Start with the standards
If you are inspected against the Standards for British Schools Overseas (BSO), there is no single "list of policies". The standards name particular policies and procedures that a school must have in writing. This is what they require, from the August 2023 text. We have put it in plain order.
Policies the standards name
| Policy or procedure | Where in the standards |
|---|---|
| Curriculum policy, with plans and schemes of work | Part 1, paragraph 2 |
| Relationships (and, for secondary, sex) education policy, shared with parents and published online | Part 1, paragraph 2A |
| Behaviour policy, including sanctions | Part 3, paragraph 9 |
| Anti-bullying strategy | Part 3, paragraph 10 |
| Health and safety policy | Part 3, paragraph 11 |
| Fire safety policy | Part 3, paragraph 12 |
| First aid policy | Part 3, paragraph 13 |
| Risk assessment policy | Part 3, paragraph 16 |
| Admissions, misbehaviour and exclusions: particulars available to parents | Part 6, paragraph 32(3)(a) |
| Written complaints procedure | Part 7, paragraph 33 |
If you have boarders
The boarding standards add more. They include a statement of boarding principles and practice, policies for boarders with medical conditions and medication, written contingency procedures for major incidents, a policy for missing boarders, and a security policy that explains any CCTV or biometric use. They also expect a child protection policy that covers online safety (standards 8.3 and 8.4).
The one everybody forgets: child protection
Every school needs a child protection policy, boarding or not. If you follow KCSIE, it should be reviewed at least once a year. See our guide on how often to review it.
Beyond the list
A real school has more policies than the standards name. Most have staff conduct, data protection, admissions, SEND, safer recruitment, e-safety and acceptable use, and a whistleblowing procedure. KCSIE, for example, expects a staff behaviour policy (a code of conduct) covering low-level concerns, allegations, whistleblowing, mobile devices and social media (paragraph 121). Your local law and your accreditor may add others, so check them too.
The standards also expect that you follow what you write. A policy nobody reads, with an old date, is a finding waiting to happen.
Turning the list into a register
- List every policy your school has, plus the ones above that you do not have yet.
- Give each one an owner, an approver and a review date.
- Mark the ones that must be public or shared with parents.
- Check the register once a term.
How Poliview helps
Poliview keeps every policy in one library with its owner, approver, category and review date. The Compliance page shows what is due, overdue or missing a review date, so you can find the gaps before an inspector does. See the features