St John's Primary School, Heidelberg Newsletter

Child Safety at St John's

Child Safe Standards

At St John's, we are deeply committed to the wellbeing and safety of every child in our care. To uphold this commitment, our learning community adheres to 11 Child Safe Standards. Over the rest of the term, I will share with you the measures we have in place to ensure compliance with these standards.

 

Our interactions with the entire community are founded on respect for each person. As a Catholic community, this respect is rooted in our belief that each individual is made in the image and likeness of God.

Child Safe Standard 9:

Child Safety in physical and online environments - Ensure that physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing whilst minimizing the opportunity for children, young people and students to be harmed.

 

At St John's Catholic Primary School there are many ways in which we actively promote physical and online environments to be safe for all students.  

 

Physical Environments

Secure Facilities:

  • Controlled Access: Implement secure entry and exit points with locked gates after 8:45am and staff supervision.
  • Regular Safety Audits: Conduct regular safety audits to identify and address potential hazards in the school environment.

Safe Play Areas

  • Supervision: Ensure that playgrounds and recreational areas are supervised at all times.
  • Safe Equipment: Regularly inspect and maintain playground equipment to ensure it is safe and free from hazards.

Clear Policies and Procedures:

  • Incident Reporting: Establish clear procedures for reporting and responding to incidents of harm or unsafe behavior.
  • Emergency Plans: Have comprehensive emergency plans in place, including regular drills for fire, lockdowns, and evacuations.
  • Risk Assessments: To develop effective prevention and mitigation strategies, in order to identify risks of child abuse and harm.

Health and Hygiene:

  • Sanitation Facilities: Provide clean and accessible sanitation facilities.
  • Health Protocols: Implement health protocols, such as regular hand washing and sanitizing stations, especially during outbreaks of illnesses.

Online Environments

Cybersecurity Measures:

  • Firewalls and Filters: Use firewalls, internet filters, and monitoring software to prevent access to inappropriate content.
  • Secure Networks: Ensure that the school’s Wi-Fi networks are secure and require authentication for access.

Digital Citizenship Education:

  • Online Safety Curriculum: Integrate digital citizenship and online safety into the curriculum to educate students about safe and responsible online behavior.
  • Workshops and Training: Provide workshops and training sessions for students, staff, and parents on online safety and digital well-being.

Monitoring and Supervision:

  • Supervised Internet Use: Ensure that students’ internet use is supervised and during online learning sessions.
  • Parental Controls: Encourage parents to use parental control tools at home and provide guidance on how to set them up.

Clear Policies and Codes of Conduct:

  • Acceptable Use Policies: Develop and enforce acceptable use policies for technology and internet use, outlining acceptable and unacceptable behaviors.
  • Reporting Mechanisms: Establish clear mechanisms for reporting online bullying, harassment, or any other unsafe online behavior.

General Practices

Training and Professional Development:

  • Staff Training: Provide regular training for all staff on child safety policies, recognizing signs of harm, and appropriate responses.
  • Student Workshops: Conduct workshops for students on recognizing unsafe situations and knowing how to seek help.

Community Engagement:

  • Parent Involvement: Providing resources and support for parents and caregivers
  • Collaborative Efforts: Collaborate with community organisations, law enforcement, and child protection services to enhance safety measures.

Inclusive Practices:

  • Safe Spaces: Create inclusive and safe spaces for all students, including those with disabilities, ensuring they have equal access to all areas and resources.
  • Cultural Sensitivity: Promote cultural sensitivity and ensure that safety practices respect the diverse backgrounds of all students.