Page Contents

• Purpose, Scope, Definitions

• Sign in procedure

• Working with Children Clearance and other suitability checks

• Invited speakers and presenters

• Parent visitors

• Communication of this policy

• Further information and resources

Purpose

To provide a safe and secure learning and teaching environment for students and staff by establishing processes to monitor and manage visitors to Templestowe College.  

Scope

This policy applies to any visitors who may attend school grounds when the school is open for instruction between the hours of 8:15 am - 4:00 pm. Outside of these times, our front office is not staffed and the only visitors who are permitted on school grounds are parents/carers or their delegates who are attending or dropping off or picking up students from school events such as parent teacher interviews, concerts, sport or other school activities, and community and other groups who have entered into hiring contracts or agreements with the school to use school premises outside of school hours.  

Definitions

Child-related work: As defined by the Working with Children Act 2005 (Vic), child-related work is work that usually involves direct contact (including in person, over the phone, written and online communication) with a child that is a central part of that person’s duties. It does not include work that involves occasional contact with children that is incidental to the work. 

Policy

Templestowe College strives to create an open and inclusive school community and encourages parents and carers to be actively involved in their child’s development and education. We also strive to foster strong partnerships with local community services, schools, and other organisations.

Templestowe College is not a public place. The principal has the authority to permit or deny entry to school grounds and encourages all visitors to familiarise themselves with our school’s purpose, our Child Safe Policies, Statement of Values, Philosophy, Unwritten Ground Rules, and while onsite the Emergency Management Plan located around the school.

From time to time, different members of the public may visit our school. Visitors may include, but are not limited to:

• Parents

• Volunteers – see our school’s Volunteers Policy for more information.

• Prospective parents, students, and employees

• Invited speakers, sessional instructors and others addressing learning and development.

• Public officials (e.g., Members of Parliament, local councillors)

• Persons conducting business e.g.: booksellers, official school photographers, commercial salespeople.

• Tradespeople

• Children’s services agencies

• Department of Families, Fairness and Housing

• Victoria Police

• Persons authorised to enter school premises (e.g., Work safe inspectors, health officers etc)

• Other Department of Education and Training staff (including allied health staff) or contractors.

• NDIS therapists or other allied health or health practitioners

• Visiting teachers and tutors

All visitors to Templestowe College are required to report to the school General office on arrival (see exceptions below in relation to parents/carers).

Visitors must:

• Record their name, date and time of visit and purpose of visit on Compass Kiosk electronic system at the general office.

• Provide proof of identification to office staff upon request.

• Produce their valid Working with Children Check where required by this policy (see below)

• Wear a visitor’s lanyard or name tag at all times.

• Follow instruction from school staff and abide by all relevant policies relating to appropriate conduct on school grounds including our Child Safety Policies, Code of Conduct, Respect for School Staff, our statement of values and school philosophy as well as Department policies such as the Sexual Harassment Policy and Workplace Bullying Policy

• Return to the office upon departure, sign out and return visitor’s lanyard or name tag

Templestowe College will ensure that our school’s Child Safety Code of Conduct is available and visible to visitors when they sign in.

For Working with Children Check (WWC Check) and other suitability check requirements relating to parents/carers and other volunteers working with students please see our Volunteers Policy.

All visitors who are engaged in child-related work (see definition above) must have a valid WWC Clearance. Additional suitability checks may also involve undertaking be required such as reference, proof of identity, qualification and work history involving children checks.

In some circumstances, visitors to Templestowe College who are not engaged in child-related work will also be required to produce a valid WWC Clearance depending on the particular circumstances of their visit. For example, Templestowe College will require a valid WWC Clearance for:

• visitors who will be working regularly with children during the time they are visiting, even though direct contact with children is not a central part of their normal duties.

• visitors (e.g. contractors), who will regularly be performing work at the school and in circumstances where they will be performing their work in an area where they will be unsupervised and around children.

Further background checks, including references, may also be requested at the discretion of the principal.

Visitors who will be working in areas away from students (e.g. a visiting auditor who will be located in the front office with administration staff) or who will be supervised and accompanied by a staff member during their visit (e.g., a Member of Parliament, a journalist, a prospective parent on a school tour) will not be required to have a WWC Clearance.

Sworn Victoria Police officers or sworn Australian Federal Police officers are exempt from requiring a WWC Clearance but may be asked to verify that they are sworn officers by providing proof of identification.

On occasion, Templestowe College may invite external speakers or providers to deliver incursions, presentations, workshops, and special programs for our students. Consistent with Department of Education and Training requirements, Templestowe College will:

• ensure that the content of presentations and programs by external providers contributes to the educational development of our students and is consistent with curriculum objectives.

• ensure that any proposed visit, programs or content delivered by visitors complies with the requirement that education in Victorian government schools is secular and is consistent with the values of public education, Department policies and the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic). In particular, programs delivered by visitors are to be delivered in a manner that supports and promotes the principles and practice of Australian democracy including a commitment to:

  • elected government

  • the rule of law

  • equal rights for all before the law

  • freedom of religion, speech and association

  • the values of openness and tolerance

  • respect for the range of views held by students and their families.

We understand that there may occasionally be a reason why a parent or carer may want to speak to or see their child at school, during school hours.

If there is a particular pressing or unavoidable issue that cannot wait until the end of the school day, we ask that parents or carers call the school office to make the request to speak to or see their child during school hours.

We also ask that parents avoid arranging to visit their children at school wherever possible, as this can cause inappropriate disruptions to the school day.

All parents or carers who visit our school during school hours, other than for the purposes of school pickups and drop offs or for specific school events (e.g., parent teacher interviews, concerts, assemblies etc), are required to sign in as a visitor at the general office.

Other visitors

All business operators, tradespeople and other visitors attending the school to conduct work must report to the general office upon arrival for instruction and follow the sign in procedure outlined above.

This policy will be communicated to our school community in the following ways:

• Available publicly on the school website

• Annually referenced in Next Week @TC

• Hard copy available from school administration upon request

The Department’s Policy and Advisory Library (PAL):

• Child Safe Standards

• Visitors in Schools

• Contractor OHS Management

Related TC Polices:

• Statement of Values

• Child Safety Responding and Reporting Policy and Procedures

• Child Safety and WellbeingPolicy

• Volunteers Policy