Keeping up to date with policy changes and requirements is an ongoing area of compliance for schools. There is a suite of mandatory policies and frameworks that all schools must have. These are:
- Child Protection Policy
- Child Risk Management Strategy
- Complaints Handling Policy
- Disability Discrimination policy
- Privacy Policy
- Risk Management Framework
- Staff Code of Conduct
- Work Health and Safety Policy
- Whistleblower Policy
Of these, the Child Protection Policy, Complaints Handling Policy and Privacy Policy must be made viewable to the public on your school website.
Other highly recommended policies and procedures for schools include:
- Absence management
- Administration of medication
- Anti-discrimination
- Copyright
- Enrolment
- Flexible arrangements
- Reporting to parents
- Safety directions
- Student bullying
ISQ has a suite of templates and detailed information to support schools in developing their policies and procedures, available in the member hub. They have also recently provided information for policy updates, below. Details regarding the latest changes to the Child Protection Policy can be seen here:
Policy Updates
Child Protection
Due to the passing of amended child protection regulation, ISQ’s Child Protection Policy has been updated with a reference to the new legislation. The policy update also incorporates a change to the wording under failure to report. The paragraph now includes the following sentence: this offence applies to all adults inclusive of students 18 years or older.
The new policy is on the ISQ Members Hub.
Risk Management Framework
The policy has been refreshed with new definitions, updated responsibilities, and descriptions of concepts such as risk appetite statement and risk register.
The new policy is on the ISQ Member Hub.
Strategic Risk Register
To accompany the updated risk management framework, a strategic risk register has been created with sample key risk areas and risk descriptions. Schools can use the register to rate inherent and residual risk, create a risk treatment plan and assign a risk owner. The template may also be customised to use as an operational or project risk register.
The new policy is on the ISQ Member Hub.
Delegations of Authority Policy
The policy has been updated to align with contemporary practice in delegations of authority. The new policy provides for delegation to the principal and notes if the principal can sub-delegate to other staff. The principal is responsible for the annual reporting of sub-delegations to the board and a schedule has been added to the policy, for this purpose.
The new policy is on the ISQ Member Hub.
An important point for schools to note is that when reviewing and updating policies, it is important to look at these as a suite of related documents. For instance, when reviewing the enrolment policy, it is essential that this aligns to your behaviour management policy and parent code of conduct and any other related documents. Policies can sometimes drift from alignment when they are reviewed at various stages, as individual items.
LEQ is in the process of updating our templates and information on policies to send to you as a suite of documents and templates for the start of the next school year.
There is an upcoming online webinar to assist schools in understanding the key points of writing effective policies:
LawSense is providing an online workshop on “School Policy Writing -Effectively Writing & Updating Policies To Optimise Efficiency, Compliance and Legal Protection”
The event will be held live online on 15 November 2023 with Q & A and a recording available for viewing until 15 December 2023. Topics include:
Part 1: Identifying Key Policies Required in the Current Environment, Examining Optimal Policy Structures, Key Clauses, and Developing and Updating Policies.
Part 2: Case Studies – Tailoring Policies to Suit Your School Circumstances, Culture and Values and Effective Policy Updates.
The LawSense School Policy Writing Workshop is designed to help you avoid litigation and mitigate risk. events@events-lawsense.com.au