Child Safe Standards | Roslyn Primary School

Roslyn Primary School is a Child Safe School.

We have a firm commitment to uphold the standards and to embed a culture of child safety. Strategies that seek to prevent harm and neglect (including physical, sexual, emotional, neglect, racial and cultural or religious abuse) all contribute to a child safe culture. It is therefore critical that child safety is part of the everyday thinking and practice of all within the school community.

Protecting the safety and wellbeing of children enrolled at Roslyn Primary School is our highest priority. Families put their trust in the staff, volunteers and external providers to keep their children safe as they learn. We know students learn best when they feel they are in a safe and supportive environment.

The Child Safe Standards

The Child Safe Standards (the Standards) are compulsory minimum standards for all Victorian schools to ensure they are well prepared to keep children and young people safe and protect them from abuse. Ministerial Order 1359 – Implementing the Child Safe Standards – Managing the risk of child abuse in schools (PDF) provides the framework for child safety in schools.

Victorian schools can continue to build on their existing child safety strategies, policies and practices to strengthen their culture of child safety and protect children and young people from abuse.

The Child Safe Standards include requirements to keep children, young people and students safe, including:

involvement of families and students in child safety
schools’ focus on safety for Aboriginal students
better management of child abuse risks in online environments
governance, systems and processes for keeping students safe.

The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority is responsible for regulating the compliance of schools with the Standards. Schools are required to comply with the Standards as part of the prescribed minimum standards for registration.

There are 11 Child Safe Standards:

Standard 1: Culturally safe environments – 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: Leadership, governance and culture – Ensure that child safety and wellbeing are embedded in school leadership, governance and culture.
Standard 3: Child and student empowerment – Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
Standard 4: Family engagement – Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
Standard 5: Diversity and equity – Equity is upheld and diverse needs are respected in policy and practice.
Standard 6: Suitable staff and volunteers – People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
Standard 7: Child-focused complaints processes – Ensure that processes for complaints and concerns are child focused.
Standard 8: Child safety knowledge, skills and awareness – 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 – Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
Standard 10: Review of child safety practices – Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.
Standard 11: Implementation of child safety practices – Policies and procedures that document how schools are safe for children, young people and students.

Schools should be the safest place for children after the family home, and these standards support the work that school staff do to maintain the safety and security of all children.

All members of our community share the responsibility for keeping our students safe, so if you have concerns for a child’s safety, you must take action.

Child safety and wellbeing at Roslyn Primary School: information for families and the school community

Roslyn Primary School is committed to providing a child safe and child friendly environment, where students are safe and feel safe.

Our child safety and wellbeing policies outline the measures and strategies we have in place to support, promote and maintain the safety and wellbeing of our students:

As valuable partners in promoting and maintaining child safety and wellbeing at Roslyn Primary School we welcome and encourage your feedback.

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions in relation to our child safe policies and practices, please contact Mary Hutchison (03) 52 433 138.