Safeguarding Policy

1. Our commitment

Science Sorted is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people who use our services.

For safeguarding purposes, a child is a person under the age of 18.

Our tuition is delivered online, so safeguarding includes both traditional child-protection responsibilities and online safety.

Although Keeping Children Safe in Education is statutory guidance specifically for schools and colleges, Science Sorted uses its principles and relevant remote-learning guidance as important safeguarding benchmarks for our own practice. The current 2025 version remains in force until 31 August 2026, with KCSIE 2026 taking effect from 1 September 2026.

2. Safeguarding lead

Designated Safeguarding Lead: Qasid Ahmed

Safeguarding email: info@sciencesorted.co.uk

3. Our safeguarding principles

The welfare of the child is our primary consideration.

Children should be treated with dignity and respect and should be able to participate in tuition without bullying, harassment, exploitation, discrimination or inappropriate behaviour.

Safeguarding concerns will be taken seriously and acted upon promptly.

Information relating to safeguarding will only be shared where appropriate and necessary to protect a child or meet a legal obligation.

4. Tutor conduct

Tutors must maintain appropriate professional boundaries with students.

Communication should take place through approved Science Sorted channels rather than private or personal accounts wherever possible.

Tutors must not engage in inappropriate, sexualised, discriminatory or exploitative communication with students.

Tutors should not unnecessarily share personal information with students.

Online lessons should be delivered from an appropriate environment, and tutors should use professional or neutral backgrounds.

DfE remote-learning guidance similarly recommends professional communication channels, secure login credentials and appropriate backgrounds for video teaching.

5. Online lessons

Lesson links must not be shared with unauthorised individuals.

Students should use appropriate display names and behave respectfully during lessons.

Students are not required to disclose unnecessary personal information to other participants.

Science Sorted may apply controls such as muting participants, restricting screen sharing or limiting camera use where appropriate for safety and lesson management.

6. Parents and guardians

Parents or guardians are responsible for providing accurate contact information and informing Science Sorted of relevant safeguarding, accessibility or welfare issues that may materially affect tuition.

Parents should know when younger students are participating in online lessons and should ensure the student has an appropriate environment from which to participate.

7. Concerns and disclosures

A tutor who becomes concerned that a child may be at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation or other serious harm must not investigate the matter themselves.

They should listen appropriately, avoid promising absolute confidentiality, make an accurate factual record and report the concern promptly to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Where there is an immediate risk of serious harm, appropriate emergency or statutory services will be contacted.

8. Allegations concerning tutors

Any allegation or safeguarding concern involving a tutor, member of staff or other adult connected with Science Sorted will be taken seriously.

The concern must be referred immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or, where the allegation concerns that person, another designated senior person.

Science Sorted will cooperate with appropriate statutory safeguarding authorities where required.

9. Recruitment and suitability

Science Sorted aims to use appropriate recruitment and vetting procedures for individuals working with children.

This includes identity, qualification, reference and safeguarding checks as appropriate to the role, together with DBS checks where legally appropriate or required.

10. Recording lessons

If Science Sorted records online lessons, parents and students must be clearly informed about when and why recording takes place, how recordings are stored, who may access them and how long they are retained.

Recordings must not be independently recorded, copied or distributed by students without permission.

11. Online safety

Students should not share passwords, lesson links or personal information with other users.

Science Sorted may remove participants or restrict access where online behaviour creates a safeguarding or security concern.

Clear routes should exist for students and parents to report concerns. DfE guidance emphasises the importance of communicating clear reporting routes in remote education.

12. Confidentiality and information sharing

Safeguarding information will be handled sensitively.

Confidentiality cannot be guaranteed where withholding information could place a child or another person at risk.

Information may be shared with parents, safeguarding authorities, police or other appropriate bodies where necessary and lawful.

13. Review

This policy will be reviewed regularly and whenever there is a material change in safeguarding guidance, legislation or Science Sorted’s services.