Information for families and the school community
Chelsea Primary School is committed to providing an environment where students are safe and feel safe. We have a zero tolerance for child abuse and are committed to protecting children from harm.
Our comprehensive child safety framework outlines our school’s strategies to support student safety and wellbeing. The framework includes the following policies, codes and procedures:
- Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
- Child Safety Code of Conduct
- Child safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedure
- Complaints Policy
- Student Wellbeing and Engagement Policy
- Bullying Prevention Policy
- Volunteers Policy
- Visitors Policy
- Digital Learning Policy
- Yard Duty and Supervision Policy
- Information about-child-safe-standards
- Child-safe-standards/the-11-child-safe-standards
Racism is not tolerated in Chelsea Primary School
Chelsea Heights Primary School is committed to fostering a welcoming, inclusive environment where racism is not tolerated. Racism harms students’ mental health, learning and sense of belonging. We celebrate the diversity of cultures, ethnicities and faiths of all our students. It is up to all of us at Chelsea Heights Primary School to make our school a place that is free of racism and where everyone feels respected and can learn in a safe and inclusive environment.
What Chelsea Primary School is doing to prevent racism
Chelsea Primary School follows the Department of Education’s Preventing and Addressing Racism in Schools Policy. We are building a culturally safe school with inclusive learning for everyone by working with staff, students, families, carers and communities. We will:
- provide programs that teach about and celebrate diversity, inclusion and the impact of racism to build understanding and empathy
- use practices that support all students to thrive
- implement anti-racism efforts to prevent and address racism effectively
- make sure everyone feels safe, with clear and accessible pathways to report racism
What to do if your child experiences or witnesses racism at school
If your child experiences or witnesses racism or religious discrimination at school, please let us know. You can tell your child’s teacher or any of the following school staff members: Wellbeing Officer, Assistant Principal or Principal.
Report Racism hotline
If you don’t feel comfortable reporting racism to school, or you are not happy with the school’s response, you can report racism to:
- the Department of Education’s Report Racism hotline via email racism@education.vic.gov.au or phone 1800 722 476 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
- Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Inc. (VAEAI) via email vaeai@vaeai.org.au or phone 03 9481 0800 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
- Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) online, via email complaints@veohrc.vic.gov.au or phone 1300 292 153 (Monday to Friday 10am to 2pm).
For additional support following an incident of racism:
- First Nations students, staff or families can contact Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Inc. (VAEAI)
- Jewish students, staff or families can contact the Jewish Community Council of Victoria
- Muslim students, staff or families can contact the Islamic Council of Victoria
For more information about how to report racism to the school, and to get information in community languages, visit this website: Report racism or religious discrimination in schools.
If you need an interpreter to call the school, please use the details available at: Guide for Families: How to use an interpreter to contact your school.
How Chelsea Primary School will respond to racism
When you report a racist incident, Chelsea Primary School will:
- take your report seriously and act quickly
- give you ongoing support
- investigate and respond safely and appropriately
- keep you informed, while respecting privacy
- review the incident to help avoid it from happening again.
Our students and their families are important partners in keeping our students safe. We value feedback and ideas on how we can continuously strengthen our child safety framework.