Wellbeing

AFP & Think U Know (online safety)

A big thank you to Dean and Julie from the Australian Federal Police (AFP), working in collaboration with ThinkUKnow, for delivering engaging and informative online safety sessions to our staff and parents yesterday, as well as to our Prep and Year 5/6 students.

These sessions provided practical advice on helping children stay safe online, recognise potential risks and know how to seek help when needed. Dean and Julie will return next week to present age-appropriate sessions for our Year 1–4 students.

Supporting young people to be safe, responsible and respectful online is a shared responsibility between school and home. Below are some useful resources to help families continue these important conversations and support safe online habits at home:

ThinkUKnow - Parents and carers guide to online child sexual exploitation

How to reports online issues - https://www.accce.gov.au/report

ThinkUKnow resources - https://www.thinkuknow.org.au/resources-tab/parents-and-carers

Issues & Advice: How to help your child deal with online safety issues - https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice

Child Safe Standard 8 – Building Staff Knowledge and Awareness

Keeping children safe is everyone's responsibility. As part of our commitment at PVNPS to Child Safe Standard 8, we ensure that all staff and volunteers have the knowledge and skills needed to promote and protect student safety.

Throughout the year, staff participate in mandatory child safety and mandatory reporting training, with additional professional learning provided as policies and legislation are updated. All staff and volunteers complete induction processes, including Working with Children Check requirements, and training records are regularly monitored to ensure compliance.

This year, we have strengthened our practices by updating volunteer induction packs to include all Child Safety policies, displaying new PROTECT posters throughout the school, and providing additional training opportunities for leadership and selected staff in Protective Intervention (Restraint and Seclusion). These ongoing measures help ensure every adult in our school community is equipped to create a safe, supportive and inclusive environment for every child.

Child Safe Standard 9 – Safe Physical, Online and Off-Site Environments

Providing safe learning environments is a key priority at PVNPS—whether students are learning on-site, online or participating in activities beyond the school grounds.

At PVNPS, we regularly review our physical spaces, supervision practices and procedures to ensure students are safe throughout the day. Staff actively supervise identified areas of the school, high-risk spaces are securely managed, and clear expectations help students navigate the school safely. Additional supports, such as targeted playground supervision and individual play plans, are implemented where needed.

Online safety is equally important. Through our Digital Learning Policy, Acceptable Use Agreements and Wellbeing curriculum, students are taught how to use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly. This year, we are strengthening our approach with eSmart lessons each term, Australian Federal Police online safety sessions for students, staff and families, and clear processes for responding to inappropriate online behaviour.

We are also committed to ensuring student safety during excursions, camps and other off-site learning experiences. Before any activity, we carefully assess potential risks, ensure appropriate supervision is in place, and work only with third-party providers who meet our child safety expectations. By following Department of Education policies and continuously reviewing our practices, we strive to provide safe, inclusive and engaging learning experiences wherever learning takes place.