Academic Integrity

The Friends’ School policy on academic integrity promotes the principles of honesty, independent thinking and respect for one’s own work and the work of others. It recognises the need for students to understand the meaning and significance of the concepts of authenticity and intellectual property. We believe that all students need to be taught, as an integral part of the learning process across all subject areas and School sections, what it is to show academic integrity. Academic integrity is an important aspect of teaching students information literacy skills and guides students towards producing work that acknowledges the work of others, though is not derivative or plagiarised. It is also important for students to understand that not showing integrity and respect for another person’s work is not in keeping with the School’s Purpose and Concerns. 

Principles to Support Implementation of this Policy 

We believe that: 

• Academic integrity is a core aspect of information literacy knowledge, skills and understandings 
• Students, parents/guardians and staff have a responsibility to understand and follow our school policy on academic integrity and relevant guidelines 
• Teachers across all disciplines are responsible for implementing our school policy and incorporating guidelines into their teaching practice
• Developing academic integrity skills and understanding is a shared responsibility across all faculties and sections of the School 
• Breaking large tasks down into manageable progressions helps students with their information literacy skills and to meet their responsibilities with regards to academic integrity.

Purpose of Academic Integrity K - 12 

A student showing academic integrity: 

• Understands and abides by the School policy and guidelines concerning academic integrity 
• Submits work that is their own 
• Understands how to collaborate effectively and submit work that is their own, and support their peers to do the same 
• Completes an honest or agreed share of the work undertaken in group or team work situations 
• Acknowledges when help is given by others such as parents, private tutors, other students or friends 
• Cites source materials (which may include words, images, music and ideas) using appropriate referencing conventions 
• Uses a recognised form of referencing as expected in line with faculty and/or sectional expectations 
• Abides by all regulations applying to assessment.

Teachers support academic integrity by: 

• Teaching recognised methods for paraphrasing source material 
• Giving specific guidelines that encourage students to develop their own ideas through questioning, using inquiry processes, problem solving, comparisons, analysis and synthesis 
• Teaching students research, summary and note-making techniques 
• Teaching students to actively re-organise and interpret gathered information and synthesise findings into their own words 
• Implementing processes to support planning, drafting and showing work in progress 
• Working in collaboration with the school teacher librarians when relevant, to develop appropriate research and information literacy skills 
• Teaching students how to cite all sources which may include (but are not exclusive to) books, journals, musical references, images and internet sites 
• Encouraging the use of citation software such as the SLASA Online Reference Generator or Citemaker 
• Modelling best academic integrity in their own practices 
• Referring students and parents/guardians to the School’s policy and guidelines

Parent/Guardian responsibilities with respect to academic integrity 

Parents/Guardians support academic integrity by: 

Encouraging their children to see the importance of putting significant effort into their learning experiences. They support students with their learning at home by:

• Asking questions of the student to provoke their thinking 
• Working alongside the student to develop a plan of how to approach prioritising tasks and breaking larger tasks into smaller chunks 
• Helping create an ideal physical environment for learning at home 
• Communicating with relevant staff any significant absences and/or changes in family circumstances as soon as possible 
• Working alongside the student when managing larger learning tasks by having a clear idea of major deadlines and planning family engagements accordingly 
• Giving tips to the student around appropriate self management techniques to support organisation
• Encouraging the student to make direct contact with their teacher if there are significant challenges being experienced by the child in completing learning at home 
• Affirming successes and progress that the student makes with their learning 
• Providing the necessary materials and resources for students to learn comfortably at home.

School responsibilities with respect to academic integrity 

It is the School’s responsibility to: 

• Embed opportunities within the school curriculum so students develop the habits and skills to support practices that promote academic integrity 
• Support the development of teachers knowledge, skills and understanding of academic integrity 
• Communicate our school policy and guidelines relating to academic integrity clearly to students, parents and staff 
• Treat incidents that could breach our policy and guidelines on academic integrity in a manner appropriate to our School Purpose and Concerns as well as any other relevant external organisation.