WNPS Privacy Policy

Introduction

Watsonia North Primary School (WNPS) is committed to protecting the privacy of students, parents, carers, staff, volunteers and other members of our school community. This policy explains how WNPS collects, holds, uses and discloses personal, health and sensitive information in line with Victorian government school requirements and the Australian Privacy Act.

Scope

This policy applies to information collected by WNPS through its website, enrolment and permission forms, the Compass platform, learning management systems, email, telephone, face-to-face interactions and other school operations. It covers information about current, past and prospective students, parents, carers, staff, volunteers and visitors.

What kinds of information we collect

WNPS may collect the following kinds of personal, health and sensitive information:

Student details: name, date of birth, gender, contact details, emergency contacts, family details, enrolment history.
Health and wellbeing information: medical conditions, allergies, immunisation status, support services, psychological reports.
Parent and carer details: names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, emergency contact relationships.
School administrative records: attendance, incidents, behaviour, assessment results.
Staff records: employment history, qualifications, referee information, payroll details.
Digital identifiers and usage: IP addresses, login identifiers, analytics data from website and platforms.

Information is collected via: enrolment forms; consent forms; the Compass platform; third-party digital learning platforms; email and telephone communications; website interactions; and physical or electronic submission of documents.

Why we collect this information and how we use it

WNPS collects information for purposes including:

enrolling students and managing attendance, progression and transitions;
providing educational programs and student support services;
safeguarding student health, safety and wellbeing (including medication administration, first aid and counselling);
communicating with parents, carers, students and staff about school activities, events, emergencies and progress;
meeting legal and reporting obligations to the Department of Education and Training (Victoria) and other regulators;
managing staffing, recruitment and employment;
maintaining alumni and fundraising records where applicable;
analysing and improving our operations, learning programs and digital services.

WNPS will not use personal information for purposes unrelated to these without consent unless authorised or required by law.

Disclosure of information

WNPS may disclose personal and health information:

to the Department of Education and Training (Victoria) and other government authorities when required or authorised by law;
to third-party service providers engaged by the school: for example the Compass platform, cloud storage services, learning management systems, payment processors. All providers are selected to ensure they meet appropriate privacy and security standards;
to medical or emergency services in urgent situations;
with consent from parents, carers or staff, or as otherwise permitted by law.

Storage and security

WNPS stores personal, health and sensitive information securely. Measures include access controls, secure servers, staff training in privacy and security, encrypted storage when appropriate, and regular review of practices. Information is kept only for as long as needed for school purposes and in accordance with legal retention requirements. Where third-party providers (including Compass) are used, the school ensures they handle data in compliance with Australian privacy law and the Victorian privacy framework.

Access and correction

Parents, carers and students (when appropriate) may request access to personal information held by WNPS. If you believe information is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date you may ask the school to correct it. WNPS will respond to access and correction requests in accordance with privacy law.

Anonymous access and collection

Where appropriate, website users may access certain pages of the WNPS site anonymously. However many school functions (for example enrolment forms, permission forms, Compass log-ins) require identification and personal information.

Use of cookies and website analytics

The WNPS website may use cookies and analytics tools to monitor use, improve site performance and understand how users navigate the site. Information collected may include IP addresses, pages visited and time spent on site. Where possible this data is aggregated and de-identified. You may disable cookies in your browser; however this may affect some site functionality.

Third-party links

The school website may contain links to external websites or third-party services. These external sites have their own privacy practices. WNPS is not responsible for their content or privacy policies and recommends you review any external site’s privacy policy before providing personal information.

Photography, videos and publicity

From time to time, students may be photographed or filmed for educational, promotional or archival purposes. WNPS will seek consent from parents or carers for use of student images in publications, media or online. If you do not want your child to appear in such materials please notify the school in writing.

Complaints and privacy enquiries

If you have questions or concerns about this policy or how WNPS handles your personal information, please contact:

Watsonia North Primary School
16 Sharpes Road
Watsonia North VIC 3087 Australia
Telephone: (03) 9435 1285
Send us an email

If the matter is not resolved you may raise a complaint with the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner or the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner as applicable.

Changes to this policy

WNPS may update this policy from time to time. The current version will be published on our website with the date of last update.