Assistant Principal's Report

New Child Safe Standards Article 4

Welcome to the 4th piece in a series of articles about the new Child Safe Standards and detailing how Glen Waverley Primary School (GWPS) is implementing them. In my last article I examined Child Safe Standards 3 and 4, in this article we will look at Child Safe Standards 5 and 6. 

Child Safe Standard 5 - Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice

This standard has been designed to ensure members of our school community understand and are aware of the diverse needs of students and provides appropriate support to those who are vulnerable. It refers to students with a disability, from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, who are unable to live at home or those who identify as LGBTQI+. In addition, the school is required to recognise and address the needs of Aboriginal students and promote a culturally safe environment for them. 

At Glen Waverley Primary School we are working towards meeting this standard from both a curriculum, policy and procedure perspective. To address this standard we are currently undertaking the following:

• As detailed in Standard 1 we promote a culturally safe environment for aboriginal students through developing units of learning so that all students have a deep understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and cultural diversity. 
• We promote understanding and inclusion of people with diverse cultural and backgrounds through our Guiding Statements including the promotion of Intercultural and Transcultural understanding. This is enhanced by our culturally diverse community at GWPS.
• As part of the Department of Education and Training’s Marrung Lead program, we have an appointed a staff member who represents our school at all meetings and ensures the needs of Koorie students are met. 
• We are currently revising our Whole School Approach to Wellbeing which includes strategies and approaches addressing the diverse needs of students with a disability.

Child Safe Standard 6 – People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice

Standard 6 has been designed to ensure that recruitment, including advertising and referee checks for staff and volunteers emphasise child safety and wellbeing. It ensures relevant staff are approved for teaching by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT), non-teaching staff and volunteers must obtain and have a current Working with Children Check card.  

The standard also specifies that all staff and volunteers are required to receive an appropriate induction and are aware of their responsibilities to the students, including record keeping, information sharing and mandatory reporting obligations. Through the implementation of this standard ongoing supervision and management is focused on child safety and wellbeing.

At Glen Waverley Primary School we meet this standard in regards to policy and procedure by:

• Our Induction processes ensure that all volunteers and visitors have appropriate working with children checks and are aware of their obligations to ensure child safety
• All teaching staff are required to meet the requirements of the VIT including a mandatory Criminal Record check
• Teaching graduates and new staff receive a Child Safe Induction Program
• Graduates who complete their VIT accreditation process also receive an induction detailing mandatory reporting processes, child safe protocol and duty of care expectations
• Glen Waverley Primary Schools Child Safe Policy, Working With Children and Criminal Record Check Policy, Child Safe Code of Conduct and the Staff Recruitment and Professional Learning Policy address this standard 
• School Council members must also obtain a Working With Children Check
• A Child-safe leader is appointed at each year level and specialist team and also at School Council 

I look forward to continuing to inform the community of the new standards and how Glen Waverley Primary School is ensuring that these standards are met. 

Mr Welsh 

Assistant Principal Wellbeing