All staff members at TIPS are required to read and sign our Staff Code of Conduct to ensure adherence to the school's safeguarding policies and expectations. This form outlines the ethical standards and professional behavior expected in the school community. The Code of Conduct is below for your reference.
Statement of Acknowledgement of Code of Conduct for Signature
The following steps will reduce the risk of private or otherwise inappropriate interactions between Tokyo International Progressive School parents, leadership, teachers, staff, outsourced personnel, volunteers, and students. Staff members do sign this at the beginning of each school year.
I will:
- Treat everyone with respect, patience, integrity, courtesy, dignity and consideration.
- Use positive reinforcement rather than criticism, inappropriate competition, or comparison when working with students.
- Maintain appropriate physical boundaries at all times and touch students - when necessary - only in ways that are appropriate, public and non-sexual.
- Ensure that a student has given their permission before doing physical activities such as demonstrating in an instrumental lesson, physical support during physical education, or administering first aid. I will not proceed if the student appears to be apprehensive or reluctant.
- Avoid positioning myself unnecessarily close to a student.
- Only consume alcohol in moderation at school events such as parent socials and graduation.
- Cooperate fully in any investigation of abuse of students.
- Report to the principal should a student make inappropriate advances.
- Understand that electronic communication using a school network or platform may be subject to periodic monitoring.
- Consider these questions with all student interactions: Would I do this/say this/treat this student this way if we were being observed? If challenged, can I justify my behavior for my professional duties? If unsure, I will refrain from such actions.
- Ensure students are supervised at all times, except in changing rooms and bathrooms at school.
- I will ensure that for private teaching sessions or other unavoidable private interactions, the student and I are positioned clearly and entirely visible to passersby. For example: open doors, remain in full view through windows, and position yourself where furniture and materials do not obstruct view. Where possible, inform a colleague of the time, place, and nature of the meeting. Where appropriate and possible, invite a colleague or an additional student to the meeting.
- Ensure classroom and office windows facing hallways are sufficiently clear of display material so that they facilitate a passerby to have full and unrestricted view into the entire room.
- Where practical, ask a student’s permission to take a photo or video recording. I will store images of students on school devices and school-administered electronic storage space. I will delete images and videos from personal devices as soon as is reasonably possible.
- Ensure all electronic communication between students and staff is through school-approved accounts, e.g. TIPS email and TIPS Google Sites, not through personal accounts. During school trips, a school cell phone will be used for student contact.
- Comply with the TIPS Social Media policy that prohibits staff from engaging with students or sharing student images on the internet except through school accounts such as TIPS email accounts, TIPS Google Sites, and QuickSchools.
- I will not:
- Touch or speak to a student in a sexual or other inappropriate manner.
- Reveal personal information about my own sex life, or share personal problems or private matters with students.
- Give gifts to individual students without prior approval from the school administration.
- Single out students for special treatment, attention, or favoritism.
- Allow students to visit my personal residence under any circumstances.
- Counsel students beyond my professional capacity; I will refer students in emotional distress to the appropriate counselor or support staff.
- Inflict any physical or emotional abuse of students such as striking, spanking, shaking, slapping, humiliation, ridiculing, threatening or degrading.
- Accompany a student off-campus alone without parental consent or arrange to meet a student outside of school hours for recreation, without informing the principal ahead of time.
- Be alone or out of sight with a single student.
- Use profanity or other language that is contextually inappropriate, culturally insensitive or offensive in reference to race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or cognitive or physical abilities.
- Download or watch pornography on school equipment or on the school premises.
- Store photographs of students on a personal device. Photographs for school purposes will be uploaded in a reasonable amount of time to a school platform and deleted from personal devices.
- Communicate with students outside the role of the professional or volunteer relationship (teacher, coach, host, etc.).
- Record a student positioned or dressed in a way that could be deemed of a sexual or inappropriate nature. I will delete any inappropriate images captured inadvertently without delay.
- Joke or tease in ways that could be misunderstood, are suggestive, or that make a student feel uncomfortable.
- Allow students to be left unsupervised with laptops during non-teaching & learning times such as breaks, recesses, and lunch.
I will inform the school administration if I become aware that another adult has disregarded any one of the above points.
I have read and understand the TIPS Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy. I will abide by all points in that policy.
I have read and understand the TIPS Risk Management Plan in the TIPS staff handbook.
I understand that as a person working with and/or providing services to students at Tokyo International Progressive School, I am subject to a background check. My signature confirms that I have read this Code of Conduct and that as a person working with children and youth, I agree to follow these standards. I understand that any action inconsistent with this Code of Conduct or failure to take action mandated by this Code of Conduct may be grounds for immediate dismissal from Tokyo International Progressive School.
By following the above points, you are helping to protect yourself and the school from allegations of improper behavior. It is always the adult's responsibility to set and respect boundaries.
Printed Name:____________________ Signature: __________________ Date: __________