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Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy
Please take time to remind yourself of the school’s collection statement, using the link below on the Department of Education website.
**** Department of Education Privacy Policy Victoria
SCHOOLS’ PRIVACY POLICY
The Department of Education and Training (which includes all Victorian government schools, (central and regional offices) values the privacy of every person and is committed to protecting information that schools collect.
All staff including contractors, service providers and volunteers of the Department, and this Victorian government school (our school), must comply with Victorian privacy law and this policy.
In Victorian government schools the management of ‘personal information’ and ‘health information’ is governed by the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic) and Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) (collectively, Victorian privacy law).
This policy explains how our school collects and manages personal and health information, consistent with Victorian privacy law.
This policy will be regularly reviewed and updated to take account of new laws and technology and the changing school environment when required.
DEFINITIONS
Personal information is information or opinion, whether true or not, about a person whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be ascertained, from the information or opinion – that is recorded in any form. For example, a person’s name, address, phone number and date of birth
(age). De-identified information about students can also be personal information.
Health information is information or opinion about a person’s physical, mental or psychological health or disability, that is also personal information – whether in writing or not. This includes information or opinion about a person’s health status and medical history, immunisation
status and allergies, as well as counselling records.
Sensitive information is information or opinion about a set of specific characteristics, including a person’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinions or affiliations, religious beliefs or affiliations, philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation or practices; or criminal record. It also includes
health information.
WHAT INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT?
Our school collects the following type of information:
information about students and their families, provided by students, their families and others
information about job applicants, staff, volunteers and visitors; provided by job applicants, staff
members, volunteers, visitors and others.
HOW DO WE COLLECT THIS INFORMATION?
Our school collects information in a number of ways, including:
in person and over the phone: from students and their families, staff, volunteers, visitors, job
applicants and others
from electronic and paper documentation: including job applications, emails, invoices,
enrolment forms, letters to our school, consent forms (for example: enrolment, excursion, Student
Support Services consent forms), our school’s website or school-controlled social media
through online tools: such as apps and other software used by our school
through any CCTV cameras located at our school.
Collection notices
When our school collects information about you, our school takes reasonable steps to advise you of how the information will be handled. This includes the purpose of the collection, and how to access, update and correct information held about you.
For information about students and their families, a collection notice is provided to parents
(or students who are mature minors) upon enrolment.
Unsolicited information about you
Our school may receive information about you that we have taken no active steps to collect. If permitted or required by law, our school may keep records of this information. If not, we will destroy or de-identify the information when practicable, lawful and reasonable to do so.
WHY DO WE COLLECT THIS INFORMATION?
Primary purposes of collecting information about students and their families
Our school collects information about students and their families when necessary to:
educate students
support students’ social and emotional wellbeing, and health
fulfil legal requirements, including to:
o take reasonable steps to reduce the risk of reasonably foreseeable harm to
students, staff and visitors (duty of care)
o make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities (anti-discrimination law)
o provide a safe and secure workplace (occupational health and safety law)
enable our school to:
o communicate with parents about students’ schooling matters and celebrate the efforts and achievements of students
o maintain the good order and management of our school
enable the Department to:
o ensure the effective management, resourcing and administration of our school
o fulfil statutory functions and duties
o plan, fund, monitor, regulate and evaluate the Department’s policies, services and functions
o comply with reporting requirements
o investigate incidents in schools and/or respond to any legal claims against the Department, including any of its schools. Primary purposes of collecting information about
others
Our school collects information about staff, volunteers and job applicants:
to assess applicants’ suitability for employment or volunteering
to administer employment or volunteer placement
for insurance purposes, including public liability and WorkCover
to fulfil various legal obligations, including employment and contractual obligations,
occupational health and safety law and to investigate incidents
to respond to legal claims against our school/the Department.
WHEN DO WE USE OR DISCLOSE INFORMATION?
