Key Policy Summaries
The following policy summaries provide guidance about the general intention and content of key policies, which are important for all students and parents of Westside Christian College. These summaries describe key points, including consequences.
Student Protection
Child Risk Management Strategy
Credit
All fees, charges and levies must be paid as and when they fall due. When you have difficulty meeting this debt by the due date, it is your responsibility to contact the Business Office to arrange a mutually acceptable payment schedule.
Failure to meet required payments or establish an agreed schedule will entitle the College to terminate the enrolment of the student/s.
Failure to come to a suitable payment arrangement may result in the matter being referred to a Debt Collection Agency or Solicitor. Costs and commissions associated with the collection may be added to the outstanding balance.
Family Law Matters
Westside Christian College (WCC) recognises that some of its families will experience family breakdown. If that happens the most important question is:
What is in the best interests of the child?
The answers to that paramount question will not necessarily be in the interests of each parent. The answers are found in the following principles:
1. In the absence of court orders, each parent has:
- equal responsibility; and
- equal decision making.
2. Court orders:
- must be supplied;
- must be current; and
- must be followed.
3. Unless otherwise directed by court orders, each parent may:
- access normal student information (e.g. school reports, newsletters)
- join in school activities.
4. Parental volunteer service is teacher-directed, and at the discretion of the College, not for contact with child.
5. WCC will not provide written statements or affidavits in family law cases.
6. Day to day care is the responsibility of the resident parent at the time (e.g. consent for excursions).
7. No abuse, harassment or intimidation to any WCC staff in family breakdown cases.
8. WCC cannot be used as a “battleground” in family disputes.
9. Please do not involve WCC staff in family disputes.
10. Costs of any subpoenas will be recouped by WCC.
11. Don’t cause WCC staff to use excessive time and energy on family dispute matters.
12. The College will apply the Normal Circumstances Rule: “Under normal circumstances, is this what a parent would do”?
13. Please provide copies of any court orders immediately any changes occur. This will help WCC to support your child in the best way possible.
Privacy
The primary purpose of collecting and recording this information is to enable the College to provide schooling for the student. This includes satisfying both the needs of parents and the needs of the student throughout the whole period the student is enrolled at the College. Steps are in place to ensure the protection and confidentiality of the information provided. It is College policy to maintain complete student files indefinitely.
The College may provide access to this information upon receiving a written request. Access may be denied where such access may have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others, or where access may result in a breach of the College’s duty of care to the student or his/her family, or where information has been provided in confidence.
Safety Practices
Bicycle Safety
Queensland Transport says parents play a vital role in teaching children road and bike safety. When your children ride to school:
- Ensure they wear a correctly fitted and fastened helmet – the helmet should fit firmly, be comfortable, and shouldn’t move when worn. Helmets come in a variety of shapes and sizes and some helmets fit kids better than others.
- Show them the safest route, ride with them until you’re confident they have the necessary skills to ride on their own.
- Make sure they ride on the footpath (if primary school age) keep left, and give way to pedestrians.
- Teach your child to never be towed by a vehicle, and never “double” other children.
Helmets help protect bike riders from head injuries and can save lives. Queensland law requires that everyone must wear a helmet when riding a bike. Parents can set a good example by always wearing a helmet when riding a bicycle – helmets are not just for kids.
To help make your children more visible to motorists, place a flag and red reflector on the back of the bike and a white reflector on the front. Wearing brightly coloured and reflective shoes and clothing will also increase visibility.
Parents are reminded that when children ride bicycles, they should wear properly fitted helmets. Any bicycle helmet worn, should comply with the Australian Standard (AS 2063). The helmet should be correctly fastened whenever a child is riding.
Bus Safety
Westside Christian College also has a CODE OF SAFE BUS BEHAVIOUR for its students, which is designed to ensure the safety of our students while they are near buses or when travelling on a bus. (We also have a simplified Code of Bus Behaviour for Younger Children).
Some of the Key Messages of this Code include, that students should:
- Wait two big steps away from the kerb until the bus has stopped; then board the bus.
- Not allow any part of your body to protrude out of the bus windows.
- Walk away, taking two big steps from the bus when you get off the bus.
- Not cross the road in front of the bus or behind the bus; wait until the bus drives away before you try to cross the road safely.
- Make sure the Bus Driver can always see you.
Remember: If you can touch the bus you are in the danger zone.
Driving and Safety Near School
When driving your children to and from school please:
In the Morning:
- Set down students on the left hand side (school side) of either Stuart, Bellevue or Alice Streets.
- For children Prep to Year 4, parents should personally escort children to school. Please do not let these children cross roads by themselves. Parents should use the designated drop off car park on Stuart Street.
- Children should get out of the car only on the passenger (kerb) side.
In the Afternoon:
- Parents should personally escort children in Prep to Year 4 to a car. Parents should use the designated drop off car park on Stuart Street.
- In Stuart Street, children should only cross at the supervised crossing. Children should not cross Stuart Street at any other place.
- Children should only get into a car on the passenger (kerb) side.
- Please don’t call children across the road to meet you.
Secondary Pick-Up/Drop Off Waiting Zone:
Parents of Secondary students can now drive into the front of the Secondary Campus and drop off/pick up students in the morning and afternoon at the designated pick-up/drop off area near the Library. This area will be unsupervised after 3.05pm.
Pedestrian Crossing Safety
It is always good to remind children of simple safety tips to ensure they cross the road safely.
Teach children to stop at the kerb, look right, look left, look right again, listen for cars coming and think before crossing the road. Ask your children to explain these steps back to you so you can make sure they really do understand what to do.
