Safe Schools Hub for Parents

What a safe school looks like

All school students have the fundamental right to learn in a safe, supportive environment and to be treated with respect.

A safe school is a supportive learning community where all students feel safe and are safe.

As a parent, you are an essential part of a safe school, as well as your child or children (the students), the teachers and the local community.

A teacher talks about the paramount importance of working closely with parents

A parent talks about the ongoing rewards of designing the school playground

A parent talks about how schools can encourage parental involvement with good communication

A parent extols good home–school communication for encouraging parental involvement

A community liaison officer talks about how a school engages the Aboriginal community

An associate principal discusses the primary importance of social and emotional learning

An Indigenous education worker defines a safe school as one where his culture is valued

What does a safe school offer?

Caring, safety and support

The learning environment is safe, respectful, caring and supportive. Safe schools share their commitment to developing such learning environments and explain the steps they are taking to achieve them.

Core values

Core values and beliefs are clearly communicated. These include the importance of diversity and difference. Safe schools describe how these core values are taught to students and the actions they are taking to ensure acceptance of diversity and difference across the school.

Parent engagement

Parents feel welcome and are encouraged to be involved in the life of their child’s school and also engaged in their child’s learning and development. Safe schools engage parents by creating a sense of respect, belonging and collaboration.

Approachable staff

Staff are friendly, welcoming and approachable. Safe schools provide confidential ways for both students and parents to report their concerns. Students and parents feel comfortable approaching the school about anything that is worrying them.

Positive relationships

Positive relationships are an essential part of safe schools. These include teacher–teacher, teacher–student, parent–teacher and parent–child relationships.

Student wellbeing

Student wellbeing is actively promoted and students are taught the types of social–emotional skills that contribute to personal safety, positive relationships and self-respect. Safe schools identify students’ strengths and find ways that students can productively use and develop their strengths.

Positive behaviour

Behaviour management policies or codes of conduct are available for everyone to read. Safe schools share their expectations about behaviour clearly with both parents and students. The development of appropriate and desirable positive behaviour is as much a focus as consequences for misbehaviour.

Student engagement

Classroom teachers use teaching and learning methods that engage and motivate students. Teachers provide all students with opportunities to be self-directed and to have a say in what happens in the classroom and in the school. Parents support students to be engaged and interested; for example, by asking about homework and discussing texts.

Find out more

The descriptions above can inform how you investigate your child’s school as a safe place.

Learn more at the following links.

Look at the Framework in more detail.
Get advice about your part in taking positive actions to connect with your child and their school.

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