Our school uses or discloses information consistent with Victorian privacy law, as follows:
1. for a primary purpose – as defined above
2. for a related secondary purpose that is reasonably to be expected – for example, to
enable the school council to fulfil its objectives, functions and powers
3. with notice and/or consent – including consent provided on enrolment and other forms
4. when necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to:
a person’s life, health, safety or welfare
the public’s health, safety or welfare
5. when required or authorised by law – including as a result of our duty of care, anti discrimination
law, occupational health and safety law, reporting obligations to agencies such as Department of
Health and Human Services and complying with tribunal or court orders, subpoenas or Victoria
Police warrants
6. to investigate or report unlawful activity, or when reasonably necessary for a specified law
enforcement purpose, including the prevention or investigation of a criminal offence or seriously
improper conduct, by or on behalf of a law enforcement agency
7. for Department research or school statistics purposes
8. to establish or respond to a legal claim.
A unique identifier (a CASES21 code) is assigned to each student to enable the school to carry out its functions effectively.
STUDENT TRANSFERS BETWEEN VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS
When a student has been accepted at, and is transferring to, another Victorian government school, our school transfers information about the student to that school. This may include copies of the student’s school records, including any health information.
This enables the next school to continue to provide for the education of the student, to support the student’s social and emotional wellbeing and health, and to fulfil legal requirements.
NAPLAN RESULTS
NAPLAN is the national assessment for students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9, in reading, writing, language and numeracy.
When a student transfers to another Victorian government school, their NAPLAN results are able to be transferred to that next school.
Additionally, a student’s NAPLAN results are able to be provided to the student’s previous Victorian government school to enable that school to evaluate their education
program.
RESPONDING TO COMPLAINTS
On occasion our school, and the Department’s central and regional offices, receive complaints from parents and others. Our school and/or the Department’s central or regional offices will use and disclose information as considered appropriate to respond to these complaints
(including responding to complaints made to external organisations or agencies).
ACCESSING YOUR INFORMATION
All individuals, or their authorised representative(s), have a right to access, update and correct information that our school holds about them.
ACCESS TO STUDENT INFORMATION
Our school only provides school reports and ordinary school communications to parents who have a legal right to that information.
Requests for access to other student information must be made by making a Freedom of
Information (FOI) application through the Department’s Freedom of Information Unit (see below).
In some circumstances, an authorised representative may not be entitled to information about the student. These circumstances include when granting access would not be in the student’s best interests or would breach our duty of care to the student, would be contrary to a mature minor
student’s wishes or would unreasonably impact on the privacy of another person.
ACCESS TO STAFF INFORMATION
School staff may first seek access to their personnel file by contacting the principal. If direct access is not granted, the staff member may request access through the Department’s Freedom of Information Unit.
STORING AND SECURING INFORMATION
Our school takes reasonable steps to protect information from misuse and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification and disclosure. Our school stores all paper and electronic records securely, consistent with the Department’s records management policy and information
security standards. All school records are disposed of, or transferred to the State Archives (Public Record Office Victoria), as required by the relevant Public Record Office Standard.
When using software and contracted service providers to manage information, our school assesses these according to the appropriate departmental processes. One example of this is that staff passwords for school systems are strong and updated on a regular basis, consistent with the
Department’s password policy.
UPDATING YOUR INFORMATION
We endeavour to ensure that information about students, their families and staff is accurate, complete and up to date. To update your information, please contact our school’s general office.
FOI AND PRIVACY
To make a FOI application contact:
Freedom of Information Unit
Department of Education and Training
2 Treasury Place, East Melbourne VIC 3002
(03) 9637 3961
foi@edumail.vic.gov.au
If you have a query or complaint about privacy, please
contact:
Knowledge, Privacy and Records Branch
Department of Education and Training
2 Treasury Place, East Melbourne VIC 3002
(03) 8688 7967
privacy@edumail.vic.gov.au
Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy
Please take time to remind yourself of the school’s collection statement, using the link below on the Department of Education website.
