In line with emerging international school best practice, AIS Vienna maintains strong child protection policies and procedures and our school strives to provide a safe and secure environment for all students.

The welfare of students is AIS Vienna’s overriding focus. AIS Vienna aims to provide a caring, positive, safe and stimulating environment that promotes the social, physical and moral development of the individual child or young person. All adults, including temporary staff, administrators, faculty, volunteers and Board members, have a full and active part to play in protecting children from harm.

AIS Vienna has adopted the definition of child abuse and neglect as defined by the World Health Organization: “Child abuse or maltreatment constitutes all forms of physical and/or emotional ill‐treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment [including failure to act to prevent harm] resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power.”

AIS Vienna aims:

• To support the student’s development in ways that will foster security, confidence and independence;
• To provide an environment in which children and young people feel safe, secure, valued, respected, and confident, and know how to approach adults if they are in difficulties, believing they will be effectively listened to;
• To raise the awareness of all teaching and non-teaching staff of the need to safeguard children and young people and of their responsibilities in identifying and reporting possible cases of abuse;
• To provide a systematic means of monitoring children and young people known or thought to be at risk of harm, and ensure the school contributes to assessments of need and support packages for them.;
• To emphasize the need for good communication between all members of staff; and
• To develop a structured procedure within the school which will be followed by all members of the AIS Vienna community in cases of suspected abuse.

In this regard, all AIS Vienna's employees must report suspected incidents of child abuse or neglect to no less a senior position than one of the Principals whenever the staff member has reasonable cause to believe that a child has suffered, or is at significant risk of suffering abuse or neglect. Reporting and follow up of all suspected incidents of child abuse or neglect will proceed in accordance with administrative regulations derived from this Policy-Governance Manual. Furthermore, cases of suspected child abuse or neglect may be reported to the appropriate employer or parent as the case requires, or to the appropriate child protection agency in the home country, and/or to local authorities.

In the case of an employee reported as an alleged offender, AIS Vienna will conduct a full investigation following a carefully designed course of due process, keeping the safety of the child at the highest priority, while maintaining the rights and privacy of the employee.

AIS Vienna has a program so that staff members are regularly trained about child and young people protection and their responsibilities therein.

AIS Vienna runs complete reference and background checks permitted under law as a precondition of employment. Background checks include proof of lack of police records from each country of residence in the previous 10 years. AIS Vienna completes new background checks of all current employees every five years. A written record is maintained in each personnel file to document that the checks have been completed.

The Director reviews this Child Protection Policy annually for compliance and effectiveness, and the results of this review are reported to the Board annually.