Safeguarding international schools in Australia: country guide

Each state and territory registers schools and sets its own rules. Most international schools in Australia are independent schools that teach the IB or another curriculum.

A state regulator registers each school. In Victoria this is the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority. In New South Wales it is the NSW Education Standards Authority.

Teachers register with a state teacher body. Accreditation from CIS or the IB sits alongside state law and never replaces it.

International schools across Australia must follow national guidelines and state laws. External accreditations offer helpful structure, but state child safety rules must always come first.

The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations set out ten principles. They cover leadership, child voice, family links, staff screening, complaints and review.

States put these into law in their own way. Victoria has Child Safe Standards for all schools. New South Wales has Child Safe Standards under the Children's Guardian Act 2019.

Schools should map each principle to a policy, a named owner and a record. This makes it easy to show evidence at a registration visit.

Teachers are mandatory reporters in every state and territory. The law sets who must report, which harms count and where the report goes.

In most states, reports go to the state child protection agency. Some states also need reports to police for sexual abuse. Check your state rules and train staff on them each year.

Our guide to mandatory reporting laws compares how these duties work across countries.

• Know the threshold: Learn what your state law counts as a report.
• Report directly: The staff member with the concern makes the report.
• Tell the lead: Inform the child safety officer after the report.
• Record facts: Write down what was seen, said and done.

International schools in Australia welcome students from domestic backgrounds and international relocations. Children may speak English as an additional language.

When a child speaks to a staff member about harm, listen patiently and take their concerns seriously. Never promise confidentiality, but reassure the pupil that they did the right thing by speaking up.

Document the account immediately using the child's exact words. Record the date, time, location and observed emotional state before delivering the record to your child safety officer.

• Patient listening: Give the child time to explain without interruption.
• Accurate records: Write down verbatim phrasing and factual observations.
• No investigative questioning: Do not cross-examine the child or seek admissions.
• Prompt escalation: Hand the written notes to the designated child safety lead the same day.

Each state runs its own Working With Children Check. The NSW WWCC, the Victorian WWC Check and the Queensland blue card are the best known.

Schools must verify each check online and track its expiry date. Our WWCC guide for schools explains the steps by state.

For staff who lived abroad, collect police papers from each country as well. A WWCC draws mostly on Australian records.

State rules require thorough background checks for all teachers and school staff. Beyond the WWCC, schools must check identity, teacher registration and past work references.

Conduct detailed reference checks with direct supervisors, asking specific questions about suitability to work with children. For staff from overseas, obtain police certificates from each country of adult residence.

Schools must enforce a clear staff code of conduct outlining boundaries for physical contact, electronic communication and out-of-school interactions.

• Teacher registration: Confirm current status with the state teaching institute.
• Direct references: Contact past school leaders to verify child safety records.
• Overseas police checks: Collect official clearance certificates for international staff.
• Code of conduct: Require all staff to sign clear professional boundary guidelines.

Independent schools usually follow the federal Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles. State child protection law lets schools share facts when they make a report.

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, child safety files contain sensitive personal information that requires strict access controls. Keep digital records in role-restricted repositories and paper files in locked cabinets.

Keep child safety records apart from general student files. Some states set long retention periods for these records, so check local rules.

Schools must define clear document retention policies that reflect statutory limitation periods and state child protection guidance. Ensure that pupil records transfer securely when families relocate to other educational institutions.