Any reference to 'schools' also includes school boarding premises
If your school operates a school boarding premises, a single child safety code of conduct for all settings may be appropriate
This guidance is designed for government schools. It can also be used by non-government schools
There are 6 steps required to develop your child safety code of conduct.
1 Assess the template
Schools can use our downloadable template to develop their child safety code of conduct. The template includes suggested text and examples.
Your school MUST adapt the template to be relevant to your school environment.
Assess the template to determine whether it meets your school’s needs. Amend the template if needed to create a child safety code of conduct your school can use for consultation.
The examples of acceptable and unacceptable behaviours in the template are not exhaustive.
Use the examples to consider whether the behaviours listed in the template need to be modified for your school. For example, some behaviours may depend upon the students’ age, developmental stage, or special needs.
Ensure your child safety code of conduct is consistent with your school’s policies relating to child safety including:
- student wellbeing
- student supervision
- duty of care
- volunteers
- camps and excursions (including overseas travel)
- bullying policies
- disciplinary procedures.
2 Consult with your school community
Consultation on this policy is mandatory.
Consulting on your school’s child safety code of conduct means it will reflect the standards of behaviour expected by your school community. Consider consulting with:
- the school governing authority
- teachers and non-teaching staff
- volunteers
- students
- families
- community leaders and elders.
When undertaking consultation, ensure your school provides information about:
- the Victorian Child Safe Standards
- the intent of your school’s child safety code of conduct
- who your school’s child safety code of conduct applies to
- how your school’s child safety code of conduct applies to all school activities, including school camps, using digital technology and social media.
Following consultation, adjust your school’s child safety code of conduct to reflect your school community’s feedback.
3 Get endorsement
Provide your child safety code of conduct to your school governing authority to review and endorse.
4 Make it publicly available
Once endorsed, make your school’s child safety code of conduct publicly available and visible to the school community. This generally means publishing on a public website. If this is not possible, consider other ways to share your school’s child safety code of conduct. For example, through your school’s online communications platform. If you cannot publish your school’s child safety code of conduct on a website, you need to tell your school community about ways they can access it.
5 Embed into school practices
Your school needs to make sure that everyone is supported to embed the child safety code of conduct into their daily behaviours.
Example actions you can take to ensure the child safety code of conduct is embedded include:
- making sure all school staff and volunteers are aware of your school’s child safety code of conduct and how it applies to them
- discussing the child safety code of conduct in staff inductions
- raising awareness of the child safety code of conduct by:
- discussing it at staff meetings
- communicating about it through school communications
- displaying the code in common areas (such as a staff room)
- informing parents, carers and other people associated with the school of expected behaviours
- reporting all suspected or identified breaches of the child safety code of conduct via the school’s reporting procedures
- reference the child safety code of conduct in school employment advertisements and service contracts
- communicate the child safety code of conduct to students in an age-appropriate way
Schools may also record the child safety code of conduct in a central place, that staff, contractors and volunteers have read and understood it.
6 Review
Review your school’s child safety code of conduct:
- as needed
- every two years in accordance with Ministerial Order 1359.
Completing the child safety code of conduct template
This child safety code of conduct template helps schools comply with Ministerial Order 1359. It can be used by:
- government schools
- non-government schools
- school boarding premises.
Your school MUST adapt the template to be relevant to your school environment.
Failure to do so may result in non-compliance with Child Safe Standard 2 and Ministerial Order 1359.
If your school also operates a school boarding premises, a single child safety code of conduct for all settings may be appropriate. School boarding premises will need to consider their different environments, risks and circumstances.
Guide to completing the template
Retain or replace information where appropriate:
- retain and replace relevant text and insert additional information specific to your school
- replace references to [example school] with your school’s name.
Adapt the template to your school:
- ensure it is relevant to your school or school boarding premises environment
- tailor the policy name to meet the needs of your school
- check the text is meaningful and appropriate for your school
- change the font and text styles to reflect your school colours and include your school logo, if desired.
Make it accessible:
- limit the use of images to enhance accessibility
- consider the use of accessibility aids or translations for families from non-English speaking backgrounds.
The template includes example and explanatory text:
- Green highlighted text: Guidance - delete before finalising your policy.
- Yellow highlighted text: Examples - insert individual school details.
Template download
Updated