Parent PortalAt St James Catholic Primary School, we believe that ensuring the safety, protection and wellbeing of students in our care is an integral part of who we are as a Catholic faith community. We adhere to the 11 National Child Safe Standards and Victorian Ministerial Order No. 1359.
Child Safety is the responsibility of every adult in the school. We strive to work collaboratively with parents, students, staff and other community agencies to ensure a safe school environment where we are relentlessly working to protect students from any kind of harm. Our children are created in the likeness of God and therefore, in our words and actions the sacred dignity of children is prioritised, maintained and respected and this is embedded in the teaching and mission of Jesus Christ.
Our children have the inherent right to feel safe and protected at all times and this begins with respectful relationships, the promotion of student voice and ensuring procedures and policies that support child safety are known and evident in the daily life of the school. This is particularly so for the most vulnerable children, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and children with a disability.
Working with the Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited Secretariat [DOSCEL] Guidelines we use their policies to guide the procedures that are implemented in our school.
Our Child Safe Committee leader is Julieanne Dell’Oro – jdelloro@stjamesnng.catholic.
Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Ltd. commitment to child safety
Click here for the full document on the DOSCEL commitment to child safety.
Student physical and sexual abuse, and neglect
Children’s rights to be safe are fundamental to our work in the Diocese of Sale. It is crucial that each child is protected against physical and sexual abuse, and neglect.
When teachers form a belief that a child may be at risk of harm due to sexual abuse or physical injury that results from abuse or neglect, they have a legal responsibility to notify the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing. St James adhere’s to the 11 Child Safe Standards, as set out by the Ministerial Order 1359.
Child Safety Standards
Standard 1: Establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued
Standard 2: Child Safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture
Standard 3: Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously
Standard 4: Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing
Standard 5: Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice
Standard 6: People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice
Standard 7: Processes for complaints and concerns are child focused
Standard 8: Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training
Standard 9: Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed
Standard 10: Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved
Standard 11: Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people
In 2010, education and human services stakeholders established a joint protocol ‘Protecting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people’ to provide a unified and consistent approach that defines roles and responsibilities to protect the safety and wellbeing of all Victorian children and young people. The protocol provides information for licensed children’s services and Victorian schools to take appropriate action when it is believed that a child has suffered harm, or is likely to suffer harm, through abuse or neglect.
Click here for the full document on the DOSCEL commitment to child safety.
Emergencies and Natural Disasters
DOSCEL schools are well prepared to deal with emergency situations.
Each school has an emergency management plan that identifies procedures to follow in the event of an emergency. If an emergency should occur, the school emergency management team is quickly established to support and meet the needs of students and families.
If there is an emergency situation during the school day, the safety and wellbeing of students will be the highest priority. No student details will be released to anyone other than those authorised on their enrolment form.
To assist schools to prepare for and manage emergencies, we ask you to:
- ensure your child’s emergency contact details held by the school are up to date
- ensure school staff are alerted to any special medical or dietary requirements of your child
- notify the school principal of any emergency situation involving your child.
Smoke Free Learning Environments
From 13 April 2015, under the Tobacco Act 1987 smoking is prohibited within the grounds of, and within four metres of an entrance to, all Victorian childcare centres, kindergartens, preschools and schools. This ban ensures that children and young people can enter and leave these areas without being exposed to harmful second-hand smoke.
Second-hand tobacco smoke is particularly dangerous to children and young people because they have smaller airways and less developed immune systems compared to adults.
Please see the attached brochure outlining the requirements
Online Safety
Access to the online world offer’s students the chance to explore a virtually limitless world. It provides new opportunities for learning and connecting across the globe, but like the real world, there are dangers that exist. To address this, schools in the Diocese of Sale implement a range of safety strategies that are tailored to meet the needs of their school community.
Sound and expert advice for parents can be found on the eSafety Commissioner website.
Parent Complaints
DOSCEL is committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect and encourages good communication between parents and schools.
Schools and DOSCEL act in accordance with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s parent complaints policy and processes when managing your complaint.
For details on how to raise a concern or make a complaint, please see the following documents.