Child Safety & Safeguarding Policy

Effective Date: 17 June 2026

Applicable to: All students (ages 3-8), parents/guardians, staff, and visitors of Ultra

1. Purpose

Ultra (“the School”) is committed to providing a safe, secure, and nurturing environment for every child. This Policy sets out the School's approach to child protection and safeguarding, in line with the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, the POCSO Rules, 2020, and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

2. Guiding Principles

• The best interests of the child are paramount in every decision.
• Every child has the right to be safe from abuse, neglect, and exploitation, regardless of age, gender, ability, or background.
• All staff, vendors, and visitors share responsibility for child safety.

3. Staff Screening & Training

1. All teaching and non-teaching staff, contractors, bus staff, and vendors with access to children undergo police verification / background checks before joining and periodically thereafter, as required under POCSO Rules, 2020.
2. All staff undergo induction training on child safeguarding, appropriate staff-child interaction, and recognizing signs of abuse or neglect, with periodic refresher sessions.
3. New staff sign an undertaking to comply with this Policy and the Code of Conduct.

4. Safe Premises & Supervision

• Classrooms, washrooms, and play areas are designed for visibility and supervised at all times; no child is left alone with a single unsupervised adult in an enclosed space without another adult or CCTV visibility where installed.
• CCTV coverage (where installed) is maintained in common areas, excluding washrooms and changing areas, in line with privacy norms.
• Visitors must sign in at the reception, wear a visitor badge, and are not permitted unsupervised access to classrooms or children.
• Children are released only to Parents or persons explicitly authorized in writing on the admission form, with photo ID verification where the person is unfamiliar to staff.

5. Code of Behavior for Staff

• Physical discipline, corporal punishment, and verbal abuse or humiliation of children are strictly prohibited.
• Staff must not be in physical contact with a child beyond what is appropriate for care, comfort, or instruction appropriate to a young child's needs (e.g., assisting with toileting only as per assigned roles, in pairs/visible settings where possible).
• Staff must not contact students or share/request personal contact information (personal phone numbers, social media) with students outside official School channels.
• Staff must not photograph children on personal devices; only School-issued devices/cameras may be used, per the Photo & Media Consent Policy.

6. Recognizing & Reporting Concerns

1. Any staff member who observes or suspects abuse, neglect, or inappropriate behavior toward a child must report it immediately to the designated Child Protection Officer/Principal.
2. In accordance with Section 19 of the POCSO Act, all staff are under a legal obligation to report knowledge of a sexual offence against a child to the local police or the Special Juvenile Police Unit; failure to report is itself a punishable offence.
3. The School will not take adverse action against any staff member who makes a good-faith report.
4. Parents and children are encouraged to report any concern to the Class Teacher, Principal, or the designated Child Protection Officer: [Name, Phone, Email].

7. Response Procedure

1. Ensure the immediate safety and emotional support of the child.
2. Record the concern factually and confidentially without leading or repeated questioning of the child.
3. Notify the Principal/Child Protection Officer and, where the matter involves a possible offence under POCSO, report to the police/Special Juvenile Police Unit and Child Welfare Committee as required by law.
4. Inform the child's Parent/Guardian promptly, unless the Parent/Guardian is implicated in the concern, in which case appropriate child welfare authorities are notified instead.
5. Cooperate fully with any investigation by authorities while maintaining confidentiality of the child's identity.

8. Confidentiality

Information about a safeguarding concern is shared strictly on a need-to-know basis with relevant staff and authorities, protecting the privacy and dignity of the child at all times.

9. Review

This Policy is reviewed annually and updated to reflect changes in law (including POCSO Rules and the DPDP Act, 2023) and best practice in child safeguarding.

10. Designated Child Protection Officer

Name: ______________________ Phone: ______________________ Email: ______________________