Privacy Policy
Statement
On 21 December 2001 new Commonwealth legislation governing the collection and management of personal information became effective. The following statement is issued pursuant to this legislation and will be included in all new enrolment documentation.
For current families, consent will be taken as implied unless otherwise indicated to the School.
Individuals/parents are therefore asked to inform the Business Manager if they do not consent to their details being made available as explained below, including on class lists.
The School collects personal information, including sensitive information about students and parents or guardians before and during the course of a student's enrolment at the School. The primary purpose of collecting this information is to enable the School to provide schooling for your son. This includes satisfying the needs of parents and guardians and the needs of the student throughout the whole period he is enrolled.
Some of the information collected is to satisfy the School's legal obligations, particularly to enable the School to discharge its duty of care.
Certain laws governing or relating to the operation of schools require that certain information is collected.
Health information about students is sensitive information within the terms of the National Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act. Medical reports about students are required from time to time. You should inform the Business Manager if you do not wish to provide this information.
The School from time to time also has to disclose certain personal information and sensitive information to others. This includes other schools, government departments, medical practitioners, publications and people providing services to the School, including specialist service providers, visiting teachers (sports) coaches and volunteers.
If we do not obtain the information referred to above we may not be able to enrol or continue the enrolment of your son.
Personal information collected from students is regularly disclosed to their parents and guardians. On occasions it is published in school newsletters and magazines.
For this policy to be effective, information will be communicated in writing between staff, and between staff and the Headmaster, from time to time, which will address the particular circumstances, achievements, matters requiring attention and needs generally of each student.
Parents may seek access to personal information collected about them and their son by contacting the Business Manager. However, there will be occasions when access is denied. Such occasions would include where the release would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others or where release may result in a breach of the School's duty of care to the student.
As you may know, the School from time to time engages in fundraising activities. The information received from you may be used to make an appeal to you.
If you provide the School with the personal information of third parties, such as doctors or emergency contacts, you should inform them that you are disclosing that information to the School.
The School's Privacy Officer is the Business Manager.
This statement outlines Brighton Grammar School's policy in 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 Act. The School may, from time to time, review and update this Privacy Policy to take account of new laws and technology, changes to the School's operations and practices and to ensure 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 potentially sensitive information about:
- Students and parents and/or guardians ("Parents") before, during and after the course of a student's enrolment at the School;
- Job applicants, staff members, volunteers and contractors;
- 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 or students, face-to-face meetings and interviews, and telephone calls.
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 professional or a reference from another school.
Exception in relation to employee records
The School is not bound by the National Privacy Principles, and this Privacy Policy does not apply, in relation 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 the employee.
How will the School use the personal information you provide?
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 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 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.
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 correspondence,
- newsletters and magazines;
- Day-to-day administration;
- Looking after students' 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.
In some cases where the School requests personal information about a student or Parent, if the information requested is not obtained, the School may not be able to enrol or continue the enrolment of the student.
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 member 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 funds and marketing the School;
§ To satisfy the School's legal requirements.
Volunteers
The School also obtains personal information about volunteers who assist the School in its functions or conduct associated activities, such as the Parents' Association and Mothers' Circles, to enable the School and the volunteers to work together.
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 the School continues to be a quality learning environment in which both students and staff thrive. Personal information held by the School may be shared with the School Foundation.
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.
Who might the School disclose personal information to?
The School may disclose personal information, possibly 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; and
- 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 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 origins, 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 otherwise agreed, or the use or disclosure of that sensitive information is allowed by law.
The School's staff are required to respect the confidentiality of students' 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.
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 by contacting the Business Manager at any time. However, each family is required to complete an updated Personal Information Form each year.
The National Privacy Principles require the School not to store personal information longer than necessary.
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. Students will generally have access to their personal information through their Parents.
To make a request to access any information the School holds about you or your son, please contact the School's Business Manager in writing.
The School may require you to verify your identity and specify what information you require. The School is entitled to charge a fee to cover the cost of verifying your application and locating, retrieving, reviewing and copying any material requested. Whilst a charge will not normally be made, if the information sought is extensive, the School will advise the likely cost in advance.
The School respects every Parent's right to make decisions concerning their son's education.
Generally, the School will refer any request for consent and notices in relation to the personal information of a student to the student's Parents. The School will treat consent given by Parents as consent given on behalf of the student, and notice to Parents will act as notice given to the student.
Parents may seek access to personal information held by the School about them or their son by contacting the School's Business Manager. However, despite the above provision, there may 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 student.
The School may, at its discretion, on the request of a student, grant that student access to information held by the School about them, or 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 student involved had reached eighteen years of age, but the School could do so in other circumstances when the maturity of the student and/or the student's personal circumstances so warranted.
For this policy to be effective, information will be communicated in writing between staff, and between staff and the Headmaster, from time to time, which will address the particular circumstances, achievements, matters requiring attention and needs generally of each student.
If you would like further information about the way the School manages the personal information it holds, please contact the School's Business Manager