Birchgrove Public School

To strive

Telephone02 9810 2469

Emailbirchgrove-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Student health and safety

We are committed to ensuring a safe and happy environment for your child.

We support your child’s health and safety through a range of strategies including:

For more information, visit the student wellbeing section of the department’s website.

Like all NSW public schools, we promote the healthy development of students through:

  • school programs and practices that protect and promote health and safety
  • supporting individual students who need help with health issues
  • providing first aid and temporary care of students who become unwell or who have an accident at school.

Student wellbeing

Like all NSW public schools, we provide safe learning and teaching environments to encourage healthy, happy, successful and productive students.

The department is committed to creating quality learning opportunities for children and young people. These opportunities support wellbeing through positive and respectful relationships and fostering a sense of belonging to the school and community.

The Wellbeing Framework for Schools helps schools support the cognitive, physical, social, emotional and spiritual development of students and allows them to connect, succeed and thrive throughout their education.

Student Health

Medication

When a medical practitioner has prescribed medication that must be administered during the school day, parents/carers must:

  • notify the school
  • provide up to date information as required
  • supply the medication and any 'consumables' necessary for its administration in a timely way.

The administration of such medication forms part of the department's common law duty of care to take reasonable steps to keep students safe while they attend school.

The administration of prescribed medication in schools is carried out by staff who volunteer and who are trained. Except in an emergency, only individual staff members who have volunteered and been trained will administer prescribed medication to students.

Parents/carers of children who require prescribed medication to be administered at school must complete a written request (DOCX 74.32KB) Students must not carry medications unless there is a written agreement between the school and the student's parents/carers.

A letter will be provided to parents/carers from the Principal confirming arrangements for the administration of the student’s medication at school.

The principal must store all copies of the written medical advice and any other relevant documentation in a secure and confidential manner.

Non-prescribed medications

Schools generally don’t administer medication that hasn’t been requested for an individual student’s specific condition. In some cases the medical practitioner may not write a prescription for such medication because it may be available 'over the counter'. NSW Health advises that ‘over the counter’ medication may still be harmful and that schools should follow the same procedures for non-prescribed medications as for prescribed medications.

Positive Behaviour for Learning

At our school, we use Positive Behaviour for Learning – a whole-school approach for creating a positive, safe and supportive school climate where students can learn and develop. Our whole school community works together to establish expected behaviours and teach them to all students.