Victoria State Government
Reportable Conduct
​​​​Schools
The child safe standards came into effect for all Victorian schools on 1 August 2016.
Sch​ools
Throughout 2017, one in three Victorian schools were involved in a child safe standards compliance or feedback program. Compliance is being monitored through the cyclical school review process and the initial school registration process.
Additionally, 10 per cent of Victorian schools have been invited to participate in a feedback project, which aims to understand schools' experiences in implementing the child safe standards.
Visit our resources page for more information and resources.
Ministerial Order No. 870: meeting the child safe standards
Ministerial Order No. 870 [accessible] sets out the specific actions that registered schools need to take to meet the child safe standards. The Ministerial Order places accountability for managing the risk of child abuse with school governing authorities.
A new minimum standard for school registration requires schools to meet the requirements of the Ministerial Order.
A note about definitions
The Ministerial Order broadly defines some terms.
See Definitions for a full explanation of the terms used in Ministerial Order No. 870.
How is compliance with the child safe standards being monitored?
Compliance with the child safe standards is monitored through the:
cyclical school review process
initial registration process.
Additionally, the VRQA has invited 10 per cent of Victorian schools to participate in an implementation feedback project.
How will I know if my school is to be involved a child safe standards compliance program
Schools scheduled for a cyclical reviewed in 2017 will be assessed against the child safe standards.
All schools applying for registration will be assessed against the child safe standards.
Schools invited to participate in the implementation feedback project would have received an email in May 2017.
What does the feedback project involve?
The implementation feedback project will be undertaken over three phases during Terms 2 and 3. In phase one,​​ the VRQA will look at schools' child safe standards self-assessment and action plans all schools completed in 2016.
In phase two, the VRQA will look at how child safety is promoted within the school communities and which key documents are made publicly available on school websites.
In phase three, schools will be invited to participate in a 20-minute telephone conversation. Here, the VRQA hopes to better understand the experiences of individual schools, and gain insight into the different approaches to implementing the child safe standards.
A full project outline is available in the project tip sheet.
Why is the VRQA conducting the feedback project?
We know that schools are safe places. The implementation feedback project aims to identify areas of child safety best practice that can be shared across the system to help all schools in their commitment to child safety or to help determine where to next?
The project also provides an opportunity for the VRQA to understand any obstacles schools faced in implementing the standards and where more support may be needed.
Why has my school been chosen for the feedback project?
In total, the VRQA has invited over 200 schools to participate in the project as a representative sample chosen from the State Register. The sample takes measures to ensure representation across:
the government, Catholic and independent sectors
metropolitan Melbourne and rural and regional areas
types of schools (primary, secondary and specialist).
What resources are available to help me prepare for a child safe standards assessment?
The VRQA has a number of resources to help schools meet each of the child safe standards.
These have been shaped by responses to the VRQA Child Safe Standards Readiness Tool and feedback received at the VRQA Child Safe Standards Information Sessions.
Under the child safe standards, what are my responsibilities for the welfare of students outside of school hours?
In meeting the child safe standards (via the requirements of Ministerial Order No. 870), you must take into account your school's additional responsibilities to students outside of school hours and/or your school's main campuses.
Activities that may need to be considered in meeting the child safe standards include:
excursions and school camps outside of school hours and/or your school location
before or after school care programs
student work experience programs
co-curricular activities such as sport, music and drama activities outside school hours or your school location
boarding school or other school residential facilities or campuses for students
the enrolment of overseas students living with local host families
arrangements for 'sister school' student visits and/or secondary student exchange programs arranged by the school.
How do the standards apply to an international student's living arrangements?
The standards apply to an international student's living arrangements where:
the student is aged under 18
the school has arranged or accepted responsibility for those living arrangements ie under options three or four below.
