their intended purpose.
Keep passwords and joining links secure.
Use an appropriate display name and profile image.
Communicate respectfully.
Follow reasonable instructions from the teacher.
Avoid sharing unnecessary personal information.
Report upsetting, threatening or inappropriate content.
Respect the privacy of teachers and other students.

Students and parents must not:

Download, copy, edit, publish or share lesson recordings.
Share screenshots, class messages or another person’s personal information outside the class group.
Record a lesson using another device or application.
Engage in bullying, harassment, discrimination or sexualised behaviour.
Share illegal, violent, extremist, sexual or otherwise harmful material.
Impersonate another person or allow an unauthorised person to use their account.
Share a lesson link with an unauthorised person.
Attempt to contact a teacher privately or obtain their personal contact details.

Teachers may remove content, mute a participant, end a lesson or temporarily restrict access where this is reasonably necessary to protect participants.

14. Health conditions, disabilities and learning-support needs

A parent may tell the Headteacher about a health condition, disability, learning-support need or other circumstance relevant to the child’s safety or participation.

Only information reasonably necessary to adapt lessons, support the student or protect the child should be provided.

The information will be handled in accordance with the Privacy Policy and made available only to people who reasonably need it.

Where required by data-protection law, the school will obtain explicit consent before using health or other special-category information. Consent may not be sought where immediate safeguarding action is necessary and another lawful condition permits the information to be used or shared.

The school will consider reasonable adjustments and discuss suitable arrangements with the parent. The school does not provide medical diagnosis, medical treatment or emergency supervision at the child’s location.

15. Recognising and reporting concerns

A safeguarding concern may arise from:

Something a child says.
A visible injury or change in behaviour.
Neglect or lack of appropriate care.
Bullying or child-on-child abuse.
Sexualised behaviour or material.
Online grooming, exploitation or coercion.
Domestic abuse affecting the child.
Self-harm or risk of suicide.
Extremism or radicalisation.
A concern about a teacher or another adult.
Inappropriate content, contact or conduct online.

Anyone working for the school who has a concern must report it to the Designated Safeguarding Lead without unnecessary delay.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead will consider the information, make a factual record and decide whether advice, early help or a referral to an external authority is required.

Safeguarding action must not be delayed while waiting for proof or because an ordinary complaint is still being considered.

16. Responding to a disclosure

If a child discloses possible abuse or harm, the person receiving the disclosure must:

Listen calmly and take the child seriously.
Avoid expressing disbelief or shock.
Avoid leading questions or asking the child to repeat the account unnecessarily.
Explain that the information cannot be kept secret if the child may be at risk.
Reassure the child that reporting the concern was the right thing to do.
Record the child’s words as accurately as possible.
Report the disclosure promptly to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Contact emergency services directly if there is immediate danger.

The teacher must not confront the alleged person responsible or conduct their own investigation.

17. Confidentiality, records and information sharing

Safeguarding information is confidential but cannot be promised to remain secret.

Information will be shared only with people or authorities who need it to protect a child, investigate an allegation, comply with the law or provide appropriate support.

Where it is safe and appropriate, the school will normally explain to the parent what information will be shared. The school may share information without first informing or obtaining consent from a parent where seeking consent could place a child at greater risk, prejudice an investigation or cause an unreasonable delay.

Safeguarding records will be factual, dated, stored securely and kept separately from ordinary teaching records where appropriate.

Personal information will be retained and deleted in accordance with the Privacy Policy and the school’s internal retention procedures.

18. Concerns or allegations about a teacher

Any allegation that a teacher or other adult working with the school has:

Harmed or possibly harmed a child.
Possibly committed an offence against or related to a child.
Behaved in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to children.
Behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children,

must be reported immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

The school will not investigate an allegation before obtaining appropriate safeguarding advice where doing so could interfere with an external investigation.

The school may immediately restrict the adult’s access to students, Teams groups, Zoom meetings, recordings and personal information while the concern is assessed.

Where appropriate, the matter will be referred to the Local Authority Designated Officer for the area in which the person works, children’s social care, the police or the Disclosure and Barring Service.

An allegation involving the Designated Safeguarding Lead must be reported to Anton Vlasenko. An allegation involving Anton Vlasenko must be reported to Elena Vlasenko or directly to the relevant external authority.

19. Whistleblowing

Teachers and contractors must report unsafe practice, failure to follow safeguarding procedures, concealment of concerns or conduct that may place a child at risk.

A concern should normally be reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead. A concern involving the Designated Safeguarding Lead should be reported to Anton Vlasenko.

No person will be penalised by Volna Online Russian School for raising a genuine concern in good faith, even if the concern is not ultimately substantiated.

If the person believes that the school has not acted appropriately, they may contact the relevant local authority, police or the NSPCC Whistleblowing Advice Line on 0800 028 0285.

20. Complaints

A parent, authorised adult or student may make a complaint by emailing info@volnaschool.com.

The complaint should explain:

What happened.
When it happened.
Who was involved.
What action the complainant would like the school to consider.

We will acknowledge an ordinary complaint within five working days and aim to provide a substantive response within 14 calendar days.

A complainant dissatisfied with the initial response may request a final review by Anton Vlasenko as proprietor.

A complaint involving Elena Vlasenko should be addressed directly to Anton Vlasenko. A complaint involving Anton Vlasenko may be addressed to Elena Vlasenko.

A safeguarding concern will be assessed immediately and will not be delayed by the ordinary complaints timetable. Anyone may contact an external safeguarding authority directly.

21. Breaches of this policy

A breach may result in:

A warning.
Removal of content.
Temporary muting or removal from a lesson.
Restriction of access to a class group or recording.
Contact with a parent.
Suspension or termination of enrolment.
Suspension or termination of a teacher’s engagement.
Referral to an external authority.

Any decision will take account of the seriousness of the conduct, the child’s welfare, the rights of other participants and any legal obligations.

Payments for future lessons discontinued by the school will be handled under the Lesson Terms, Cancellations and Refunds Policy.

22. Review

This policy will be reviewed at least annually and sooner where:

A safeguarding incident occurs.
Relevant law or government guidance changes.
The school changes its teaching platforms or recording practices.
A review identifies that procedures need improvement.

The proprietor and Designated Safeguarding Lead are responsible for ensuring that the policy and associated internal procedures remain current.

Next scheduled review: August 2027