Child Safety

We put the best interests of children and young people first.

Our Commitment to Child Safety

At our school, we have a commitment to providing a safe, nurturing, and positive environment in which your child may thrive. Part of our commitment and obligation as a school is to ensure our processes are child-safe. Considerations for child safety are made in how we recruit and employ new staff, how we arrange our learning environments, and how we expect community members to interact with one another.

All staff and recurrent volunteers must provide a current Working with Children Check before they are allowed to undertake work with the students. Teachers are also subject to police clearances as part of the fit and proper person assessment when being evaluated for Teaching Registration with the Teachers Registration Board of WA (TRBWA). We check a minimum of two references for every new employee. A probation period of three months applies to all new staff members, during which time they are observed and assessed by the Principal or the line manager.

At induction, and then again at the start of every school year, all employees must read, understand, and sign the Staff Code of Conduct, which details many key aspects of their work and makes special mention of child safety obligations. Staff are also required to be familiar with the Child Protection and Safety Policy and Procedures, the Duty of Care Policy and Procedures and the Emergency and Critical Incidents Policy and Procedures. Every year, all staff undertake training in the identification and prevention of child abuse. This training includes procedures for reporting concerns and responding to students who may be experiencing abuse. Staff are trained and encouraged to report all concerns or observations, even those regarding colleagues, without fear of reprisal.

There are clear processes that must be followed should any person be accused of unsafe behaviours, and the School is well informed of its obligations to report to the WA Police, the WA Reportable Conduct Scheme Ombudsman, the TRBWA, Mandatory Reporting Services, the Department of Education, Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia, and any other organisation involved in maintaining standards and responding to breaches of child safety.

Child safety is everyone’s responsibility. If you’re unsure about anything, speak to the Principal or the class teacher. We’re here to support you in creating a safe and respectful environment for all students.

Our Policies

We write our policies with students’ health, safety, and wellbeing in mind, as students learn best when their health, safety, and wellbeing needs are met.

If you would like to review our policies, please visit our Governance Page:

Policies

Mandatory Reporting Training

All our staff, teachers as well as administration staff, partake in annual training on Mandatory Reporting of Sexual Abuse, which includes how to recognise the indicators of grooming and child abuse, reporting obligations, and prevention strategies.

Volunteers

All school employees, as well as volunteers who are not parents at the School, and parents of children at the School who undertake a professional role must obtain a current Working With Children Check (WWCC) prior to commencing employment/volunteer role.

National Principles for Child Safe Organisations

We support the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, which have been established by the Australian Human Rights Commission to build cultures in all organisational settings to advance the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.

These National Principles, endorsed by all Commonwealth, state and territory governments, include:

1. Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.
2. Children and young people are informed about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
3. Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
4. Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
5. People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
6. Processes to respond to complaints and concerns are child-focused.
7. Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.
8. Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
9. Implementation of the national child safe principles is regularly reviewed and improved.
10. Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.

If you would like more information, please download the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

National Principles for Child Safe Organisations – 2019