Ep 7: Data and Safeguarding with Dr. Leila Holmyard, Priya Mitchell and Debbie Downes

Are international schools really as safe as they think they are?In this episode of Data Talks, safeguarding experts Layla, Priya, and Debbie — all members of the International Task Force for Child Protection — unpack a question most schools struggle to answer honestly: what does our data actually tell us about the safety of our students?From tracking patterns of identity-based harm across families and grade levels, to navigating data-sharing laws in countries where child protection systems are still developing, the conversation reveals just how much broader "safeguarding data" is than incident reports. The panel explores why a spike in concerns is often a sign things are going right, how anonymous reporting channels can break down the silence around harm, and what it really takes to move from "it could happen here" to "it has happened here — and here's what we're doing about it."Whether you're a designated safeguarding lead, a school head, or a board member trying to make sense of the numbers on a dashboard, this episode will challenge your assumptions and leave you with practical next steps you can take tomorrow.