Last updated: 23rd June 2023
At GCSEEnglish.uk, I take safeguarding very seriously. All communication between tutor and student is carried out with parent/guardian permission and is relevant only to the delivery of tuition. No private communication will be entered into.
For complete oversight, I recommend that parents/guardians register for tuition using either the parent/guardian e-mail address or a non-personal e-mail address to better protect the privacy of their children.
Transcripts of all communication (e-mail, Skype/Google Meet messages, Google Classroom posts) are retained for the duration of the student’s use of the service and, if the parent/guardian does not already have access, can be accessed by parent/guardians on request.
Appropriate public replies may be made to social media comments or questions, all of which are published and available to view on the relevant platform. An example of an appropriate public reply is: to give helpful information about exam dates in answer to a student’s public question on the Facebook Page.
Where possible, course materials are designed to be age-appropriate. However, in the case of set texts (e.g. Shakespeare or poetry anthologies), GCSEEnglish.uk has no control over text choice and some texts do touch on adult themes: death, sexuality, violence. As an experienced teacher, I am well-trained to deal with these matters and will approach these themes with professionalism and tact.
I am trained in current safeguarding best practice and I am subject to enhanced background checks through the UK Disclosure and Barring Service (“DBS”). Proof of DBS disclosure can be made available on request to parents/guardians during the process of arranging 1:1 tuition. More information is available from the DBS.
Parents/guardians are encouraged to talk to their children about online safety. A useful starting point is GetSafeOnline.