Child Safe Standards
- We Care.
Child Safety at St John's: A Spotlight on Standard 1 and 2.
At St John's 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 1:Establish culturally safe environments in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children, young people and students are respected and value
2: Child Safety and Wellbeing is Embedded in Leadership, Governance, and Culture.
Why This Standard Matters
Child Safety Standard 1 and 2 are 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 1 and 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 our school website.
Secure School Access: All visitors are required to report directly to the front office. This ensures we know exactly who is on-site at all times.
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 lanyards. This makes it easy for students and staff to identify them as authorized, trusted helpers.
Celebrating culture: We include and celebrate Aboriginal culture in our classrooms/events e.g. NAIDOC Week, researching stories to share, inviting guest speakers.
Taking a stance: We lead by example against racism and swiftly respond if it is observed.
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:
Ms Alison Dean, Ms Elizabeth Whiting and Ms Brooke 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 1 and 2.