**** Department of Education Privacy Policy Victoria
SCHOOLS’ PRIVACY POLICY
The Department of Education and Training (which includes all Victorian government schools, (central and regional offices) values the privacy of every person and is committed to protecting information that schools collect.
All staff including contractors, service providers and volunteers of the Department, and this Victorian government school (our school), must comply with Victorian privacy law and this policy.
In Victorian government schools the management of ‘personal information’ and ‘health information’ is governed by the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic) and Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) (collectively, Victorian privacy law).
This policy explains how our school collects and manages personal and health information, consistent with Victorian privacy law.
This policy will be regularly reviewed and updated to take account of new laws and technology and the changing school environment when required.
DEFINITIONS
Personal information is information or opinion, whether true or not, about a person whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be ascertained, from the information or opinion – that is recorded in any form. For example, a person’s name, address, phone number and date of birth
(age). De-identified information about students can also be personal information.
Health information is information or opinion about a person’s physical, mental or psychological health or disability, that is also personal information – whether in writing or not. This includes information or opinion about a person’s health status and medical history, immunisation
status and allergies, as well as counselling records.
Sensitive information is information or opinion about a set of specific characteristics, including a person’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinions or affiliations, religious beliefs or affiliations, philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation or practices; or criminal record. It also includes
health information.
WHAT INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT?
Our school collects the following type of information:
information about students and their families, provided by students, their families and others
information about job applicants, staff, volunteers and visitors; provided by job applicants, staff
members, volunteers, visitors and others.
HOW DO WE COLLECT THIS INFORMATION?
Our school collects information in a number of ways,
including:
in person and over the phone: from students and
their families, staff, volunteers, visitors, job
applicants and others
from electronic and paper documentation:
including job applications, emails, invoices,
enrolment forms, letters to our school, consent
forms (for example: enrolment, excursion, Student
Support Services consent forms), our school’s
website or school-controlled social media
through online tools: such as apps and other
software used by our school
through any CCTV cameras located at our school.
Collection notices
When our school collects information about you, our school
takes reasonable steps to advise you of how the
information will be handled. This includes the purpose of
the collection, and how to access, update and correct
information held about you.
For information about students
and their families, a collection notice is provided to parents
(or students who are mature minors) upon enrolment.
Unsolicited information about you
Our school may receive information about you that we
have taken no active steps to collect. If permitted or
required by law, our school may keep records of this
information. If not, we will destroy or de-identify the
information when practicable, lawful and reasonable to do
so.
WHY DO WE COLLECT THIS INFORMATION?
Primary purposes of collecting information about
students and their families
Our school collects information about students and their
families when necessary to:
educate students
support students’ social and emotional wellbeing,
and health
fulfil legal requirements, including to:
o take reasonable steps to reduce the risk
of reasonably foreseeable harm to
students, staff and visitors
(duty of care)
o make reasonable adjustments for
students with disabilities
(anti-discrimination law)
o provide a safe and secure workplace
(occupational health and safety law)
enable our school to:
o communicate with parents about
students’ schooling matters and
celebrate the efforts and achievements
of students
o maintain the good order and
management of our school
enable the Department to:
o ensure the effective management,
resourcing and administration of our
school
o fulfil statutory functions and duties
o plan, fund, monitor, regulate and
evaluate the Department’s policies,
services and functions
o comply with reporting requirements
o investigate incidents in schools and/or
respond to any legal claims against the
Department, including any of its schools.
Primary purposes of collecting information about
others
Our school collects information about staff, volunteers and
job applicants:
to assess applicants’ suitability for employment or
volunteering
to administer employment or volunteer placement
for insurance purposes, including public liability
and WorkCover
to fulfil various legal obligations, including
employment and contractual obligations,
occupational health and safety law and to
investigate incidents
to respond to legal claims against our school/the
Department.
WHEN DO WE USE OR DISCLOSE INFORMATION?
