Child Protection & Safeguarding

God's Heritage School puts the safety and welfare of every child first — its pupils, Creche to Primary 6, and its students, JSS 1 to SS 3. This policy sets out how that duty is carried into the school portal, where children, parents and teachers communicate.

1. Our commitment

We follow the Child's Rights Act 2003 and the safeguarding expectations of the Oyo State Ministry of Education. Every member of staff has a duty to act on a concern about a child, and no concern raised in good faith will be held against the person who raised it.

2. How the portal protects children

• No open access. Child accounts are created by the school. Children cannot sign themselves up, and no outsider can create an account that reaches a child.
• Messages are not private from the school. Every message sent through the portal — child to teacher, child to child, in a class group — is stored and can be read by the school. Children are told this plainly.
• Class groups are supervised. Every class group chat has the class teacher in it. A class captain may pin and announce, but cannot remove anyone or delete what others wrote.
• Messaging between children is limited to this school, and searching for a classmate shows only their name, class and school photograph — never a phone number, an address or an email.
• Staff do not message children privately outside the portal. Contact between a member of staff and a child belongs in the portal, where there is a record.
• The AI assistant is limited to what the child asking is allowed to see, and is instructed to guide a child's own work rather than do it for them.

3. What children are asked to do

• Never share your password, not even with a friend.
• Never send a photograph or message you would not want a teacher or your parents to see.
• If a message makes you uncomfortable, frightened or upset, tell a teacher or your parents straight away. You will not be in trouble.
• Do not say unkind things about anyone in a group chat. Bullying in the portal is treated the same as bullying in the classroom.

4. What parents are asked to do

• Talk to your child about what they use the portal for.
• Keep your own account details private — a parent account can see your child's full record.
• Raise a concern with the school early. Use the message feature, or call the office.

5. Reporting a concern

Concerns about a child's safety should go to the school's designated safeguarding lead:

We will acknowledge a safeguarding report the same school day and act on it immediately, involving the appropriate authorities where the situation requires it.

6. Photographs

Child passport photographs are used inside the portal to identify children. A child's photograph is only published in the public school gallery where a parent has given consent, and consent may be withdrawn at any time by writing to the school.

7. Misuse

Where the portal is used to bully, threaten or harm a child, the school will suspend the account involved, deal with it under the school's disciplinary procedure, and where necessary report it to the police. Evidence is preserved.

8. Review

This policy is reviewed every academic session by the proprietress and the school management.