Deputy Principal's Message

Child Safety at Mother Teresa: A Spotlight on Standard 2

At Mother Teresa, the safety and wellbeing of our students are at the heart of everything we do. This week, our staff participated in a professional deep dive into Child Safety Standard 2: Child Safety and Wellbeing is Embedded in Leadership, Governance, and Culture.

Why This Standard Matters

Child Safety Standard 2 is the "backbone" of a child-safe organisation. It ensures that child safety isn't just a checklist, but a living part of our school culture. When leadership and governance are aligned, it creates an environment where children feel protected, staff feel empowered to act, and safety is prioritised in every decision we make.

How We Uphold Standard 2

We take a proactive approach to ensure our school remains a secure environment for every child. Here are some of the practical ways we meet this standard daily:

• Policy & Governance:We regularly review and update our school policies to ensure they align with the latest legislative requirements and best practices. All policies can be found on the website.

• Secure School Access: All visitors are required to report directly to the front office to log in via the Compass portal. This ensures we know exactly who is on-site at all times. Last year we began the installation of a fob system on each door at MTPS to ensure that only registered people are able to enter the school.

• Stringent Credentials: Every visitor or volunteer working with students must hold a valid Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) registration or a Working with Children Check (WWC). 

• Parent Helper Training:We believe in a strong partnership with our parent community. Events such as excursions can only happen with the assistance of parent helpers. To ensure our volunteers are well-equipped, we conduct annual Parent Helper Training sessions throughout the school year.

• Visibility & Identification:When helping in the school, our parent volunteers wear designated vests. This makes it easy for students and staff to identify them as authorized, trusted helpers.

Our Child Safety Officers

Leadership is key to maintaining these standards. If you ever have questions or concerns regarding child safety, please feel free to reach out to our dedicated Child Safety Officers:

Mr Darren Gibson, Mrs Stef McNeil and Mrs Jess Davis

Together, we continue to build a culture where every child can learn, grow and feel safe. Listed below is information from MACS in regards to Child Safety Standard 2.