Safeguarding & Policies
Introduction
DiscoveryBridge Fund is designed to help students access educational opportunities beyond the classroom while maintaining strong standards of safeguarding, transparency, and trust.
Schools submitting opportunities retain full responsibility for student safeguarding and supervision. DiscoveryBridge focuses on ensuring that opportunities listed on the platform are genuine and that donations are used appropriately.
Student Privacy and Anonymity
Students supported through DiscoveryBridge Fund remain anonymous.
Students are identified only through reference codes supplied by the school and no student names are collected or published.
Schools are responsible for ensuring that any information provided does not identify the student. Images used on the website are illustrative and are not linked to specific students supported through the platform.
School Verification
Opportunities must be submitted by school staff using an official school email address.
DiscoveryBridge Fund may review school websites, staff pages, or supporting documentation to verify submissions. Supporting information such as trip letters or school communications may be requested to confirm the opportunity.
DiscoveryBridge reserves the right to decline or remove opportunities if sufficient verification cannot be obtained.
Use of Donations
Donations made through DiscoveryBridge Fund are intended to support a specific educational opportunity submitted by a school.
Funds are transferred to the school to support the stated activity, and schools are responsible for applying the funds appropriately within their existing financial processes.
Where possible, schools are encouraged to contribute towards the cost of opportunities in order to demonstrate that the student has been assessed for financial support through the school’s own processes.
If a Trip Is Cancelled or the Student Cannot Attend
If a funded opportunity is cancelled, postponed, or the student is unable to attend, the school should notify DiscoveryBridge as soon as possible.
Where refunds are available from the trip provider or organiser, schools should return refunded amounts to DiscoveryBridge Fund up to the value of the funding provided for the opportunity before any school contributions are recovered.
In some cases refunds may not be possible, for example where travel or accommodation has already been paid for and is non-refundable. In such circumstances DiscoveryBridge will work with the school to determine the most appropriate outcome.
Responsible Use of Funds
Schools submitting opportunities agree that funds will be used solely for the stated educational purpose.
DiscoveryBridge Fund may request confirmation that an opportunity has taken place and will require a short anonymous update describing the educational impact of the experience.
Limits on Submissions
To ensure fair access and responsible use of the platform, DiscoveryBridge Fund may limit the number of opportunities submitted by a single school within a given period.
This helps ensure that schools prioritise opportunities where support is most needed and allows the platform to support a wider range of schools and students.
Integrity and Fraud Prevention
DiscoveryBridge Fund aims to operate with transparency and trust.
If there is evidence that information submitted to the platform is inaccurate, misleading, or fraudulent, DiscoveryBridge reserves the right to remove the opportunity and request the return of any funds provided.
DiscoveryBridge may also restrict future submissions from schools where misuse of the platform is identified.
Governance and Oversight
DiscoveryBridge Fund aims to operate with transparency and responsible oversight.
Opportunities listed on the platform are reviewed prior to publication, and records are maintained linking donations to specific opportunities.
DiscoveryBridge may request confirmation from schools that opportunities have taken place and may publish anonymous updates describing the educational impact.
Commitment to Transparency
DiscoveryBridge Fund is designed to be a simple and transparent way of connecting donors with educational opportunities submitted by schools.
By maintaining student anonymity, verifying submissions, and clearly linking donations to specific opportunities, the platform aims to ensure that support reaches students who can benefit from these experiences.