Encourage children to cross roads where there are traffic lights, pedestrian crossings or school crossings.
If there is a school crossing supervisor, teach your children to obey him/her at all times and only cross when the supervisor has signalled that it is safe for them to do so.
Make sure children know to only cross at lights when the green walk sign is showing and at pedestrian crossings when cars have stopped for them.
Since January 2015 a cyclist has been able to ride across a zebra or children’s crossing, provided they:
- First come to a complete stop
- Proceed slowly and safely
- Give way to any pedestrian on the crossing
- Keep to the left of any oncoming cyclist or person using a personal mobility device.
It’s still ok to ride on a footpath, too. Just like scooters, roller blades, and skateboards, crossing supervisors can ask the person to dismount and wheel or carry to cross safely.
Road Safety
With a high volume of vehicles competing for limited drop-off and pick-up areas, many school zones experience illegal parking behaviours associated with congestion. Going against the road rules in school zones puts all children at risk.
Congestion in school zones can be decreased by developing a pick up routine that encourages responsibility and independence – consider collecting your child from school after peak time. You may only need to adjust your pick up routine by a matter of minutes to encounter significantly less congestion.
Your road safety behaviours will influence your child’s behaviour. It is always important to set good road safety examples for your child to follow
Council’s School Safe initiative aims to ensure people park safely and legally, improving community safety through education of your school community rather than focusing on enforcement.
Ipswich City Council actively patrol school zones in partnership with the Queensland Police to ensure people park safely and legally.
Train Safety
Westside Christian College has a CODE OF SAFE TRAIN BEHAVIOUR for its students, which is designed to ensure the safety of our students while they are near trains or when travelling on a train.
Some of the key messages of this Code include that students should:
- Wait behind the yellow safety line before boarding the train.
- Not run to board a train.
- Not run on the station platform.
- Take care when stepping down from the train to the platform.
- Walk away from the train when you get off.
- Keep at least four big steps away from overhead power lines.
- Only cross a railway line at designated crossings, by bridges or subways.
- Never walk across a road crossing when the boom gates are down or when the signal for an approaching train is flashing and sounding.
- NEVER, WALK OR PLAY ON OR NEAR TRAIN TRACKS.
Supervision of Students
The College provides only limited supervision before and after the designated school day:
Prep to Year 6: 8.45am – 2.45pm
Years 7 to 12: 8.30am – 2.50pm
Parents must make their own arrangements for the whereabouts and transport of their students before and after the supervised times and places provided by the College.
Before School
No supervision is provided for students whose parents choose to drop them off prior to the times specified below.
Secondary Campus (Years 7 – 12)
Supervision of students will be provided from 8.15am until the commencement of classes on each regular school day.
While the College recognises the difficulties some parents will have because of work commitments, parents need to be aware that supervision on the Secondary Campus will only be provided as indicated. Thus supervision will not be provided before 8.15am for students in Years 7 to 12. Outside of School Hours Care is available for students in Years 7-10 and is run by the YMCA.
Primary Campus (Prep to Year 6)
Supervision of students will be provided from 8.15am until the commencement of classes on each regular school day.
Teachers do arrive early at school to prepare for the day’s school work, to train sporting teams or rehearse choirs etc. Therefore, they cannot provide early morning child-care facilities.
After School
Both Campuses (Prep – Year 12)
Primary students not collected by 3.00pm will be taken to the Primary Campus Reception for parents to collect. Supervision will be provided at the bus pick-up area until all of the College buses have departed.
After this time supervision will not be provided. Outside of School Hours Care is provided at the College and is run by the YMCA.
There is a fee associated with this service. Parents will need to use this service outside of normal school hours.
Parents are thus advised that outside of the times of supervision stated above, all risks and responsibility remain with the parents rather than with the College.
Parents are asked to remind their students that they must depart the College immediately after the last bus leaves (except for College organised co-curricular activities) whether by foot, bus, parent or other transport. No College supervision is provided at railway stations or bus stops or otherwise after school hours.
Parents please take note of this information provided.
Secondary Campus Pick-Up/Drop Off Waiting Zone
A “Student Waiting Area” outside the Secondary Library and a “Pick /Drop Off Zone” in the front bus area of the Secondary Campus has been introduced. The Student Waiting Area is intended to provide a safer place for students to wait for parents/carers to arrive than what currently exists.
The Pick Up/Drop Off Zone is open from 7.45am to 8.15am and 3.05pm to 4.30pm.
Please note that this area is unsupervised.
Student Bullying Prevention And Wellbeing
Students must at all times respect the wellbeing and the right to safety of all other students and teachers. “Wellbeing and safety” in this context refers to all of the following:
- Freedom from interference with personal property
- Freedom from bullying, whether physical, verbal or intimidation;
- Freedom from unwanted or uninvited sexual or physical contact;
- Freedom from gossip, rumour and innuendo;
- Freedom from violence, including annoying, repetitive, unwanted physical contact.
All kinds of harassment will be treated as being of serious significance. Sanctions will be definite and severe, possibly including suspension or expulsion. The right of all students to feel safe at school is seen to be such a paramount right that any student who commits repeated or serious harassment will almost certainly be expelled. This includes students of all ages. It does not exclude students who suffer from various psychological disorders, such as ADHD, Aspergers or Autism or other disorders. While the College will attempt to make allowances for such students, the rights of other students to safety, and a mature consideration of our Duty of Care will result in the College acting to exclude any students who offend, regardless of their disability, if their actions warrant it.
Technology
A full copy of the College Digital Policy can be viewed or download below.