International students aged under 18 can only enter Australia on Student Visas where:
they will be living with a parent residing in Australia during their enrolment (usually on a Guardian Visa), or
they will be living with a close relative (aunt, uncle, grandparent, sibling aged 21 or over) approved by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, or
the CRICOS registered education provider issues a Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare (CAAW) letter as part of the student's enrolment or
a registered Student Exchange Organisation (SEO) issues an Acceptance Advice of a Secondary Exchange Student (AASES) form.
CRICOS registered schools that issue a CAAW letter are accepting responsibility for the student's 'accommodation, support and general welfare' arrangements, and must approve the student's accommodation in either:
a school boarding facility
a placement with a local homestay family
placement with distant relatives or family friends nominated by the parents of the student.
In Victoria, the student must be at least 13 years of age for a CAAW letter to be issued.
A CAAW letter retains responsibility for the student's accommodation, support and general welfare from the student's arrival in Australia until either:
the student turns 18 years of age
the student ceases their enrolment and departs Australia
the student ceases their enrolment and comes under a CAAW letter issued by another education provider.
VRQA approved SEOs that issue an AASES form are accepting responsibility for the student's 'accommodation, support and general welfare' arrangements for the duration of the secondary student exchange program, and must approve the student's placement in a local host family.
CRICOS registered schools and VRQA approved SEOs can engage commercial agencies and third parties to assist the school in exercising its responsibilities – but education providers and SEOs cannot delegate their CAAW or AASES responsibility to a student to any other entity.
Further information is available from the VRQA.
The following case studies address how some schools have dealt with aspects of the child safe standards.
school that provides a variety of activities outside normal school hours and locations
school enrolling international students
Cultural and religious diversity and the empowerment of children
Human resources practices
Meaning under Ministerial Order No. 870
ETR Act
The Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (as amended from time to time).
A child enrolled as a student at the school.
Child-connected work
Work authorised by the school governing authority and performed by an adult in a school environment while children are present or reasonably expected to be present.
any act committed against a child involving—
a sexual offence; or
an offence under section 49B(2) of the Crimes Act 1958 (grooming); and
the infliction, on a child, of—
physical violence; or
serious emotional or psychological harm; and
serious neglect of a child.
Encompasses matters related to protecting all children from child abuse, managing the risk of child abuse, providing support to a child at risk of child abuse, and responding to incidents or allegations of child abuse.
Minister of religion
Has the same meaning as in the Working with Children Act 2005.
In relation to a school, means the person who is ultimately responsible for the way the school is managed and conducted:
in the case of a Government school, the Secretary of the Department of Education and Training in the case of a non-Government school, the proprietor of the school.
Any physical or virtual place made available or authorised by the school governing authority for use by a child during or outside school hours, including:
a campus of the school;
online school environments (including email and intranet systems); and
other locations provided by the school for a child's use (including, without limitation, locations used for school camps, sporting events, excursions, competitions, and other events).
School governing authority
The proprietor of a school, including a person authorised to act for or on behalf of the proprietor; or
the governing body for a school (however described), as authorised by the proprietor of a school or the ETR Act; or
the principal, as authorised by the proprietor of a school, the school governing body, or the ETR Act.
Explanatory note: There is a wide variety of school governance arrangements. Depending on the way a school is constituted and operated, the governing body for a school may be the school board, the school council, or some other person or entity. The school governing authorities may share or assign responsibility for discharging the requirements imposed by this Order, in accordance with the school's internal governance arrangements.
In a Government school, an individual working in a school environment who is:
employed under Part 2.4 of the ETR Act in the government teaching service; or
employed under a contract of service by the council of the school under Part 2.3 of the ETR Act; or
a volunteer or a contracted service provider (whether or not a body corporate or any other person is an intermediary).
In a non-Government school, an individual working in a school environment who is:
directly engaged or employed by a school governing authority;
a volunteer or a contracted service provider (whether or not a body corporate or any other person is an intermediary); or
a minister of religion.
The following terms have the same meaning as in the ETR Act:
child abuse;
government school;
government teaching service;
non-Government school;
parent;
principal;
registered school;
school; and
the Secretary.
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