Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy
Bluepip Academy International
Effective Date: 17 March 2026
Last Reviewed: 17 March 2026
Next Review Due: 17 March 2027
Policy Owner: Platform Director, Bluepip Academy International
1. Our Commitment
Bluepip Academy International is an online tutoring platform serving students aged 10 to 20. The safety, welfare, and dignity of every student are our highest priority — above commercial considerations, convenience, or any other factor.
We are committed to:
- Creating a safe and positive learning environment for all students
- Protecting children from all forms of harm, abuse, exploitation, and neglect
- Ensuring that all adults who interact with students through our platform have been vetted and understand their responsibilities
- Acting promptly and decisively on any safeguarding concern that is raised
This Policy applies to all Bluepip Academy teachers, administrators, platform staff, and contractors.
2. Definitions
Child/Minor: For the purposes of this Policy, a “child” or “minor” is any person under the age of 18.
Safeguarding: Actions taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.
Child Abuse: May include any of the following forms:
- Physical abuse — causing physical harm to a child
- Emotional abuse — persistent emotional ill-treatment causing severe effects on a child’s development
- Sexual abuse — involving a child in sexual activity, including grooming
- Neglect — persistent failure to meet a child’s basic needs
- Online/digital abuse — harassment, exploitation, or grooming via digital platforms
Grooming: A pattern of behaviour in which a person builds trust with a child (or their family) for the purpose of exploiting them.
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): The senior person at Bluepip Academy responsible for overseeing all safeguarding matters. All concerns must be reported to the DSL.
Contact: safeguarding@bluepipacademy.com
3. Safer Recruitment
3.1 Teacher Vetting
Before any teacher is permitted to deliver sessions to students, Bluepip Academy will:
- Verify the teacher’s identity (government-issued photo ID)
- Conduct or request an enhanced background check (DBS certificate, police clearance certificate, or national equivalent depending on the teacher’s country of residence)
- Verify professional qualifications and references
- Review the teacher’s digital footprint for any public safeguarding concerns
- Conduct a structured onboarding interview
3.2 Safeguarding Training
All teachers must complete Bluepip Academy’s online safeguarding training module before accessing the Teacher Dashboard. This module covers:
- Recognising signs of abuse and neglect
- Understanding appropriate and inappropriate conduct
- Reporting procedures
- Online safety and digital boundaries
Training must be refreshed every 12 months.
3.3 Ongoing Monitoring
Bluepip Academy monitors teacher conduct continuously through:
- Automatic recording of all sessions
- Conduct strike system (see Section 7)
- Student/parent feedback and ratings
- Admin review of flagged sessions
4. The No-Contact-Exchange Rule
The No-Contact-Exchange Rule is a core safeguarding measure of the platform. It exists to prevent grooming and maintain professional boundaries between adults and students.
4.1 Rule
All teachers, parents, and students are strictly prohibited from:
- Exchanging personal email addresses, phone numbers, or social media handles
- Communicating through any channel outside the Bluepip Academy platform
- Meeting in person unless expressly arranged and approved by Bluepip Academy in a monitored context
- Sending gifts, money, or other items to or from any platform user
4.2 Platform-Only Communication
All communication between teachers and students (and their parents) must occur exclusively through:
- The Bluepip Academy internal messaging system
- The live video session on the Platform
Session links are generated by the Platform. No external meeting links are ever used or shared.
4.3 Monitoring
All in-platform messages may be reviewed by Bluepip Academy administrators for safeguarding purposes. Teachers and users are informed of this in the Terms of Service.
4.4 Violations
Any violation of the No-Contact-Exchange Rule will result in immediate suspension pending investigation, and in most cases permanent removal from the platform. Safeguarding concerns arising from violations will be referred to the relevant authorities.
5. Safe Session Conduct
5.1 Session Environment
Teachers must conduct all sessions:
- In a private, professional environment free from distractions
- Without any other individual in the camera frame (family members, flatmates, etc.)
- With appropriate, professional attire
- Without any background content, imagery, or audio that could be considered inappropriate
5.2 Recording of All Sessions
All sessions are recorded without exception. The recording system is managed by the Platform and cannot be disabled by the teacher or student. Recording serves as:
- A safeguarding tool (available to administrators at all times for review)
- Protection for both the teacher and the student in the event of a dispute
- A review resource for parents (on approved request)
Any attempt by a teacher to disable, circumvent, or independently record a session is grounds for immediate termination.