Our school uses or discloses information consistent with Victorian privacy law, as follows:
1. for a primary purpose – as defined above
2. for a related secondary purpose that is reasonably to be expected – for example, to
enable the school council to fulfil its objectives, functions and powers
3. with notice and/or consent – including consent provided on enrolment and other forms
4. when necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to:
a person’s life, health, safety or welfare
the public’s health, safety or welfare
5. when required or authorised by law – including as a result of our duty of care, anti discrimination
law, occupational health and safety law, reporting
obligations to agencies such as Department of
Health and Human Services and complying with
tribunal or court orders, subpoenas or Victoria
Police warrants
6. to investigate or report unlawful activity, or when
reasonably necessary for a specified law
enforcement purpose, including the prevention or
investigation of a criminal offence or seriously
improper conduct, by or on behalf of a law
enforcement agency
7. for Department research or school statistics
purposes
8. to establish or respond to a legal claim.
A unique identifier (a CASES21 code) is assigned to each
student to enable the school to carry out its functions
effectively.
STUDENT TRANSFERS BETWEEN VICTORIAN
GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS
When a student has been accepted at, and is transferring
to, another Victorian government school, our school
transfers information about the student to that school. This
may include copies of the student’s school records,
including any health information.
This enables the next school to continue to provide for the
education of the student, to support the student’s social
and emotional wellbeing and health, and to fulfil legal
requirements.
NAPLAN RESULTS
NAPLAN is the national assessment for students in years
3, 5, 7 and 9, in reading, writing, language and numeracy.
When a student transfers to another Victorian government
school, their NAPLAN results are able to be transferred to
that next school.
Additionally, a student’s NAPLAN results are able to be
provided to the student’s previous Victorian government
school to enable that school to evaluate their education
program.
RESPONDING TO COMPLAINTS
On occasion our school, and the Department’s central and
regional offices, receive complaints from parents and
others. Our school and/or the Department’s central or
regional offices will use and disclose information as
considered appropriate to respond to these complaints
(including responding to complaints made to external
organisations or agencies).
ACCESSING YOUR INFORMATION
All individuals, or their authorised representative(s), have a
right to access, update and correct information that our
school holds about them.
ACCESS TO STUDENT INFORMATION
Our school only provides school reports and ordinary
school communications to parents who have a legal right to
that information. Requests for access to other student
information must be made by making a Freedom of
Information (FOI) application through the Department’s
Freedom of Information Unit (see below).
In some circumstances, an authorised representative may
not be entitled to information about the student. These
circumstances include when granting access would not be
in the student’s best interests or would breach our duty of
care to the student, would be contrary to a mature minor
student’s wishes or would unreasonably impact on the
privacy of another person.
ACCESS TO STAFF INFORMATION
School staff may first seek access to their personnel file by
contacting the principal. If direct access is not granted, the
staff member may request access through the
Department’s Freedom of Information Unit.
STORING AND SECURING INFORMATION
Our school takes reasonable steps to protect information
from misuse and loss, and from unauthorised access,
modification and disclosure. Our school stores all paper
and electronic records securely, consistent with the
Department’s records management policy and information
security standards. All school records are disposed of, or
transferred to the State Archives (Public Record Office
Victoria), as required by the relevant Public Record Office
Standard.
When using software and contracted service providers to
manage information, our school assesses these according
to the appropriate departmental processes. One example
of this is that staff passwords for school systems are strong
and updated on a regular basis, consistent with the
Department’s password policy.
UPDATING YOUR INFORMATION
We endeavour to ensure that information about students,
their families and staff is accurate, complete and up to
date. To update your information, please contact our
school’s general office.
FOI AND PRIVACY
To make a FOI application contact:
Freedom of Information Unit
Department of Education and Training
2 Treasury Place, East Melbourne VIC 3002
(03) 9637 3961
foi@edumail.vic.gov.au
If you have a query or complaint about privacy, please
contact:
Knowledge, Privacy and Records Branch
Department of Education and Training
2 Treasury Place, East Melbourne VIC 3002
(03) 8688 7967
privacy@edumail.vic.gov.au