At St James the Apostle Primary School, we hold the care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people as a central and fundamental responsibility of our school. Our commitment is drawn from and inherent in the teaching and mission of Jesus Christ, with love, justice and the sanctity of each human person at the heart of the gospel.
The person of each individual human being, in his or her material and spiritual needs, is at the heart of Christ’s teaching:
that is why the promotion of the human person is the goal of the Catholic school.
Child Safety Documentation
We have developed a number of policies, procedures and support documents in response to the Victorian Government’s Betrayal of Trust report and Ministerial Order No. 1359 in order to demonstrate the strong commitment of our school to the care, safety and wellbeing of all learners.
The Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA) have also published their Commitment Statement to Child Safety. The VCEA’s website contains a range of information about child safety in Victorian Catholic schools and the application of the Child Safe Standards.
PROTECT Protocol
Implementing a child safe environment at our school is supported by a number of processes, plans and documents. These support documents allow us to respond to issues of safety as they arise.
Our school’s policies outline the actions required under the relevant legislation when there is a reasonable belief that a child at our school is in need of protection or a criminal offence has been committed, and provides guidance and procedures on how to make a report.
We also encourage learners to report incidents when they feel unsafe or in need of protection.