5.3 Appropriate Conduct During Sessions
Teachers must:
- Maintain a professional and respectful tone at all times
- Focus exclusively on the educational subject matter
- Not make personal comments about the student’s appearance or home environment
- Not ask personal questions that are unrelated to the student’s academic progress
- Not share their personal life, opinions on political or religious matters, or any other non-academic content
- Immediately end the session and report to the DSL if a student discloses abuse, harm, or danger
5.4 One-to-One Sessions
All one-to-one sessions between a teacher and a student are conducted via the Platform’s video conferencing tool with automatic recording active. The recording is the transparency mechanism that makes one-to-one tutoring safe.
6. Responding to a Safeguarding Concern
6.1 Who Can Raise a Concern
- Any parent or student may raise a safeguarding concern
- Any teacher may raise a safeguarding concern
- Any Bluepip Academy administrator may raise a concern
6.2 How to Report
| Method | Contact |
|---|---|
| Email (preferred) | safeguarding@bluepipacademy.com |
| Parent Dashboard | “Report a Concern” button |
| Emergency (immediate risk) | Local emergency services first, then Bluepip Academy |
Reports should include as much detail as possible: what happened, when, who was involved, and any evidence available.
6.3 Confidentiality
Reports will be handled with strict confidentiality. Details will be shared only with those who need to know in order to protect the child. The identity of the person who raised the concern will be protected wherever possible.
6.4 What Happens After a Report
Upon receiving a safeguarding concern, Bluepip Academy will:
- Acknowledge the report within 4 hours
- Suspend the account(s) of those under investigation immediately if there is any risk to a child
- Review available evidence, including session recordings
- Escalate to appropriate authorities (police, child protection services) if the concern indicates immediate risk or a criminal offence
- Notify the parent (unless doing so would put the child at greater risk)
- Conclude the investigation within 10 business days and communicate the outcome to the reporting party
6.5 Mandatory Reporting
Where Bluepip Academy has reasonable cause to believe that a child has been, is being, or is at risk of being abused or exploited, we will notify the relevant child protection authorities. We will not wait for certainty before reporting — the welfare of the child takes priority.
7. Conduct Strikes and Safeguarding Flags
Bluepip Academy’s conduct monitoring system includes specific safeguarding flags that escalate concerns automatically:
| Behaviour | Automatic Action |
|---|---|
| 3 unexcused absences in 90 days | Automatic flag — admin review |
| Report of inappropriate communication | Immediate suspension pending investigation |
| Report of inappropriate conduct in session | Immediate suspension, recording reviewed within 24 hours |
| Confirmed violation of No-Contact-Exchange Rule | Immediate termination, referral to authorities if applicable |
| Disclosure of abuse by student | DSL notified, referral to authorities initiated |
8. Online Safety
8.1 Platform Design for Safety
The Bluepip Academy platform is designed with online safety as a core feature:
- No public-facing student profiles
- No student-to-student messaging
- All teacher-student communication monitored
- Tokenised, expiring session links (no persistent meeting rooms)
- Recordings secured behind administrator access controls
8.2 Device and Environment Guidance for Parents
Parents are encouraged to:
- Ensure the Student’s device is used in a shared family space during sessions, where practicable
- Review session materials and recordings (via the Parent Dashboard) periodically
- Talk to their child about online safety and the importance of not sharing personal information
9. Data Protection and Safeguarding
Safeguarding records, including reports, investigation notes, and outcomes, are treated as sensitive personal data. They are:
- Stored securely with access limited to the DSL and relevant administrators
- Retained for a minimum of 7 years (regardless of account closure), in line with safeguarding best practice for records involving minors
- Never deleted in response to a data deletion request if doing so would compromise a safeguarding investigation or record
10. Policy Review
This Policy is reviewed annually, or sooner if:
- There is a significant safeguarding incident
- New legislation or regulatory guidance is published
- Bluepip Academy’s services or user base changes significantly
All revisions are documented with the date of change and the reason.
11. Contact
Designated Safeguarding Lead Email: safeguarding@bluepipacademy.com Platform: https://academy.bluepip.com.ng
In an emergency, always contact local emergency services first.
12. Related Policies
This Policy should be read alongside:
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Teacher Service Agreement
- Parent & Student Enrolment Agreement
- Acceptable Use Policy
Bluepip Academy International is committed to continuous improvement in its safeguarding practices. All staff and teachers are expected to be familiar with this Policy and to take its obligations seriously.