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.

We live, and perpetuate, a world of neurotypical standards. Being a part of the minority of working Autistic adults, I constantly fight this battle. However, my AuDHD (Autism & ADHD) is what makes me a strong leader and teacher. Although it comes with it's own set of challenges and boundaries. My voice is loud in my direct relationships to give space for neurodivergence within my classroom and team, however, administration still looks at teacher well-being on a neurotypical scale. It’s time to make some noise and disrupt the space where leaders come to learn by taking the time to understand my story.

Expected Outcomes:
By the end of the presentation, participants will have a deeper understanding of the prevalence and implications of undiagnosed neurodivergence among teachers. They will also leave with practical strategies and tools to support the wellness and success of all educators, ultimately leading to a more inclusive and enriched learning environment for students.

This interactive 90-minute workshop introduces the LIFE approach, a practical framework for supporting student mental health and suicide prevention in schools. The session is designed to introduce educators to tools and strategies to proactively:
● Listen with Care and Compassion
● Identify Pain and Suffering
● Foster Hope and Meaning
● Explore Safe Solutions
Through a blend of engaging activities, collaborative discussions, and reflective practice, participants will learn how to create safer, more supportive environments that foster resilience and emotional well-being. While this session serves as an introduction to the full-day LIFE approach, participants will leave with practical tools to address student mental health concerns and promote a culture of care within their schools.

Expected Outcomes:
● Gain an introductory understanding of the LIFE framework, with tools ready for immediate application in the classroom or school environment.
● Learnthe LIFE approach to develop safe and compassionate conversations with students experiencing psychological distress.
● Collaborate with fellow educators to exchange ideas and insights to further support your practice.

For an ecosystem to thrive, healthy soil is vital. Soil stores water, supplies nutrients, provides a hospitable place for plant life to take root and grow. Similarly, in schools, educator well-being is the soil that sustains the entire educational ecosystem. While we often focus on creating a supportive environment for students, the well-being of educators is equally crucial. In this workshop, participants will learn about the core practices to nurture the soil of educator well-being, from developing the portrait of an effective educator, to increasing educator motivation, to assessing one's well-being and recalibrating accordingly. This practical, hands-on learning experience will equip participants with the skills and capacities to increase and sustain well-being at their sites and organizations.

Expected Outcomes:
Participants will
- Create a portrait of an effective educator that includes competencies, skills, and actions that promote well-being and professional practice
- Explore research-informed strategies that influence educator motivation and identify leverage points for these strategies
- Gain tools to assess one's own well-being and develop a sustainable plan to maintain and improve well-being over time
- Generate a "nurture the soil" action plan to transfer and apply learning to one's context

Through our work over an academic year, we have designed projects that foster collaboration between our Makerspace and Li Ren (Wellbeing and Inclusion Centre). We focus on projects that encourage student collaboration, ownership, and autonomy. Using digital fabrication equipment, students have spent the year working in teams to design and create products to solve real design challenges in the Li Ren (Wellbeing and Inclusion Centre).

Our team will discuss our work so far, both successes and failures, as well as facilitate discussion around how this model might be expanded to other schools. Our findings include how much time it takes to facilitate design/build projects as well as the impact on student perception and understanding of Li Ren (Wellbeing and Inclusion Centre). We believe the best way to reduce stigma around counselling and wellbeing work is to truly integrate it into all parts of the school.

Expected Outcomes:
Participants will engage in a workshop where they can produce a product which emulates our work in both the Makerspace and Li Ren (Wellbeing and Inclusion Centre). Participants will be able to find out more about the collaborative model in our school and how we integrate the Makerspace with well-being and vice versa to support the personal growth of our students. We will discuss our best practices and look for feedback and ideas moving forward in this collaborative work.