Northwood College for Girls is an all-through independent school for girls aged three to 18, part of the Girls' Day School Trust (GDST) — one of the largest groups of independent schools in the UK. With around 140 staff and over 800 pupils, Rebecca Brown, Headteacher, carries responsibility for safeguarding across both the junior and senior schools. She came to Independent Safeguarding Service (ISS) through the GDST's commitment to annual safeguarding audits across its schools — and has not looked back since.
An audit that goes beyond box-ticking
Rebecca's first audit with Independent Safeguarding Service (ISS) took place in the 2022–23 academic year. Since then, she has had an annual review — with the third taking place in January 2026. The process is comprehensive: a member of the Independent Safeguarding Service team will come into school and examine the full breadth of safeguarding practice.
"A really deep dive into all aspects of safeguarding practice in our school. They look at our single central record, behaviour logs, bullying logs, recruitment practices, PSHE — and the team speak to students and staff as part of that. It's a really comprehensive review of attitudes to safeguarding as well as the systems and processes the school has in place."
Rebecca Brown - Headteacher
So valuable has the process been that when Rebecca became a safeguarding governor at a local prep school, bringing in Independent Safeguarding Service to carry out a full audit was one of her first acts in the role.
Training that starts with the school, not a syllabus
Northwood College runs annual Level 3 safeguarding training for Rebecca, her Designated Safeguarding Lead and all heads of year — going beyond the statutory requirement of every three years because, as Rebecca puts it, the landscape is always changing and the value of staying current is too important to leave to a three-year cycle. What sets the training apart is how it is shaped around the school's specific priorities each year.
"It always starts with: what do you want, what do you need this year? This year we focused on educational trips, visits and contractors. The year before, a big focus on low-level concerns. The team are really good at making the training fit what the school needs as well as delivering the things that are required."
Rebecca Brown - Headteacher
More recently, Rebecca's team also completed safer recruitment training through Independent Safeguarding Service — delivered specifically for the GDST context, and shaped around the particular character of a girls' day school setting.
The confidence to lead at the highest standard
For Rebecca, the value of the membership comes down to what it has meant for her ability to lead safeguarding with absolute currency and confidence. Headteachers carry responsibility across an enormous range of areas — and having access to deep, practical expertise that keeps pace with a constantly changing landscape ensures that safeguarding leadership remains sharp, informed and assured.
"Everybody that I've met at ISS has that on-the-ground experience through educational social work. There's a real sense of: this isn't just academic, this is put into practice. ISS has supported me to lead safeguarding in my school in a way that makes me feel I'm able to keep my staff and students and my community really safe — and do my very best by them."
Rebecca Brown - Headteacher
