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Safe & Caring School Communities – Independent Schools

Last updated on September 19, 2024

Date came into force or revised

In force, November 2019; revised September 2024

Status

Current

Policy statement

This policy is intended to guide independent school authorities (authorities) and schools in their efforts to create safe and inclusive learning environments and to develop prevention and intervention strategies for addressing worrisome student behaviours such as threats or risks of violence.

Rationale or purpose of policy

Every child deserves an education that is free from bullying, harassment, intimidation and other forms of personal discrimination and violence. Student safety is paramount and is fostered by independent school authorities through an ongoing focus on developing safe and caring school communities and by ensuring schools have appropriate prevention and intervention strategies in place.

Authority

Related legislation includes:

  • The Constitution Act (1982)
    • Part 1 - Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
    • Part 2 - Rights of the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada
    • Official Languages Act
  • The Multiculturalism Act (RSBC 1996) 
  • The Human Rights Code (RSBC 1996, c. 210)

Policy in full

Independent schools in British Columbia are expected to develop positive and inclusive school cultures and foster optimal environments for learning. A key part of this work includes fostering school connectedness and developing protocols for preventing violence, intervening in instances of inappropriate or worrisome student behaviours, and providing support to school communities during critical incidents.

Members of school communities share a commitment to maintaining safe and caring schools. They should:

  • Develop positive school cultures and focus on the prevention of bullying,  harassment, and violence;
  • Use school-wide efforts to build communities that foster respect and inclusion;
  • Foster trauma-sensitive schools and apply a trauma-informed lens to student behaviour;
  • Set, communicate, and consistently reinforce clear expectations regarding conduct;
  • Teach, model, and encourage positive social behaviours that contribute to the school community by supporting peaceful problem solving, celebrating diversity, and defending human rights;
  • Actively take steps to address safety concerns through a Community Threat Assessment protocol process in collaboration with the local school district and other community partners;
  • Work together to better understand issues such as bullying, intimidation, harassment, discrimination, violence and other worrisome student behaviours and to learn new skills to respond effectively to them;
  • Respond consistently to incidents in a fair and reasoned manner, using interventions that repair harm, strengthen relationships, and restore a sense of belonging;
  • Encourage positive student behaviour by being sensitive to and aware of the effects of trauma (trauma sensitive schools);
  • Assume responsibility, in partnership with the wider community, for resolving critical safety concerns; 
  • Participate in the development of policies, procedures and practices that promote school safety, including emergency preparedness;
  • Engage in continuous learning and professional development to foster safe and caring school communities and address emerging safety concerns;
  • Monitor and evaluate school culture for evidence of continuous improvement; and
  • Recognize and celebrate achievements, while acknowledging areas that need improvement.

Independent school authorities should use the following tools to achieve safe and caring schools: 

  1. Harassment and Bullying Prevention Policy (aligning with the Harassment and Bullying Prevention Order).
  2. Safe School Coordinators (and teams) with Ministry-approved basic threat and risk assessment training and digital threat assessment training.
  3. BC Student Safety Communications Protocols (see Safe School Coordinator secure area of erase website).
  4.  Anonymous Online Reporting Tool (erase Report It Tool).
  5. Community Threat Assessment Protocol Guide for British Columbia.

These are described under the section below “procedures related to policy".

Procedures related to policy

1. Harassment and Bullying Prevention Policy

Independent school authorities must ensure that each independent school operated by that authority establishes and implements a harassment and bullying prevention policy. Please see the Harassment and Bullying Prevention Order for specific elements that must be included in the policy. 

See “resources” section below for links to resources to assist schools in developing their policies.

2. Safe School Coordinators and erase training requirements

Independent schools are required to have Safe School Coordinators with Ministry-approved behavioural and digital threat assessment training (as per the Independent School inspection process).

  1. Independent schools must have a Primary Safe School Coordinator, who is the person with primary responsibility for the day-to-day operation of a single school/campus. In most independent schools, this will be the school Principal. Contact information for this person must be identified to the Ministry by the school via the Education Data Exchange (EDX).

For authorities with multiple schools operating under one school code, one of the on-site Principals will hold the role of Primary Safe School Coordinator and provide the Ministry with contact information. However, it is recommended that all principals assume the role of Safe School Coordinator and maintain current basic risk and threat assessment training.

For schools with a “Head of School” with responsibility for day-to-day operations of the school, the Head of School may be the Primary Safe School Coordinator.

The Primary Safe School Coordinator plays a key role in the development of school-wide safety initiatives and in responding to student safety incidents. All Primary Safe School Coordinators must have Ministry-approved basic threat and risk assessment training.  Other key aspects of the role include:

  • responding to reported incidents (e.g., submitted via the erase Report It Tool);
  • overseeing threat assessment processes; and
  • liaising with community partners as required (e.g., Ministry of Children and Family Development, police/RCMP, hospital/Emergency Room).
  • Primary Safe School Coordinators are also strongly encouraged to contribute to the establishment and implementation of Community Threat Assessment Protocols.

​B. All independent schools must have access to a second person with Ministry-approved basic threat and risk assessment training. This individual could be:

  • An Additional Safe School Coordinator at the school - see below.
  • Another Safe School Coordinator (Primary or Additional) from within the same school authority.
  • An Association Safe School Coordinator

​Additional Safe School Coordinators:

  • are school or authority-based staff who work with the Primary Safe School Coordinator on the development of school-wide safety initiatives and in responding to student safety incidents.
  • typically serve as members of the school’s leadership team and can step in and fulfil the role of Primary Safe School Coordinator, as needed.
  • are required to have Ministry-approved basic threat and risk assessment training.

