Policies

Dear Parents/Carers
Berwick Chase Primary School is committed to ensuring a child safe environment for all students. To build upon our existing practices, we have recently reviewed and updated the following policies and procedures available on the school website:
- Child Safety Policy
 - Child Safety Reporting and Responding Obligations Procedure
 - Child Safety Code of Conduct
 - Complaints Policy
 - Student Wellbeing and Engagement Policy
 - Bullying Prevention Policy
 - Volunteers Policy
 - Visitors Policy
 - Digital Learning Policy.
 
Additionally, we have provided a plain language guide of the Child Safe Standards on the school’s website.
Parents can also raise complaints/concerns under our Complaints Policy.
As part of this review, we have adopted the following additional practices:
- All staff continue to receive child safety training at the beginning of each year and any new staff member when they start with us at the school.
 - School council receive annual child safety training.
 - Child safety is a regular agenda item at staff meetings.
 - We are developing a behaviour matrix for all students.
 - We are supporting staff and child safety by developing a stronger focus on coaching and mentoring of all staff with the recent employment of two experienced learning specialists.
 - As well as our respectful relationship program, we are further strengthening student empowerment with the following strategies:
- Students as part of the ‘Chasers’ student forum can make suggestions about positive strategies to improve students’ safety (termly)
 - Students work with the wellbeing team to analyse the Tell them From Me survey results (termly)
 - Talking to students about any areas of the school they feel less safe, and their ideas on how this could be improved (termly)
 - Each classroom and the office have suggestion boxes that allow students to make anonymous suggestions about school improvement ideas or areas of concern (in place now)
 - Child Safety Committee has been formed and meets regularly.
 
 - Any potential parent volunteers for camp will receive a child safety induction presentation.
 - Training and protocols have been established for any parent volunteer transporting students to School Sport Victoria events requiring a parental consent form.
 
We welcome any feedback or queries in relation to child safety related matters, policies and procedures. Please contact the office on 03 9707 7799 or berwick.chase.ps@education.vic.gov.au if you wish to discuss any of this further.