With the honour to host this inaugural Conference in 2021, it has been quite the journey! Despite numerous challenges stemming from the pandemic and ongoing travel restrictions, the brilliant team behind the Conference managed to pull together and welcome over 140 participants to the FOBISIA Pastoral Care and Safeguarding Conference in May of 2023.
The Conference provided a fantastic opportunity for Haileybury Almaty to showcase their wonderful community, an unwavering commitment to safeguarding and of course Kazakhstan and Almaty in all of its beauty.
However none of this would have been possible without the overwhelming support of David Butcher (Principal at BSJ & FOBISIA Board Member), Iain Hope (Deputy Head of Primary at BSJ) and the outstanding team in Jakarta. BSJ’s stunning campus, welcoming staff and pupil body and enviable resources, provided the facility to ensure the Conference was a success; for participants in-person alongside those joining remotely.
So much so that, looking ahead, John Gwyn Jones has already pencilled involvement from both schools into the diary!
The chance to network was well received with many delegates connecting; across regions and in partnership within their locality. Facilitating discussions between newly fledged relationships relating to key threads such as:
- Importance of Low Level Concerns in adopting a proactive approach to establishing a culture of safety in schools.
- Growing prominence of Online Safety in a developing world and in response to new legislation in the UK.
- Continuing focus on Wellbeing, Emotional Health and Suicidal Ideation.
Inspiration from the Conference has already led to initiatives at Haileybury Almaty such as a parental engagement series for the wider community and a renewed look at Online Safety. Coupled with an upcoming programme covering the Development of the Adolescent Mind in conjunction with the University of Cambridge and Mental Health First Aid training for staff and pupils alike, the Safeguarding Committee at the school are looking forward to an exciting future ahead.
Through collaboration and cooperation, both BSJ and Haileybury Almaty have demonstrated their commitment to professional development and a framework for children in both Indonesia and Kazakhstan to aspire to the most competitive universities in the world. With ever more schools across the network involved at the next iteration on the Vietnamese horizon, the possibilities are endless!
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