North Melbourne Primary School

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PURPOSE
To provide a safe and secure learning and teaching environment for students and staff by establishing
processes to monitor and manage visitors to North Melbourne Primary School, including North
Melbourne Primary School – new campus (interim name).

SCOPE
This policy outlines our school’s arrangements for visitors who attend school grounds when the
school is open for instruction between the hours of 8.45am to 3.45pm and when the office is staffed
to monitor/receive visitors at reception, including parents and contractors. Outside of these times,
our front office is not staffed, and this policy does not apply.

DEFINITIONS
Child-related work: As defined by the Worker Screening Act 2020 (Vic), child-related work is work that
usually involves direct contact (including in person, over the phone, written and online
communication) with a child that is a central part of that person’s duties. It does not include work
that involves occasional direct contact with children that is incidental to the work.

POLICY
North Melbourne Primary School strives to create an open and inclusive school community and
encourages parents and carers to be actively involved in their child’s development and education.
We also strive to foster strong partnerships with local community services, schools, and other
organisations.

North Melbourne Primary School, including North Melbourne Primary School – new campus (interim
name), is not a public place. The principal has the authority to permit or deny entry to school grounds
and encourages all visitors to familiarise themselves with our school’s Statementof Values, Child Safety
and Wellbeing Policy, Child Safety Code of Conduct and Volunteers Policy.
From time to time, different members of the public may visit our school. Visitors may include, but
are not limited to:
• Parents
• Volunteers – see our school’s Volunteers Policy for more information
• Prospective parents, students and employees
• Invited speakers, sessional instructors and others addressing learning and development
• Public officials (e.g., Members of Parliament, local councillors)
• Persons conducting business e.g. uniform suppliers, booksellers, official school photographers, commercial salespeople
• Tradespeople
• Children’s services agencies
• Department of Families, Fairness and Housing workers
• Victoria Police
• Persons authorised to enter school premises (e.g., Worksafe inspectors, health
officers etc.)
• Other Department of Education and Training staff (including allied health staff) or contractors
• NDIS therapists or other allied health or health practitioners

Sign in procedure
All visitors to North Melbourne Primary School, including North Melbourne Primary School – new
campus (interim name), are required to report to the school office on arrival (see exceptions below
in relation to parents/carers). Visitors must:
• Use the COMPASS iPad to ‘sign in’
• Provide proof of identification to office staff upon request
• Produce their valid Working with Children Check where required by this policy (see below)
• Follow instruction from school staff and abide by all relevant school policies relating to
appropriate conduct on school grounds including Child Safety Code of Conduct, Respect for
School Staff, Statement of Values etc.] as well as Department policies such as the Sexual
Harassment Policy and Workplace Bullying Policy
• Return to the office upon departure and sign out

North Melbourne Primary School will ensure that our school’s Child Safety Code of Conduct is
available and visible to visitors when they sign in.

COVID-19 vaccination information
Our school follows Department of Education and Training policy with respect to the requirements
relating to attendance on school site and COVID-19 vaccinations.
For further information, refer to:
• COVID-19 Vaccinations – Visitors and Volunteers on School Sites

Working with Children Clearance
For Working with Children (WWC) Check and other suitability check requirements relating to
parents/carers and other volunteers working with students please see our Volunteers Policy.
All visitors who are engaged in child-related work (see definition above) must have a valid WWC
Clearance. Additional suitability checks may also be required such as reference, proof of identify,
qualification and work history involving children checks.

In some circumstances, visitors to North Melbourne Primary School, including North Melbourne
Primary School – new campus (interim name), who are not engaged in child- related work will also
be required to produce a valid WWC Clearance depending on the particular circumstances of their
visit. For example, North Melbourne Primary School will require a valid WWC Check for:
• visitors who will be working regularly with children during the time they are visiting, even
though direct contact with children is not a central part of their normal duties
• visitors (e.g., contractors), who will regularly be performing unsupervised work at the school
during school hours or any other time where children are present. Further background checks,
including references, may also be requested at the discretion of the principal.
Visitors who will be working in areas away from students (e.g., a visiting auditor who will be located
in the front office with administration staff) or who will be supervised and accompanied by a staff
member during their visit (e.g., a Member of Parliament, a journalist, a prospective parent on a school
tour) will not be required to have a WWC Clearance.
Sworn Victoria Police officers or sworn Australian Federal Police officers are exempt from requiring
a WWC Check but may be asked to verify that they are sworn officers by providing proof of
identification.

Invited speakers and presenters
On occasion, North Melbourne Primary School, including North Melbourne Primary School – new
campus (interim name) may invite external speakers or providers to deliver incursions, presentations,
workshops and special programs for our students. Consistent with Department of Education and
Training requirements, North Melbourne Primary School will:
• ensure that the content of presentations and programs by external providers contributes to
the educational development of our students and is consistent with curriculum objectives
• ensure that any proposed visit, programs, or content delivered by visitors complies with the
requirement that education in Victorian government schools is secular and is consistent with
the values of public education, Department policies and the Education and Training Reform
Act 2006 (Vic). In particular, programs delivered by visitors are to be delivered in a manner
that supports and promotes the principles and practice of Australian democracy including a
commitment to:
o elected government
o the rule of law
o equal rights for all before the law
o freedom of religion, speech and association
o the values of openness and tolerance
o respect for the range of views held by students and their families.

Parent visitors
We understand that there may occasionally be a reason why a parent or carer may want to speak to
or see their child at school, during school hours. If there is a particular pressing or unavoidable issue that cannot wait until the end of the school day, we ask that parents or carers call the school office to make the request to speak to or see their child
during school hours.

We also ask that parents avoid arranging to visit their children at school wherever possible, as this
can cause inappropriate disruptions to the school day. All parents or carers who visit our school during school hours, other than for the purposes of school pick-ups and drop offs or for specific school events (e.g., parent teacher interviews, concerts, assemblies etc.), are required to sign in as a visitor at the school office.

Parents or carers who are prohibited from entering the school under a court order or direction of the
Principal are not permitted to visit the school. Our school maintains and provides office staff with a
list of restricted parents/carers which may include identifying photographs and any other
information as required depending on the level of risk posed.

Other visitors
All business operators, tradespeople and other visitors attending the school to conduct work must
report to the school office upon arrival for instruction and follow the sign in procedure outlined
above.

COMMUNICATION
This policy will be communicated to our school community in the following ways:
• Available publicly on our school’s website
• Included in induction processes for relevant staff
• Included in our staff handbook/manual
• Made available in hard copy from school administration upon request

RELATED POLICIES AND RESOURCES
The Department’s Policy and Advisory Library (PAL):
o Child Safe Standards
o Visitors in Schools
o Contractor OHS Management
o Sexual Harassment Policy
o Workplace Bullying Policy
• Related Policies
o Child Safety Code of Conduct
o Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
o Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedures
o Child Safe Standards Risk Register
o Student Wellbeing and Engagement Policy
o Volunteers Policy
o Statement of Values and School Philosophy

POLICY REVIEW AND APPROVAL
Policy last reviewed May 2022
Consultation Consultation occurred with school council on 21st July 2022.
Approved by Principal

Next scheduled review date May 2024 to ensure ongoing relevance and continuous
improvement, this policy will be reviewed every 2 years.