Privacy Policy
The Friends' School is bound by the National Privacy Principles contained in the Commonwealth Privacy Act. This policy outlines how The Friends� School uses and manages personal information provided to or collected by it.
For the purposes of this document, 'the School' referred to hereafter in the policy is The Friends' School and 'student/s' referred to also includes children enrolled in the Outside School Hours Care and Early Learning Programs.
The Friends' School is committed to upholding the right to privacy of all individuals who have interactions with the School. The School will take the necessary steps to ensure that the personal information shared with us remains confidential. The School endeavours to ensure that the personal information held by the School is accurate, complete and up-to-date. Individuals may seek to update their personal information held by the School, at any time, by contacting the School.
Individuals have the right to obtain access to any of their personal information held by the School. To make a request to access any information that the School holds about you or your child, please contact the Principal in writing.
The School has developed this policy to explain how we manage personal information. We may make changes to this policy from time to time and publish them on our website. Changes may be due to new laws and technology or changes to the School�s operations or practices.
This policy was last amended on 19 June 2002.
THE FRIENDS' SCHOOL
PRIVACY POLICY
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
1. Collection of Personal Information
The School collects personal information, including sensitive information about:
• students and parents (including guardians)
• job applicants, staff members, volunteers and contractors and
• other people who come in contact with the School
Personal information you provide: The School will generally collect personal information held about an individual by way of forms filled out by parents or students, face to face meetings and interviews, emails and telephone calls and any other forms of communication. On occasions, people other than parents and students provide personal information.
Information about international students (ie. students from overseas on a student visa) may be collected via an education agent. If an agent provides personal information then that agent is deemed to be acting on behalf of the School and will act in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Personal information provided by other people: In some circumstances, the School may be provided with personal information about an individual from a third party, for example a report provided by a medical or other professional, a police check or a reference from another school.
Exception in relation to employee records: Under the Privacy Act, the National Privacy Principles do not apply to an employee record. As a result, this Privacy Policy does not apply to the School's treatment of an employee record, where the record is directly related to a current or former employee of the School.
2. Use of Personal Information
The School will use personal information it collects from you for the primary purpose of collection, and for such other secondary purposes that are related to the primary purpose of collection and are reasonably expected, or to which you have consented.
Students and Parents: In relation to personal information of students and parents, the School's primary purpose of collection is to enable the School to provide schooling and/or accommodation 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 School, and after enrolment as an Old Scholar and member of the Friends' Old Scholars' Association.
The purposes for which the School uses personal information of students and parents include:
• to keep parents informed about matters related to their child's schooling, through reports, correspondence, newsletters and magazines
• day to day administration
• looking after a student's educational, social and medical wellbeing
• seeking donations and marketing for the School
• to satisfy the School's legal obligations and allow the School to discharge its duty of care
The School may not be able to enrol or continue the enrolment of a student if necessary information about the student or parents is not provided.
Job applicants, staff members and contractors: In relation to personal information of job applicants, staff and contractors, the School's primary purpose of collection is to assess and (if successful) to engage the applicant, staff member or contractor.
The purposes for which the School uses personal information of job applicants, staff members and contractors include:
• administering the individual's employment or contract
• satisfying insurance requirements
• seeking funds and marketing for the School
• satisfying the School's legal obligations, for example in relation to child protection legislation
Volunteers:
The School also obtains personal information about volunteers who assist the School in its functions or conducting associated activities.
Marketing and fundraising: The School treats marketing and seeking donations for the future growth and development of the School as an important part of ensuring that the School continues to be a quality learning environment in which both students and staff thrive.
Personal information held by the School may be disclosed to The Friends' School Development Fund Inc, The Friends' School Old Scholars Association, the Parents' & Friends Association of The Friends' School, The Friends' School Boat Club or to people providing services to the School to assist in the School's fundraising (eg. Members of parent support groups).
Parents, staff, contractors and other members of the wider School community may from time to time receive fundraising information. School publications, like newsletters and magazines, which include personal information and sometimes visual images, may be used for marketing purposes.
3. Disclosure of Personal Information
The School may disclose personal information, including sensitive information held about an individual to:
• another school or educational institution
• government departments
• medical practitioners
• people providing services to the School or students, including tutors and mentors, specialists visiting teachers and sports coaches
• debt collection agencies
• law enforcement agencies
• recipients of School publications, like newsletters and magazines
• newspapers
• parent associations/committees
• other parents or guardians
• anyone you authorise the School to disclose information to
Sending information overseas:
The School will not send personal information about an individual outside Australia without:
• obtaining consent of the individual (in some cases, consent will be implied); or
• otherwise complying with the National Privacy Principles.
4. Sensitive Information
In referring to 'sensitive information' the School means information relating to a person's racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religion, trade union or other professional or trade association membership, sexual preferences, criminal record and health information about an individual.
Sensitive information will be used and disclosed only for the purpose for which it was provided or a directly related secondary purpose, unless you agree otherwise, or the use or disclosure of the sensitive information is allowed by law.
5. Management and Security of Personal Information
The School's staff is required to respect the confidentiality of students', parents' and guardians' personal information and the privacy of individuals. The School has in place steps to protect personal information held by the School from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure, including the use of locked or secure storage of hard copy records and secure access rights to computerised records. This includes password access and scalable security levels for the School�s database. The School also takes reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify personal information if, in the School�s opinion, it is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was collected.
6. Updating Information
The School endeavours to ensure that the personal information it holds is accurate, complete and up-to-date. A person may seek to update their personal information held by the School at anytime.
7. Access to Personal Information
Under the Commonwealth Privacy Act, an individual has the right to request access to any personal information which the School holds about them and to advise the School of any perceived inaccuracy. There are some circumstances where access may be denied. Such circumstances would include where release of the information would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others, or where the release may result in the breach of the School's duty of care to the student.
Students will generally have access to their personal information through their parents. Students may seek access themselves, however, there may be occasions where access will be denied. The School will allow a student to give or withhold consent to the use of their personal information independently of their parents. This would normally be done only when the maturity of the student and/or the student�s personal circumstances so warranted.
When a request for access is made, the School may require you to verify your identity and specify what information you require. The School may charge a fee to cover the cost of verifying your application and locating, retrieving, reviewing and copying any material requested. If the information sought is extensive, the School will advise the likely cost in advance. Any fee will be determined on a case by case basis.
To make a request to access any personal information the School holds about you or your child, please contact the Principal in writing. Written notification must generally be given 10 working days in advance of the date on which access is required.
8. Consent
Generally, the School will refer any requests for consent and notices in relation to the personal information of a student to the student's parents or guardians. The School will treat consent given by parents or guardians as consent given on behalf of the student and notice to parents will act as notice given to the student.