From the Principal Team

A message from the Principal – Sharon Grimes 

Dear Viewbank College Community, 

It has been a privilege to lead Viewbank College as Principal for the last seven years. 

I have made the difficult decision to retire and give a new Principal the platform to continue the work of improving the opportunities and outcomes of all our students. 

I am immensely proud of our community and have loved my time at the school. I acknowledge our wonderful, talented students, our supportive families, and our dedicated staff. 

I wish everyone the best and look forward to hearing of all the great things to come. 

You are in great hands with the current leadership team. 

Sharon Grimes 

Social Media Age Restrictions – December 10 

What you need to know... 

From 10 December 2025, certain social media platforms won’t be allowed to let Australian children under 16 create or keep an account. 

It is eSafety's view that Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Kick and Reddit are age-restricted platforms. This list will continue to be updated prior to 10 December.  

More generally, age restrictions will apply to social media platforms that meet three specific conditions, unless they are excluded based on criteria set out in legislative rules made by the Minister for Communications in July 2025. 

The conditions for age restriction are: 

• the sole purpose, or a significant purpose, of the service is to enable online social interaction between two or more end-users  
• the service allows end-users to link to, or interact with, some or all of the other end-users  
• the service allows end-users to post material on the service.  

Online gaming and standalone messaging apps are among a number of types of services that have been excluded under the legislative rules. However, messaging services that have social-media style features which allow users to interact in other ways apart from messaging may be included in the age restrictions, as well as messaging features accessed through age-restricted social media accounts. 

Parent Webinars: 

The 30-minute webinar will help parents and carers understand the upcoming changes to social media access for children under 16. 

Join information sessions to: 

• Understand the purpose of the new age restrictions and how they aim to protect young Australians.  
• Understand which platforms will require users to be 16+ and what platforms they can still access.  
• Get tips and resources to support your child’s online safety and wellbeing through the transition. 

Parents and carers will gain: 

• a clear understanding of the new rules and their implications confidence in guiding their child through these changes access to trusted resources to support safe and positive online engagement. 

Sign up for a webinar here. 

Policy Reviews 

As part of our ongoing commitment to student safety and wellbeing, Viewbank College undertook a review of our child safety policies and practices in partnership with the Department of Education. This process helps ensure that we continue to provide a learning environment where every student feels safe, respected and supported. 

We maintain several key documents that explain how we protect children and what we do if there are concerns about safety. You can read them here: 

• Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy – how we keep children safe 
• Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Procedure – what staff must do if they are worried about a child’s safety 
• Child Safety Code of Conduct – how staff, volunteers and visitors should behave around students 
• Complaints Policy – how families can raise concerns or seek support  

 We have also reviewed our Child Safety Risk Register, which outlines possible safety risks and how we manage and monitor them. 

 What We’ve Improved 

We’ve made a number of positive updates this year to strengthen our approach to child safety: 

• Enhanced cyber and information security through the Department’s Microsoft Tenant system. 
• Increased supervision during camps and excursions to support student wellbeing. 
• Continued training for all staff on child safety obligations, professional conduct and the PROTECT framework. 
• A refined process for staff collaboration on student wellbeing and safety planning. 

 What We’re Doing Well 

The Department of Education has acknowledged several areas of strength at Viewbank College, including: 

• Consistent delivery of the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR) program, helping students learn about safety, respect and recognising abuse. 
• Strong partnerships with health and community service professionals to support student wellbeing. 
• A proactive approach to volunteer induction and training, ensuring all adults who work with our students understand their child safety responsibilities. 

Our programs and policies support every student — including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, students with disability, students in out-of-home care, students from culturally diverse backgrounds and those who identify as LGBTIQ+. 

 We Want to Hear From You 

We value our partnership with families and the wider school community. If you have any questions, feedback or suggestions about child safety at Viewbank College, please contact us. Together, we will continue to make our school a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for every student.     

                                                                                                                         Emma Ford, Acting Principal

Rachael Smith, Assistant Principal

Anna Crosswhite, Assistant Principal

Penelope Cleghorn, Assistant Principal

Dean Moss, Acting Assistant Principal