The International Schools Network

How can you involve your students in the safeguarding process? How can cultural barriers be overcome when discussing safeguarding with parents? Three safeguarding experts share their thoughts and insights on this vitality important topic.

Max (Head of Community at ISN) speaks to three safeguarding experts from different regions around the world (UK, Vietnam and Dubai) to discuss how they make staff and students feel comfortable and confident in reporting safeguarding concerns, including some of the practical and actionable strategies they have implemented in their own international school settings. We also consider how safeguarding principles and policies in schools may differ in different regions.

Guests include:

Sydney Atkins - Deputy Principal and Designated Safeguarding & Child Protection Lead at GEMS Education, Dubai

Jennifer - Safeguarding specialist at a leading international school in Vietnam

Delyth Lynch - Deputy Head (Safeguarding) at Wellington College, UK

Does your school need a dedicated project manager? Find out how a project management team could elevate your school.

Max (Head of Community at ISN) speaks to three project managers from different international schools and regions around the world to discuss the benefits of project management teams in an international school context and share some of the practical and actionable strategies they have implemented in their own school settings.

Guests include:

Laura Earwood - Project Manager at UWC ISAK Japan

Elisa Prisco - Head of Special Projects and New Business at World International School - Torino

Johannes Chun - Project Manager at British School Jakarta

Wellbeing may be just a buzzword for some, but for most of us, it is an area deserving commitment, time and resources in any school.

In this discussion, three ISN members talk about what wellbeing means in an international school context and how schools can support the wellbeing of students, staff and parents. They also share the initiatives and programmes they have implemented in their schools, with practical ideas you can implement in your classroom.

Guests include:

Lucy Keller (teacher and mindfulness consultant),

Andrea Carrera (psychologist and counsellor at the British School Jakarta),

Priya Mitchell (wellbeing and safeguarding architect at the International School of Ho Chi Minh City)

What is current best practice for SEN provisions in an international school setting? What does the future of SEN provisions look like? Four ISN members share their insights and individual experiences.

The discussion covered key topics including:

• An in-depth overview of SEN provisions in different regions around the world

• Key tips and strategies for developing your schools’ SEN provisions

• The future of SEN - what more can be done to develop SEN provisions moving forwards?

Guests include:

Devika Gupta (Learning Support Teacher IB MYP/DP, Suzhou Singapore International School),

Sofy Leon Garcia (Counsellor and Psychology Teacher at Sharjah English School in the UAE),

Amita Sen (Head of Personalised Learning at Dwight School London),

Angelique Van Tonder​ (Head of Alternative Pathway and Deputy Director of Inclusion at a large international school in Dubai).

With the ever-changing world of work, how can we best prepare students with the key skills they will need to prepare themselves for the future? (Sponsored by Immerse Education)

How should career guidance and advice be changing to keep up with the growing alternative options to university?

Max (Head of Community at ISN) speaks to four international education experts from different regions around the world to discuss why effective career guidance is so vital for students, including some of the practical and actionable strategies they have implemented in their own international school settings.

Guests include:

Alison Cantrill (Head of Careers & Pathways at Bangkok International Preparatory and Secondary School),

Ambika Jyothi (Head of College Guidance Counselling at Ecole Mondiale World School),

Emma Sempa (Career Adviser Kampala International School Uganda),

Sean Stevens (CEO of ISN founding partner, Immerse Education)

How do you create an environment that fosters diversity, and enhances equity and inclusion across your school? We sat down with three members to discuss strategies that have worked for them

We discussed the importance of diversity in a school setting, and each member shared their individual strategies and initiatives they have implemented to ensure a more inclusive and diverse environment for teachers, staff, and students in their schools, and the overall benefits and impact of having a diverse staff and student body in an international school context.

Guests include:

Aldaine Wynter (assistant head: pastoral & operations, Wetherby Senior School, London),

Esther Mustamu-Daniels (whole school DEI lead, British School Muscat),

Jerome Lingo(secondary learning support teacher, Hong Kong Academy)

Why is professional development so important in international schools?

How can you help new staff to recognise and engage in a professional development journey?

Four senior leaders share their individual experiences as well as practical and actionable strategies they have implemented in their own schools (session sponsored by ISN partner, Myatt & Co).

Guests include:

Dhanya Seshan (Vice Principal at the International School of Budapest),

Philip Stainton (Deputy Head Teacher at New Cairo British International School),

Michael Strachan (Deputy Head at Repton Dubai and Fellow of the Chartered College of Teachers)

Mary Myatt (Founder of Myatt & Co).

How can your school create an effective communications strategy ensuring all key stakeholders are included?

In this discussion, Max sits down with four ISN members from different regions around the world to discuss why a whole school communication strategy with all key stakeholders is so important, regional differences in school comms, practical and actionable strategies that have been tried and tested in their own school settings, and a few common pitfalls you should avoid.

Guests include -

Tony Potts (Director of Systems, Communications, Admissions & Marketing at American International School of Mozambique),

Sharon Spencer (Communications, Events and Community Liaison Manager at International College Spain),

Cyrielle Bazin (Director of Communications and Marketing at Seoul Foreign School),

Lisbeth Gonzalez (Head of Marketing and Communications at International School of Panama).