Safeguarding at the Core: How Bright Path Learning Prioritises Safety
Recent news has highlighted alarming safeguarding issues within the private tutoring industry, with reports of individuals with serious criminal histories, including charges of sexual assault, presenting themselves as private tutors. This serves as a stark reminder that safeguarding must be at the forefront of any educational service involving children and young people.
At Bright Path Learning, safeguarding is not just a priority—it is the foundation of everything we do. Ensuring the safety and well-being of every student who attends our online tutoring sessions is our top concern. In a landscape where trust is paramount, we are committed to providing parents and guardians with peace of mind, knowing that their children are in safe and capable hands.
Why Safeguarding Matters
Parents entrust their children to private tutors to help them achieve their academic goals, and it is crucial that those tutors not only provide excellent educational support but also foster a safe environment. Unfortunately, the private tutoring industry is less regulated compared to mainstream schooling, which leaves room for individuals who may not have the appropriate safeguarding credentials to work with vulnerable young people.
In light of these challenges, safeguarding must be non-negotiable for every tutoring provider. Parents deserve to know that the person tutoring their child is fully vetted, qualified, and committed to ensuring student safety.
Our Commitment to Safeguarding at Bright Path Learning
At Bright Path Learning, we take safeguarding seriously. Our policies and practices reflect our deep commitment to providing a secure learning environment for every student we support. Here’s how we ensure that safeguarding is central to our business:
Qualified Tutors with Up-to-Date Safeguarding Training
We work only with teachers who are currently working in UK schools. This ensures that all of our tutors are professionals with recent, relevant experience in working with children and are fully trained in safeguarding procedures. Every tutor can demonstrate that they have undergone the latest Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) training, which is an essential requirement for those working in UK schools. This training ensures they understand their responsibilities in protecting students from harm and know how to appropriately respond to any concerns.
Recent DBS Checks Provided by Tutors
While Bright Path Learning does not conduct new Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, we require all tutors to provide their most recent DBS check from their current school employment. This approach ensures that every tutor has been vetted through their primary teaching role, which provides the essential background information needed to maintain a safe environment for our students. By verifying these checks, we aim to create a secure space where parents can feel confident that their children are being tutored by trustworthy professionals.
Session Recording for Full Transparency
All of our online tutoring sessions are conducted using Google Meet, and every session is recorded. The purpose of recording is not only to support student progress but also to ensure an additional layer of safety for both students and tutors. The recordings provide a record of each session, offering transparency and accountability. If there is ever a concern raised by a student, parent, or tutor, these recordings serve as an objective reference.
This also provides parents with an extra level of confidence, knowing that there is oversight in every session their child attends, making the learning environment as safe as possible.
Whistleblowing Policies in Place
We understand that, despite our best efforts, issues or concerns may sometimes arise. That is why we have implemented a comprehensive whistleblowing policy, designed to provide a safe avenue for both parents and tutors to report any concerns or incidents that may occur.
For parents, this means having a clear channel through which they can voice any concerns regarding the tutoring service or any aspect of their child’s experience. For tutors, the whistleblowing policy provides the ability to report anything they find concerning, whether it involves safeguarding, student behaviour, or any other issue that needs attention. All reports are taken seriously, and we ensure that appropriate actions are taken promptly to protect our students.
Why Parents Choose Bright Path Learning
Parents across the UK choose Bright Path Learning not only for the quality of our tutoring but because they know we are committed to their child’s safety. Our tutors are experienced teachers, trained and working under stringent safeguarding procedures, and we continually review our practices to stay current with the best methods to keep children safe.
Our rigorous safeguarding policies, including DBS verification, safeguarding training, session recording, and whistleblowing procedures, mean that every child can learn in a positive, supportive environment free from harm. We aim to create not just a place of academic growth, but one where students feel protected and supported at every stage.
A Safe Space for Learning
The safety of students should always come first in education. At Bright Path Learning, we have made safeguarding our utmost priority because we believe that no effective learning can happen without a safe environment. In an unregulated industry, we are proud to take a proactive stance on safeguarding, ensuring that each student, parent, and tutor can feel confident about the quality and safety of our tutoring services.
If you are a parent seeking tutoring support for your child, we encourage you to reach out to us. We are here to provide both academic excellence and a secure learning environment that puts the safety of your child front and center. For more information, visit our website at www.brightpathlearning.co.uk or contact us via email at learn@brightpathlearning.co.uk.
