Parent Helper Program

From Adrienne, Assistant Principal 

Thank you parents and guardians who were able to attend out our Classroom Helper Training session on Friday 10th March.  North Melbourne Primary School values our home and school partnership and look forward to continuing to build that with you and our community. In this session we learned from our Literacy and Numeracy Learning Specialists about effective literacy and numeracy strategies, that could be used while volunteering in the classroom… or even at home.

We welcome parents, carers and family members to volunteer across many different areas of the school. This includes the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program, school camps, excursions, events and swimming. We are also very keen to have parents become ‘expert presenters’ in class.

If you were unable to attend and are still interested in volunteering, please see below for a step-by-step process of what you need to complete before you can volunteer with the school.  

How to become a classroom helper or volunteer?

Step 1:  Organise your Working with Children Check Clearance (WWCC)

It is a requirement that all school volunteers have a valid Working with Children Clearance to work with students. The Working with Children Check (WWCC) is a screening process for assessing or re-assessing people who work with or care for children in Victoria.  A volunteer WWCC can be obtained from the Working With Children Check website.

Step 2: Familiarise yourself with our School Policies

Following this, it is important for you to familiarise yourself with our Volunteer policy and the school’s Child Safe policies available on website’s Policies Page.  It is paramount that all volunteers are aware of our policies and processes in place to keep our students safe. 

• NMPS Volunteers Policy 

Child Safe Policies:

• NMPS Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy 
• NMPS Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedures 
• NMPS Child Safety Code of Conduct

You will be required to sign a Volunteer Induction Form at the office on your first volunteer session stating that you have read, understood, and agree to adhering to the above policies.

Step 3: Contact your child’s teacher

Please contact your child’s teacher if you are available to assist in the classroom or other school related activities. The teacher will schedule their classroom helpers at suitable times and will communicate this with you.

On the first time you visit the school to assist in the classroom, you will need to sign in at the front office through the Compass kiosk and present your WWCC and your completed Volunteer Induction Form.

Following your initial visit, each time you visit the school to assist in the classroom you will need to sign in and out at the front office, through the Compass kiosk. You will be given a visitors’ lanyard to display your WWCC which you are asked to wear for the duration of your visit.

Please note, we cannot accommodate younger siblings when volunteering in the classroom.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q) I have applied for my Working With Children Clearance but the processing time is a few weeks, can I start volunteering?

A) Yes, once you have applied for a WWCC you will be given an application receipt which you will need to present when you check-in at reception. 

Q) Do I need to go through this process if I am only helping on an excursion or camp? 

A) Yes, North Melbourne Primary School requires all volunteers to have a valid Working with Children Clearance when working with students.