Privacy Policy

This statement outlines the School’s policy on how the School uses and manages personal information provided to or collected by it. The School adheres to the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) that replaced the National Privacy Principles and the Information Privacy Principles in March 2014. The School may, from time to time, review and update this Privacy Policy to take account of new laws and technology, changes to the School’s operations and practices and to make sure it remains appropriate to the changing school environment.

Collection and Consent

It is necessary for the School’s function to collect personal information. All personal information collected is managed in an open and transparent way. The school ensures that in collecting personal information, consent is given by individuals first. All forms collecting personal information have an acknowledgement section whereby the individual signs to consent for collection of personal information. At the time of collection, the school also notifies the individual the reasons why the school collects information and whom it may be shared with, at the time, before or as soon as practicable after collection.

The type of information the School collects and holds includes (but is not limited to) personal information, including sensitive information, about:

students and parents and/or guardians (‘Parents’) before, during and after the course of a student’s enrolment at the School
job applicants, staff members, volunteers and contractors and;
other people who come into contact with the School
medical information through first aid/ sick bay and PE/fitness.

To whom might the School disclose personal information?

The School collects personal information for the primary purpose of schooling. Occasions may arise where requests are made to disclose personal information held about an individual, to other organization or individuals. Consent should be obtained from the parent / guardian / individual prior to sharing information. Some examples are:

another school
government departments

medical practitioners
people providing services to the School, including specialist visiting teachers and sports coaches
recipients of School publications, like newsletters and magazines
parents

There is an exception to obtaining consent where the individual would expect such information to be disclosed or used for another purpose. For a purpose that is directly related to the reason the information was collected and the use would be reasonably expected by the individual and there is no reason to believe they would object to the disclosure.

The school can disclose personal information for another purpose when:

the person consents;
it is necessary to lessen or prevent serious or imminent threat to life, health or safety;
is required by law or for law enforcement purposes.

How does the School treat sensitive information?

In referring to ‘sensitive information’, the School means: information relating to a person’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religion, trade union or other professional or trade association membership, sexual preferences or criminal record, that is also personal information and health information about an individual. Sensitive information will be used and disclosed only for the purpose for which it was provided or a directly related secondary purpose, unless the individual concerned agrees otherwise, or the use or disclosure of the sensitive information is allowed by law.

Personal Information provided:

The School will generally collect personal information held about an individual by way of forms filled out by parents or students, face-to-face meetings and interviews, emails and telephone calls. On occasions people other than parents and students provide personal information.

Personal Information provided by other people

In some circumstances the School may be provided with personal information about an individual from a third party, for example a report provided by a medical professional or a reference from another school.

How will the School use the personal information parents and carers provide?

The School will use personal information it collects for the primary purpose of collection, and for such other secondary purposes that are related to the primary purpose of collection and reasonably expected, or to which consent has been given. If the information is needed to be used for another purpose, or if it needs to be disclosed to another party, consent would be obtained from the individual first, unless it would be reasonably expected from the individual. This exception does not apply where information is sensitive.

Students and Parents

In relation to personal information of students and parents, the School’s primary purpose of collection is to enable the School to provide schooling for the student. This includes satisfying both the needs of parents and the needs of the student throughout the whole period the student is enrolled at the School.

The purposes for which the School uses personal information of student and parents include:

to keep parents informed about matters related to their child’s schooling, through correspondence, newsletters and magazines;
day-to-day administration;
looking after students’ educational, social and medical wellbeing;
seeking donations and marketing for the School;

to satisfy the School’s legal obligations and allow the School to discharge its duty of care.

In some cases where the School requests personal information about a student or parent, if the information requested is not obtained, the School may not be able to enrol or continue the enrolment of the student.

Volunteers

The School also obtains personal information about volunteers who assist the School in its functions or conduct associated activities, such as the Parents and Friends Committee, to enable the School and the volunteers to work together.

Marketing and fundraising

The School treats marketing and seeking donations for the future growth and development of the School as an important part of ensuring that the School continues to be a quality learning environment in which both students and staff thrive. Parents, staff, contractors and other members of the wider School community may from time to time seek fund raising information. School publications, like newsletters and magazines, which include personal information, may be requested to be used for marketing purposes.

However, personal information held by the School will only be disclosed to an organisation that assists in the School’s fund raising, for example, the School’s Foundation or alumni organization, where an exemption applies.

In this instance, the school ensures that:

consent has been given by the individual
or an individual reasonably expects the School to disclose information for that purpose
or the School provides a simple way to “opt out” if the request has not previously been made.

Management and security of personal information

The School’s staff respects the confidentiality of students’ and parents’ personal information and the privacy of individuals. The School has in place steps to protect the personal information the School holds from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure by use of various methods including locked storage of paper records and password access rights to computerised records. Personal Information is destroyed or de-identified when it is no longer needed for any purpose for which it may be used or disclosed, and that it is not required by law to be retained.

Parents/Caregivers have the right to check what personal information the School holds about them/their children

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, an individual has the right to obtain access to any personal information which the School holds about them and to advise the School of any perceived inaccuracy. The school takes reasonable steps to correct information that is deemed to be inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading. All requests are responded to within a reasonable period. If the School refuses access for an individual to request their personal information, the reasons for refusal will be given, and avenues for complaints will also be advised.

Reasons for refusing the individual access to the information include:

required or authorized by law to refuse
threat to life, health or safety
unreasonable impact on the privacy of other individuals
request is frivolous or vexatious

unlawfulness, i.e. – breach of confidence.

Students will generally have access to their personal information through their parents, but older students may seek access themselves. To make a request to access any information the School holds about parents/caregivers or their child/ren, the School Principal should be contacted in writing. The School may require parent/caregivers to verify their identity and specify what information they require. The School may charge a fee to cover the cost of verifying your application and locating, retrieving, reviewing and copying any material requested.

Consent and rights of access to the personal information of students

The School respects every parent’s right to make decisions concerning their child’s education. Generally, the School will refer any requests for consent and notices in relation to the personal information of a student to the student’s parents. The School will treat consent given by parents as consent given on behalf of the student, and notice to parents will act as notice given to the student. Parents may seek access to personal information held by the School about them or their child by contacting the School Principal.

The School may, at its discretion, on the request of a student grant that student access to information held by the School about them, or allow a student to give or withhold consent to the use of their personal information, independently of their parents. This would normally be done only when the maturity of the student and/or the student’s personal circumstances so warranted.

Evaluation

This policy is to be reviewed as part of a three-yearly review cycle.