School Community Safety Order Scheme

Schools are positive places of learning where everyone has a right to a safe and healthy learning environment. Schools are also workplaces, and school staff deserve to work in an environment where they don’t feel threatened or unsafe. 

From Term 3, 2022, the School Community Safety Order Scheme (Scheme) will come into effect in all Victorian schools. This Scheme allows principals and other authorised persons to issue ongoing or immediate school community safety orders that place limitations on the way certain parents, carers or other adults who act in a harmful, abusive or threatening way behave towards staff, students or others in the school community. Click here for more information about the Scheme, including a short video that provides an overview of the Scheme. 

This Scheme provides a range of safeguards for people who may be subject to an order and their children. For example, before issuing an ongoing school community safety order, an authorised person must consider the person’s response to the notice to issue an order and how an order may impact their child. Orders can only be issued as a last resort option if it is the least restrictive option to address the behaviour. To read more about the protections built into the Scheme for parents, carers and other adults who may be subject to an order (including information on appeal rights), access the Department’s website. 

1. Everyone at school, particularly staff and parents/carers, play a role in making school a better place for learning and work. The Respectful Behaviours within the School Community Policy outlines the shared roles of parents, carers and school staff in creating a positive environment for learning. 
2. Our mutual objective is to support your child’s education. To do this, we ask that feedback and complaints are both constructive and respectful. Parents are reminded to follow the school’s complaints policy or process or the Department’s Complaints Policy if you wish to raise any constructive and respectful feedback.
3. You can find the Respectful Behaviours within the School Community Policy and other resources to build a positive relationship with our school community here.