BALCOMBE GRAMMAR SCHOOL
PRIVACY POLICY
Balcombe Grammar School is committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the National Privacy Principles contained in the Commonwealth Privacy Act and as such this statement outlines how the School uses and manages personal information provided to or collected by it. This Privacy Policy will from time to time be reviewed and updated to take account of new laws and technology.
Type of Information
The type of information the School collects and holds 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.
Collection of Personal Information
The School will generally collect personal information held about an individual by way of forms filled out in-person, online via email or the website and telephone calls. In some circumstances, the School may be provided with personal information about an individual from a third party; for example, a medical report or school reference.
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 the employee.
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 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.
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 employ 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 and Friends Committee, 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.
Personal information held by the School may be disclosed to an organisation that assists in the School’s fundraising and marketing, for example, the School’s alumni organisation.
Parents, staff, contractors and other members of the wider School community may from time to time receive fundraising information and school publications, like newsletters and magazines.
Personal Information Disclosure
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;
-
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.
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
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 computerized 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 their personal information held by the School by contacting the School at any time. The National Privacy Principles require the School not to store personal information longer than necessary.
Checking of Personal Information
Under the Commonwealth Privacy Act, an individual has the right to obtain access to any personal information that 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, but older students (over 18 years of age) may seek access themselves.
To make a request to access any information the School holds about you or your child, please contact the Principal 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
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 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 child by contacting the School Principal. However, 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 maturity of the student and/or student’s personal circumstances so warranted.