AISC 2024

The world of safeguarding and child protection is ever-evolving. As school leaders, we must demand constant agility and humility in our thinking and our actions. Join Jaap Marsman, the Adviser for Safeguarding and Child Protection at the English Schools Foundation (ESF) for an interactive workshop exploring a range of tools and approaches used within ESF to support schools in their core responsibility to keep children safe.

We will discuss a range of tools and models used within ESF over the past few years to help keep students safe. One of the models discussed is an adapted version of the model on Contextual Safeguarding (Firmin, 2020), an approach to help explore a student's life from a range of perspectives.

As highlighted in a recent study by Mensing et al. (2024) the most important aspect to increase teacher efficacy in this area is knowledge. When we know what to look for and how to engage, all staff feel empowered to keep students safe. Join Jaap in this interactive session which blends the latest academic research with practical application to empower you and your school in keeping your students safe.

Disclaimer: this session will openly discuss all aspects of child abuse.

Expected Outcomes:
Participants will leave the session with an expanded understanding of the current academic developments in the field of safeguarding, particularly within the international school context. Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their own skillset, engage with peers, and explore a number of tools used within ESF which can be adapted to their own context.

Language is at the core of human identity. We inhabit our languages in neurological, biological, ecological, cognitive, psycho-social and socio-cultural spaces. Language is therefore one of our main ways of knowing and being. Our languages define who we are, internally and externally. When students navigate multiple languages in their teenage years, they are working through multiple ways of knowing, learning and expressing themselves.This occurs in high stakes, pre and post-16 programmes, alongside the pressures of academic performance.

An IB world school is a complex ecosystem for diverse, multilingual students. Schools become powerful learning environments when they are able to support learners with balancing their multilingual identities, to survive and thrive. The explicit teaching of academic language proficiency and translanguaging, supports students’ understanding of themselves and others. How might the language of emotional regulation strengthen resilience and engagement? How might we tempt students to engage positively with a world of climate crises and conflict? How might we preserve joy and hope? This presentation argues that students need social-emotional resilience, ethical frameworks and linguistic support for wellbeing and an affirmed identity. A multilingual identity that skilfully negotiates their place and purpose in a VUCA world: of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity.

Expected Outcomes:
The presentation will be supported by data and examples from the IB Support Program at West Island School, Hong Kong.

Connect: What we already know about the IBO’s vision ( ‘to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect,’) to wellbeing and multilingual language development.
Extend: This understanding to multilingualism - the role of a student’s many languages for wellbeing, affirming identity and agency.
Challenge: The idea that remedial work is all that is required to enable students to achieve potential. Challenge our system to create time and expertise for the holistic and transformative experience that all students deserve in an IB Programme.

This presentation will explore the findings of a recent qualitative phenomenological study examining the basic psychological needs of international school teachers. Grounded in the Basic Psychological Needs Theory, the research highlights the unique challenges faced by educators living and working abroad, including job insecurity, cultural adaptation, and the complexities of balancing personal and professional lives.

Attendees will gain insights into the lived experiences of teachers, focusing on how their needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are being met—or unmet—within the international school context. The session will also discuss the implications of these findings for school counselors and administrators, offering practical recommendations such as establishing Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), integrating mental health check-ins, and fostering a supportive community. By addressing these psychological needs, school counselors can play a critical role in enhancing teacher well-being, job satisfaction, and overall effectiveness within the school environment.

Expected Outcomes:
By the end of this presentation, participants will have an understanding of the Basic Psychological Needs Theory and its application to the well-being of international school teachers. They will be equipped with practical strategies for identifying and addressing the unique challenges faced by these educators, such as adapting to new cultural and educational environments. Participants will also gain insights into creating supportive school environments that prioritize the psychological needs of teachers, ultimately enhancing job satisfaction and retention. Additionally, the workshop will provide tools for implementing and evaluating support programs, enabling participants to take actionable steps towards fostering a positive and inclusive school culture. The expected outcome is that participants will leave with the confidence and knowledge to implement these strategies within their own institutions, thereby contributing to the overall well-being and effectiveness of their teaching staff.

Let’s end the ‘them vs. us’ mindset when it comes to wellbeing! This workshop is all about creating a united, schoolwide wellbeing culture where everyone—leaders, staff, and teachers—shares the responsibility.

Through real-life examples and actionable strategies, we’ll show you how to break down barriers, foster collaboration, and embed wellbeing in every part of your school. Forget the buzzwords—this is about making wellbeing work for everyone, from top leadership to the classroom.

Expected Outcomes:
●    Learn about how to move from strategy to reality when supporting staff wellbeing.
●    Learn about our journey from the creation of a centre-based staff wellbeing strategy to practical school-based implementation.
●    Gain an understanding of real-life examples, shared leadership, and the Appreciative Inquiry process.
●    Participants will explore how to engage staff, foster collaboration, and embed wellbeing across their school community.
●    Collaborate with fellow educators to exchange ideas and insights to further support your practice.

Assessment is arguably the most challenged educational area under GenAI’s influence, mostly in part due to increased risks of student cheating and the associated concerns around fairness and students’ learning attainment. Different stakeholders in education (e.g., students, teachers, school leaders, parents) are navigating a somewhat “uncharted assessment landscape” where there are many grey areas without well-established guidelines or consensus. Navigating this landscape entails risks – for example, students who acknowledge their use of GenAI in assessment may be implicitly penalised in the marking process; teachers who adopt innovative assessment could face backlash as traditional assessment methods (e.g. exams, essays) are often more well received by the public. For different education stakeholders to be open to taking these risks and to collaboratively explore this evolving AI landscape, building a culture of trust within our school/institution becomes crucial.

This talk will be guided by three related questions: (1) why is talking about trust important when we talk about leadership in the GenAI age; (2) how does GenAI affect the trust dynamics in our education, particularly through assessment policies and practices; and (3) how can we foster a culture of trust through school leadership in this GenAI age? To answer these questions, I will draw on three of my recent studies that shed light on the implications of GenAI on different aspects of trust dynamics in education. Real-life cases and other important studies in the field will also be shared in the talk to facilitate meaningful discussions. By the end of this talk, the participants will gain a more nuanced understanding of GenAI in education and be equipped with strategies to lead a culture of trust in a time of uncertainties.