Privacy Policy Statement

St Catherine's School and Your Privacy

This statement outlines the St Catherine's School Privacy Policy on how the School uses and manages personal information provided to or collected by it.

The School is bound by the National Privacy Principles contained in the Commonwealth Privacy Acts 1998 / 2000.

The School may, from time to time, review and update this Privacy Policy to take account of new laws and technology, changes to Schools' operations and practices and to make sure it remains appropriate to the changing school environment.

What kind of personal information does the School collect and how does the School collect it?

The type of information the School collects and holds includes (but is not limited to) personal information, including sensitive information, about:
• Pupils and parents and/or guardians ('Parents') before, during and after the course of a pupil's enrolment at the School;
  
• Job applicants, staff members, volunteers and contractors; and
  
• Other people who come into 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 and pupils, face-to-face meetings and interviews, and telephone calls. On occasions people other than Parents and pupils provide personal information.

Personal information provided by other people: In some circumstances the School my be provided with personal information about an individual from a third party, for example a report provided by a medical professional 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 treatment is directly related to a current or former employment relationship between the School and employee.

How will the School use the personal information you provide?

Pupils and Parents: In relation to personal information of pupils and parents, the School's primary purpose of collection is to enable the School to provide schooling for the pupil. This includes satisfying both the needs of parents and the needs of the pupil throughout the whole period the pupil is enrolled at the School.

The purposes for which the School uses personal information of pupils and parents include:
• To keep parents informed about matters related to their child's schooling, through correspondence, newsletters and magazines;
  
• Day-to-day administration;
  
• Looking after pupil's educational, social and medical wellbeing;
  
• Seeking donations and marketing the School;
  
• To satisfy the School's legal obligations and allow the School to discharge its duty of care.

In some cases where the School requests personal information about a pupil or parent, if the information requested is not obtained, the School may not be able to enrol or continue the enrolment of the pupil.

Job applicants, staff members and contractors: In relation to personal information of job applicants, staff members and contractors, the School's primary purpose of collection is to assess and (if successful) to engage the applicant, staff members or contractor, as the case may be.

The purposes for which the School uses personal information of job applicants, staff members and contractors include:
• In administering the individual's employment or contract, as the case may be;
  
• For insurance purposes;
  
• Seeking donations and marketing the School;
  
• To satisfy 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 conduct of associated activities, such as (alumni associations), to enable the School and the volunteers to work together.

Development and Community Relations: 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 pupils and staff thrive. Personal information held by the School may be disclosed to an organisation that assists in the School's fundraising, for example a fundraising consultant, the Development Committee or the Old Girls Association.

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, may be used for marketing purposes.

To whom might the School disclose personal information?

Within the guidelines of the Privacy act, the School may disclose personal information, including sensitive information, held about an individual to:
• Another school
  
• Government departments
  
• Medical practitioners
  
• People providing services to the School, including specialist visiting teachers and sports coaches
  
• Recipients of School publications, like newsletters and magazines
  
• Parents
  
• Anyone you authorise the School to disclose such information.

Sending information overseas: The School will not send personal information about an individual outside Australia without:
• Obtaining the consent of the individual (in some cases this consent will be implied) or
  
• Otherwise complying with the National Privacy Principles

How does the School treat 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 or criminal record, that is also personal information; 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.

Management and security of personal information

The School's staff are required to respect the confidentiality of pupils' and parents' personal information and the privacy of individuals.

The School has in place steps to protect the personal information the School holds from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure by use of various methods including locked storage of paper records and pass worded access rights to computerised records.

Updating personal 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 his or her information held by the School by contacting the Business Manager at any time.

The National Privacy Principles require the School not to store personal information longer than necessary.

You have the right to check what personal information the School holds about you

Under the Commonwealth Privacy Act, an individual has the right to obtain access to any personal information which the School holds about them and to advise the School of any perceived inaccuracy. There are some exceptions to this right set out in the Act. Pupils will generally have access to their personal information through their parents, but older pupils may seek access themselves.

To make a request to access any information the School holds about you or your child, please contact the School's Privacy Officer in writing.

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.

Consent and rights of access to the personal information of pupils

The School respects every parent's right to make decisions concerning their child's education.

Generally, the School will refer any requests for consent and notices in relation to the personal information of a pupil to the pupil's parents. The School will treat consent given by Parents as consent given on behalf of the pupil, and notice to Parents will act as notice given to the pupil.

Parents may seek access to personal information held by the School about them or their child by contacting the School Principal. However, there will be occasions when access is denied. Such occasions would include where release of the information would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others, or where the release may result in a breach of the School's duty of care to the pupil.

The School may, at its discretion, on the request of a pupil grant that pupil access to information held by the School about them, or allow a pupil 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 pupil and/or the pupil's personal circumstances so warrant.

Enquiries

If you would like further information about the way the School manages the personal information it holds, please contact the Privacy Officer.

Laraine Sharr
Principal