Policy – Health, Safety and Wellbeing of Students, Staff and Other Persons

Policy – Health, Safety and Wellbeing of Students, Staff and Other Persons

 

  • Rationale
      1. To meet the Board’s obligation to maintain a learning environment in which students and staff are physically, emotionally, spiritually and culturally safe and that they are receiving the appropriate guidance, support and assistance with respect to interpersonal and social conduct, and their personal health and safety.
  • Delegation
  • The Board requires the Principal to deploy staff of the school to meet the pastoral care, guidance,  behaviour management, physical safety and health needs of students while at school.
  • The Board requires the Principal to develop systems to meet the welfare and pastoral care, behaviour management , physical safety and health needs of students while at school.
  • The Board requires the Principal to develop systems to meet and ensure the health, safety and welfare of its entire staff while at school or on school grounds or performing school activities.
      1. The Board requires the Principal to develop systems to meet the reasonable health and safety requirements of all other persons onsite at the school, as required by relevant health and safety legislation.
      2. The Board requires that 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 to be undertaken in compliance with all statutory and regulatory requirements and with appropriate consultation within and beyond the school and the Principal shall comply with NAG 5.
      3. The Board shall form a standing Property Health and Safety Sub-Committee to assist with the management of health and safety related risks.
  • Procedures
    1. The Board requires the Principal, in conjunction with the Health and Safety sub-committee, to develop health, safety and wellbeing procedures for this policy and to table these for approval at the meeting following enactment/review of the policy or at any such other time as the Board determines.
    2. The procedures will meet all statutory, regulatory and contractual obligations of the Board in respect of these matters.  Statutory obligations include, but are not limited to:
      1. Health and Safety at work Act 2015
      2. Buildings Act 2004
      3. Human Rights Act 1993
      4. Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996
      5. Education Act 1989
      6. Vulnerable Children’s Act 2016
      7. Education Amendment Act 2015
      8. Private Schools Conditional Integration Act 1975
      9. Relevant Collective Employment Agreements or individual contracts for staff
      10. Ministry of Education Guideline booklet
    3. The procedures will include provision for accountability and reporting to the Board and other agencies in respect to the various areas/aspects of health and safety.
    4. Procedures will be developed for, but not limited to, the following areas:
      1. Behaviour management
      2. Pastoral care
      3. Sunsmart
      4. Substance abuse
      5. Pandemic preparedness
      6. Crisis management plan
      7. Property, equipment related safety, hazard identification
      8. Cyber-safety – computers, cell phones, other electronic devices
      9. Education outside the classroom (EOTC) safety management system including RAMS related requirements
      10. Health and safety
      11. Sexual harrassment
      12. Reporting child abuse
      13. First aid
      14. Drugs and alcohol at school
      15. Lockdown
      16. Transport of children
      17. Visitors to school
  • Accountability
      1. The Principal shall provide an annual update report to the Board at year end, or any other such time as the Board determines, in regard to health, safety and wellbeing matters.
  • Review
  • This policy will be reviewed in accordance with the Board’s regular review process.
  • This policy links to the school’s mission, values and strategic aims and NAGs 3, 5 and 6.
  • Ratified by St Anne’s Catholic School Board of Trustees

 

 

Date of meeting
Approval of policy