Institutional harm refers to harm that arises from the policies, practices, or decisions of an organisation rather than from the actions of a single individual. In school settings, institutional harm can occur when systems are structured in ways that repeatedly produce negative outcomes for students—for example through inaccessible environments, failure to implement accommodations, exclusionary discipline, delayed responses to safety concerns, or processes that make it difficult for families to obtain support. Even when individual staff members are trying to help, the overall structure of the system may still produce harm if resources, policies, or decision-making processes create persistent barriers. Institutional harm often becomes visible through patterns rather than isolated incidents. Recognising institutional harm shifts the focus from blaming individuals to examining how systems can be redesigned to better protect student safety, dignity, and access to education.