Safeguarding

Keeping Children Safe in Education and Safeguarding

Cognita Schools are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, volunteers and other third parties to share this commitment. Safer Recruitment practice and pre-employment background checks are undertaken before any appointment is confirmed.

In addition to all other background checks, appointment is subject to an Special Extract provided from Register of Criminal Recording using Federal Office of Justice online portal or over counter at the post office or Certificate of Good Conduct and extract from the Debt Collection and overseas checks for all other countries in which you have lived or worked (for three months or more in any one country in the past ten years) and the country where you completed teacher training (or relevant teaching qualifications) [if not within Switzerland]

All advertisements include our safeguarding statement and commitment.

Equal Opportunities

Cognita Schools are equal opportunity employers. Our policy is to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment because of gender, marital status, age, race, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion, pregnancy/maternity or disability or disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable.

Application Stage

All applicants are scrutinised to verify identity and academic/vocational qualifications
The CV is the primary source of information considered during screening
Please include a personal statement in the CV or Optional Cover Letter to support your application and suitability for the role
Candidates should be aware that all posts involve some degree of responsibility for safeguarding children, although the extent of that responsibility will vary according to the nature of the post.
Please note that originals of all documents are necessary. Photocopies or certified copies are not sufficient unless explicitly stated.

Shortlisting

Candidates meeting the criteria outlined in the person specification will be shortlisted.
Anything identified during screening will be discussed during the interview.

Invitation to Interview

You will be required to bring original document which contain your photograph, full name and date of birth.
The interview will be conducted in person and the areas covered will include exploration of suitability for the advertised role, suitability to work with children and your employment history.

Evidence of Eligibility to Work in the Switzerland

In accordance with the requirements, if you are invited to interview you will be required to produce evidence of your eligibility to work in Switzerland and you must bring original documents with you to the interview.

Verification of Educational/Professional Qualifications

You will be required to provide evidence of any educational or professional qualifications necessary or relevant to the post you have applied for.
Originals or certified copies must be produced. When these are not available, written confirmation of the relevant qualifications should be obtained from the awarding body.

Conditional Offer – Completing Application Form

Once a conditional offer of employment has been made, you will need to complete the Application form to support the CV you submitted as part of the recruitment process; this is required as per the safer recruitment policy and process
If a section is not applicable to you, please state “N/A”.
Candidates should be aware that all posts involve some degree of responsibility for safeguarding children, although the extent of that responsibility will vary according to the nature of the post.
Please note that originals of all documents are necessary. Photocopies or certified copies are not sufficient unless explicitly stated.

References

Please provide the names of at least two employment referees. One referee must be your current or most recent employer. All should be from a senior member of the organisation, i.e. Headteacher (school environment) and/or direct Line Manager. All professional referees must be from different organisations where possible. If you are currently self-employed, please provide suitable contacts from current customers.
Some organisations will only provide references issued by the HR Department. Where this is stated by the organisation, this can be accepted.
Where you are not currently working with children but have done so in the past, one referee must be from the employer by whom you were most recently employed to work with children.
Where you have worked overseas for any period of three months or longer, please also provide a reference contact for each employer (using a separate sheet if necessary).
If you cannot supply suitable referees, in line with the above guidance (for example, if you are returning to work from extended maternity leave or have recently left full-time education), please contact the school/company for guidance on suitable alternatives.
Please note that references will not be accepted from relatives or from those writing solely in the capacity of colleagues or friends. Cognita does not accept ‘open references’.
If you are known to any of your referees by another name, please give details.
If you are currently working with children, your current employer will be asked about disciplinary offences, including disciplinary offences relating to children or young persons (whether the disciplinary sanction is current or time expired), and whether you have been the subject of any child protection allegations or concerns and if so, the outcome of any enquiry or disciplinary procedure.
If you are not currently working with children, but have done so in the past, that previous employer will be asked about those issues. Where neither your current nor previous employment has involved working with children, your current employer will still be asked about your suitability to work with children, although they may, where appropriate, answer ‘not applicable’ if your duties have not brought you into contact with children.

Education History: Evidence will be required at Interview Stage

Detail secondary schools, colleges, universities with dates of attendance and qualifications obtained starting with the most recent.
Please include any professional development you have undertaken that would benefit you in this role

Employment History

Starting with the most recent, please detail all employment history since leaving school, including any unpaid or voluntary work, whether this overlaps with periods of paid employment.

Gaps in Education or Employment History

Detail all gaps of three months or longer since completing formal education or age 16.
Include time travelling overseas, family leave, career breaks.
For outside Switzerland, include details of your location.

Additional Background checks as part of Conditional Offer of Employment

Disclosure of Background

It is a condition of any offers of employment that you are deemed suitable to work in this post, and accordingly your employment remains subject to Special Extract provided from Register of Criminal Recording using Federal Office of Justice online portal or over counter at the post office or Certificate of Good Conduct and extract from the Debt Collection

Criminal/Police Record Checks

Upon offer of employment it is essential and a mandatory condition that you undergo police checks for all other countries where you have lived or worked, outside Switzerland for a period of three months or more in any one country in the past ten years. This is in addition to any appropriate Disclosure check, as detailed above.
The standard for criminal and/or police checks varies; therefore you may be required to provide original copies of such clearance yourself.
A criminal/police check will also be required if your teacher training was completed outside of Switzerland.
If you have previously taught outside Switzerland and are applying for a teaching role, you will be required to provide a letter of a letter of professional standing from the professional regulating authority in all other countries you have taught.
If applicable a Prohibition from Teaching check and a Prohibition from Management Check will also be undertaken

Health Declaration

All successful applicants upon offer of employment will be required to complete a health declaration confirming their fitness to perform the role applied for.
Health conditions should be declared to enable the consideration of reasonable adjustments.

Prohibition Checks

UK qualified teachers will be subject to Prohibition from Teaching and/or Management checks as relevant.
Where candidates have teaching qualifications from overseas or taught at overseas educational establishments, a Letter of Professional Standing or equivalent of reference from the overseas education establishment will be required

Overseas Checks if you have lived or worked overseas

Successful candidates will be required to provide criminal/police checks or certificate of good conduct (in English) from all countries where they have lived and/or worked for a period of more than 3 months or more in the past 10 years.
These are also required for candidates who completed their teacher training outside the UK.

Basic Internet and Social Media Checks

Basic Internet and Social Media checks will be completed after conditional offer of employment.

Data Protection

Cognita uses your personal information in accordance with all applicable data protection legislation. For further information about how Cognita uses your personal information, please let us know and we can provide you with a copy of our Privacy Notice.

Probation

All appointment are subject to the probation procedure, as detailed in the conditional offer of employment. The probation period is to enable the assessment of an employee’s suitability for the role, including monitoring and review of performance in relation to duties, skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the person specification. This includes suitability to work with children and young people and their commitment to safeguarding and child protection.