Personal Information you provide
The school will generally collect personal information held about an individual by way of forms filled out by Parents or pupils, face-to-face meetings and interviews, and telephone calls. On occasions people other than Parents and pupils 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.
Exception in relation to employee records
Under the Privacy Act and the Health Records Act the National Privacy Principles and Health Privacy Principles do not apply to an employee record. As a result, this Privacy Policy does not apply to the School’s treatment of an employee’s record, where the treatment is directly related to a current or former employment relationship between the school and employee.
How will the school use the personal information you provide?
The school will use personal information it collects from you 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 you have consented.
Pupils and Parents
In relation to personal information of pupils and parents, a school’s primary purpose of collection is to enable the school to provide schooling for the pupil. This includes satisfying both the needs of parents and the needs of the pupil throughout the whole period the pupil is enrolled at the school.
The purposes for which a school uses personal information of pupils 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 pupils’ educational, social, spiritual and medical wellbeing;
• seeking donations and marketing for the school;
• to satisfy the school’s governing body and the school’s legal obligations and allow the school to discharge
its duty of care.
In some cases where a school requests personal information about a pupil or parent, if the information requested is not obtained, the school may not be able to enrol or continue the enrolment of the pupil.
Job applicants, staff members and contractors
In relation to personal information of job applicants, staff members and contractors, a school’s primary purpose of collection is to assess and (if successful) to engage the applicant, staff member or contractor, as the case may be.
The purposes for which a school uses personal information of job applicants, staff members and contractors include:
• in administering the individual’s employment or contract, as the case may be;
• for insurance purposes;
• seeking funds and marketing for the school;
• to satisfy the school’s governing body and the school’s legal obligations for example, in relation to child
protection legislation.
Volunteers
The school also obtains personal information about volunteers who assist the school in its functions or conduct associated activities to enable the school and the volunteers to work together.
Marketing and fundraising
Schools treat 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 pupils and staff thrive.
Personal information held by a school may be disclosed to an organisation that assists in the school’s fundraising, for example, the school’s Foundation or alumni organisation.
Parents, staff, contractors and other members of the wider school community may from time to time receive fundraising information. School publications, like newsletters and magazines, which include personal information, may be used for marketing purposes.
Exception in relation to related schools
The Privacy Act allows each school, being legally related to each of the other schools conducted by Christian Schools Australia and the Association of Independent Schools to share personal (but not sensitive) information with other schools conducted by C.S.A and/or A.I.S. Other schools may then only use this personal information for the purpose for which it was originally collected by C.S.A and/or A.I.S. This allows schools to transfer information between them, for example, when a pupil transfers from a C.S.A school to another school conducted by the C.S.A.
Who might a school disclose personal information to?
The school may disclose personal information, including sensitive information, held about an individual to:
• another school;
• government departments;
• your local church;
• medical practitioners;
• people providing services to the school, including specialist visiting teachers, counsellors and sports coaches;
• recipients of school publications, like newsletters and magazines;
• Parents; and
• anyone you authorise the school to disclose information to.
Sending information overseas
The school will not send personal information about an individual outside Australia without:
• Obtaining the consent of the individual (in some cases this consent will be implied); or
• Otherwise complying with the National Privacy Principles or other applicable privacy legislation.
How does a school treat sensitive information?
In referring to ‘sensitive information’, a 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 of which it was provided or a directly related secondary purpose, unless you agree otherwise, or the use or disclosure of the sensitive information is allowed by law.
Management and security of personal information
The school and the school’s staff are required to respect the confidentiality of pupils’ and Parents’ personal information and the privacy of individuals.
Each school has in place steps to protect the personal information the school holds from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure by use of various methods including locked storage of paper records and pass worded access rights to computerised records.
Updating personal information
Each school endeavours to ensure that the personal information it holds is accurate, complete and up-to-date. A person may seek to update their personal information held by a school by contacting the school office at any time.
The National Privacy Principles require a school not to store personal information longer than necessary. The Health Records Act requires health records to be stored for a particular period depending on the age of the individual.
You have the right to check what personal information a school holds about you
Under the Commonwealth Privacy Act and Health Records Act, an individual has the right to obtain access to any personal information that the school holds about them and to advise the school of any perceived inaccuracy. There are some exceptions to this right set out in the Act. Pupils will generally have access to their personal information through their Parents, but older pupils may seek access themselves.
To make a request to access any information the school holds about you or your child, please contact the school’s Principal in writing.
The school may require you to verify your identify and specify what information you require. The school may charge a fee to cover the cost of verifying your application and locating, retrieving, reviewing and copying any material requested. If the information sought is extensive, the school will advise the likely cost in advance.
Consent and rights of access to the personal information of pupils
The school respects every Parent’s right to make decisions concerning their child’s education.
Generally, a school will refer any requests for consent and notices in relation to the personal information of pupil to the pupil’s Parents. A school will treat consent given by Parents as consent given on behalf of the pupil, and notice to Parents will act as notice given to the pupil.
Parents may seek access to personal information held by the school them or their child by contact the school’s Principal. However, there will be occasions when access is denied. Such occasions would include where release of the information would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others, or where the release may result in a breach of the school’s duty of care to the pupil.
The school may, at its discretion, on the request of a pupil grant that pupil access to information held by the school about the, or allow a pupil 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 pupil and/or the pupil’s personal circumstances so warranted.
You may seek access to the personal information the school holds about you
Under the Commonwealth Privacy Act and Health Records Act, an individual may seek access to personal information that the School holds about them. There are some exceptions to this set out in the applicable legislation. Pupils will generally have access to their personal information through their Parents, but older pupils may seek access themselves.
To make a request to access any information the School holds about you or your child, please contact the School Principal in writing.
The School may require you to verify your identity and specify what information you require. The School may charge a fee for access and will advise the likely cost in advance.
Enquiries
If you would like further information about the way the school manages the personal information it holds, please contact the school office.
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Kindergarten orientation
Privacy Policy