References references to source documents or relevant legislation are included with extracts of relevant text only include if the policy cannot be adequately understood and implemented without this additional information. Policy characteristics A good school policy should be accessible to the community and: be consistent with Departmental policy, legislation, values and guidelines be compatible with human rights and anti-discrimination legislation (including the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006) focus on a single topic be based on a clear statement of purpose that either arises from the goals in the School Strategic Plan or clearly supports those goals and the underlying values of the school reflect the views of the school community clearly indicate what actions are required by relevant groups within the school community acknowledge and take account of the rights of relevant groups contain guidelines for how the stated purpose will be achieved indicate what the school expects of those subject to the policy be written in a style that can be easily understood by the general public outline how it will be monitored and feature a date for review may need to be provided in a range of community languages typically, be one or two pages in length, except where the Department requires specific policy content. Developing a policy Approaches to developing school policies will vary according to the topic, the size of the school and the school committee structures. For example, a policy might be developed: council’s by the council itself (such as an investment policy where council considers it is adequately informed and does not need to consult) by an existing sub-committee which may be delegated this responsibility (such as a policy about a topic already being handled by that sub-committee) by a working party established for the purpose of developing the policy (such as a policy that needs considerable research, consultation and small group discussion but not necessarily by the full council). From the governance perspective, the most important thing is that councillors consider the impact on all stakeholders when developing or changing a policy. This does not mean that everyone in the school community needs to be consulted about every policy as it is being developed. Council should determine when consultation with stakeholders is appropriate. To develop a policy, a council typically takes the following steps. 1. The issue or topic to be addressed by the policy, and the reason for the policy, is identified. For example, it might be a requirement of the Department, or a local issue that requires clarification or guidelines to inform or influence action by the school. 2. The purpose or rationale for the policy is identified.
References references to source documents or relevant legislation are included with extracts of relevant text only include if the policy cannot be adequately understood and implemented without this additional information. Policy characteristics A good school policy should be accessible to the community and: be consistent with Departmental policy, legislation, values and guidelines be compatible with human rights and anti-discrimination legislation (including the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006) focus on a single topic be based on a clear statement of purpose that either arises from the goals in the School Strategic Plan or clearly supports those goals and the underlying values of the school reflect the views of the school community clearly indicate what actions are required by relevant groups within the school community acknowledge and take account of the rights of relevant groups contain guidelines for how the stated purpose will be achieved indicate what the school expects of those subject to the policy be written in a style that can be easily understood by the general public outline how it will be monitored and feature a date for review may need to be provided in a range of community languages typically, be one or two pages in length, except where the Department requires specific policy content. Developing a policy Approaches to developing school policies will vary according to the topic, the size of the school and the school council’s committee structures. For example, a policy might be developed: by the council itself (such as an investment policy where council considers it is adequately informed and does not need to consult) by an existing sub-committee which may be delegated this responsibility (such as a policy about a topic already being handled by that sub-committee) by a working party established for the purpose of developing the policy (such as a policy that needs considerable research, consultation and small group discussion but not necessarily by the full council). From the governance perspective, the most important thing is that councillors consider the impact on all stakeholders when developing or changing a policy. This does not mean that everyone in the school community needs to be consulted about every policy as it is being developed. Council should determine when consultation with stakeholders is appropriate. To develop a policy, a council typically takes the following steps. 1. The issue or topic to be addressed by the policy, and the reason for the policy, is identified. For example, it might be a requirement of the Department, or a local issue that requires clarification or guidelines to inform or influence action by the school. 2. The purpose or rationale for the policy is identified.
9272DET20184PolicyReview.docx