National Safe Schools FrameworkFact Sheet For School Communities

Parent and Carer Fact Sheet

All schools should be places where students, staff and the community feel safe and supported. The National Safe Schools Framework outlines safety and wellbeing practices for schools to build and maintain a positive, inclusive, safe learning environment. The Safe and Supportive Schools Policy requires school to develop processes and procedures to address bullying, racial, sexual, homophobic, transphobic and other forms of harassment and violence as informed by the National Safe Schools Framework.

Six guiding principles / Nine key elements
  1. Affirm the rights of all members of the school community to feel safe and be safe at school
  2. Acknowledge that being safe and supported at school is essential for student wellbeing and effective learning
  3. Accept responsibility for developing and sustaining safe and supportive learning and teaching communities that also fulfill the school’s child protections responsibilities
  4. Encourage the active participation of all school community members in developing and maintaining a safe school community where diversity is valued
  5. Actively support young people to develop understanding and skills to keep themselves and others safe
  6. Commit to developing a safe school community through a whole-school and evidence-based approach
/
  1. Leadership commitment to a safe school
  2. A supportive and connected school culture
  3. Policies and procedures
  4. Professional learning
  5. Positive behaviour management
  6. Engagement, skill development and safe school curriculum
  7. A focus on student wellbeing and student ownership
  8. Early intervention and targeted support
  9. Partnerships and families and community

The National Safe Schools Framework is a whole school approach to building a community in which all members feel safe and free from bullying, harassment, violence and aggression. The framework has six guiding principles and nine key elements which underpin the vision and understanding, that student safety and wellbeing are pre-requisites for effective student learning.

The Student Wellbeing Hub is an interactive website which explains the National Safe Schools Framework and defines the nine key elements of a safe and supportive school community. The framework is located on the Student Wellbeing Hub Each element of the National Safe Schools Framework is broken down further to: clarify their key characteristics; share case studies; provide tools, activities, and online learning; as well as links to further resources.

The Safe Schools Hub also provides access to the Safe Schools Audit Tool This is a self evaluation tool for school leaders make informed judgements about the extent to which they have created a safe and supportive learning environment and to identify gaps for improvement. The Safe Schools Audit Tool is part of the ACT Public Schools school plan review process along with the National School Improvement Tool.

The Safe and Supportive Schools Policy (2016) provides guidance for Canberra public schools on promoting and maintaining a safe, respectful and supportive learning community. The policy reflects the principles of the Education Act 2004 (ACT) and the National Safe Schools Framework (2013).

More Information

For more information contact the Safe and Supportive Schools Executive Officer 6207 0457 or