​Association Safe School Coordinators:

Each independent school association may have one or more Association Safe School Coordinators to support Principals in the threat assessment process and in the event of an emergency or critical incident. Responsibilities may also include:

  • supporting a group of independent schools in their efforts to create safe and inclusive learning environments and developing prevention and intervention strategies for addressing worrisome student behaviours including threats or risks of violence.
  • building school capacity to deal with bullying and violence.
  • supporting schools within their association in developing and implementing Community Threat Assessment Protocols. 

Association Safe School Coordinators must have Ministry-approved behavioural and digital threat assessment training.

C. All independent schools must have support available from an individual with current basic digital threat assessment training

This individual could be:

  1. The Primary Safe School Coordinator
  2. An Additional Safe School Coordinator at the school
  3. Another Primary Safe School Coordinator or Additional Safe School Coordinator within the same school authority
  4. An Association Safe School Coordinator

D. Additional notes regarding training for independent schools:​

Schools are encouraged to continue developing capacity for responding to bullying, violence, threats, and other worrisome behaviours by:

  • having teaching and non-teaching staff develop capacity in supporting student safety and wellness.
  • designating Additional Safe School Coordinators.
  • having appropriate staff take additional student safety and wellness training.

All Threat and Risk Assessment Training is current for a maximum of 3 years. (See Ministry inspection templates/guides for additional details).

3. Student Safety Communication Protocols​

In the event of a student safety incident (a serious act of violence or threat-making behaviours that impact students or a school community):

  1. Refer to the BC Student Safety Communications Protocol, which can be found in the secure login area of the erase Tools page.
  2. Independent schools requiring immediate critical incident response support, trauma-recovery support for staff, social media monitoring/digital threat assessment support, threat and risk assessment assistance, assistance with media and parent communications, are encouraged to connect with Safer Schools Together directly by email or by phone: 604-560-2285 / 1-855-677-3720
  3. In the event of a critical incident or threat assessment, independent schools are directed to the secure login area of the Safe Schools Coordinator’s page on the erase website and to the Community Threat Assessment Protocol Guide for British Columbia for additional guidance on Student Safety Communication Protocols.
  4. It is essential to notify the Ministry about high profile investigations or emerging issues/trends of concern, using this email or phone number (778-974-6388).

Notes about Ministry Contact List

  • The Ministry maintains a list of independent schools that can be accessed and updated through the Education Data Exchange (EDX). It is critical that schools update principal and Safe School Coordinator contact information as and when needed. Questions about EDX should be sent to: educationdataexchange@gov.bc.ca.
  • The information provided is used to ensure the proper forwarding of received online erase reports and to provide updates about training opportunities, community of practice events, or to otherwise share information and to support SSCs in their role.  

4. Online Confidential Reporting Tools

To promote a culture of student safety in British Columbia schools, the Ministry’s Expect Respect and a Safe Education (erase) strategy focuses on fostering safe and caring school communities and ensuring schools have appropriate prevention and intervention strategies in place. erase also provides resources for students, educators, parents/caregivers, and community partners to support them through challenges, report concerns to schools, and learn about complex issues facing students.

Independent school authorities are strongly encouraged to promote the use of the online confidential reporting tool, Report It.

Independent schools are expected to respond to all reports of bullying, and all reports of other worrisome behaviours, including those made through online reporting tools, and/or other equivalent tools.

5. Community Threat Assessment Protocol Guide for British Columbia

All education and community partners have a shared obligation to actively take steps to address safety concerns through a Community Threat Assessment protocol process. A Community Threat Assessment Protocol is designed to reflect the shared understanding and agreement between boards of education, independent school authorities and community partners about how to collaboratively respond to threat-making and worrisome behaviour. The Community Threat Assessment Protocol will enhance communication and the sharing of pertinent information among all partners in order to facilitate the Threat Assessment process. 

The strength of this community partnership lies in a multidisciplinary threat assessment response team. In situations where data suggests a child, youth, or adult may pose a significant risk to themselves and/or others, the Community Threat Assessment Protocol partners agree to work together for the common goal of violence prevention, threat management, and safety planning. 

A multi-disciplinary threat assessment response team may include agencies such as:

  • Education (school districts and independent schools)
  • Law enforcement
  • Child and youth mental health
  • Child protection
  • Probation
  • Youth crown counsel
  • Psychiatry
  • Health (e.g., hospital emergency units, physicians)

Independent schools are encouraged to collaborate with their local school district in the development of Community Threat Assessment Protocols as per the Safe and Caring School Communities Ministry policy for public schools.

Appropriate and authorized information sharing between schools and other partner agencies is an integral component of community protocols, as well as the protection of personal information. The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) regulates the collection, use and disclosure of personal information by private organizations such as independent school authorities, and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) regulates the collection, use and disclosure of personal information by educational public bodies (such as school boards/districts) and/or health care bodies.

In the case of threats to harm themselves and/or others, Threat Assessment teams are able to share information within the Freedom of Information Act and the Protection of Privacy Act and the Health Information Act (sections s.s.33(1,2)).

Independent school authorities are responsible for ensuring that their information sharing practices are compliant with the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), and are encouraged to seek independent legal advice as necessary.

Resources

School Safety Resources

Personal Information Protection Resources

Contact information

For more information about this policy, contact the Independent Schools Office

Email
EDUC.IndependentSchoolsOffice@gov.bc.ca