Child Safety
Child Safe Standard 3: Empowering children about their rights
Child Safe Standard 3 requires schools to create an environment where children and young people are empowered about their rights and feel confident to participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
For a School to be compliant with Child Safe Standard 3 they must meet these minimum requirements:
Children and young people are informed about all of their rights, including to safety, information and participation.
The importance of friendships is recognised and support from peers is encouraged, to help children and young people feel safe and be less isolated.
Young people are offered access to sexual abuse prevention programs and to relevant related information in an age appropriate way.
Staff are attuned to signs of harm and facilitate child-friendly ways for children and young people to express their views, participate in decision-making and raise their concerns.
Schools have strategies in place to develop a culture that facilitates participation and is responsive to the input of children and young people.
Schools provide opportunities for children and young people to participate and are responsive to their contributions, thereby strengthening confidence and engagement.
The College exceeds well beyond the minimum requirements in multiple ways. For example, numerous education programs about student's rights are delivered such as the Strive and Thrive Pastoral Care Program, Elephant Education and Backflip Bullying.
Friendships are encouraged and supported through the strength of the vertical house structure and lunchtime clubs such as chess club, anime club and Lego club.
Students are also given opportunities through various student voice and leadership forums to participate and respond to their contributions to strengthen their confidence and engagement levels. This is demonstrated through students being involved in consultation processes and then informing them of their impact during the decision making stages and wellbeing surveys across the school every Harmony Day.
The College has created a Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy which demonstrates the College's commitment to creating and maintaining a child safe and child friendly organisation, where all children are safe and feel safe.
To read the policy: https://www.stpeters.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Child-Safety-Wellbeing-Policy-2025.docx.pdf
The College has also created a child friendly version of this policy so it's easier for students to read and interpret, ensuring that they feel empowered about their rights.