Communication With School Staff Policy 2025

Purpose

This policy explains how Moolap Primary School proposes to manage common enquiries from parents and carers.

Scope

This policy applies to school staff, and all parents and carers in our community.

Policy

Moolap Primary School understands the importance of providing helpful and timely responses to common enquiries from parents and carers. To ensure that members of our school community are directed to the most appropriate person to assist them, the information below outlines key contacts for common queries:

• to report a student absence, please enter via Compass Parent Portal or contact the Office on 5248 2284
• to report any urgent issues relating to a student on a particular day, please contact the front office on 5248 2284.
• to discuss a student’s academic progress, health or wellbeing, please contact your classroom teacher.

• Class teachers may be contacted via Class Dojo, this will be used by teachers to send whole class notices and reminders. It will also be used to contact you individually regarding your child using the ‘message’ function. 
• Parents may use Dojo to contact teachers, particularly if a phone call or face-to-face chat is not possible or convenient. This app will be used sparingly by staff during non-work hours – urgent messages should always be made via the school office.

• for enquiries regarding camps and excursions, please contact class teachers via Dojo or on 5248 2284
• to make a complaint, please contact the Principal on 52 482284 or via email moolap.ps@education.vic.gov.au Please also refer to our Complaints policy, available via the school website or hard copy from the school.
• to report a potential hazard or incident on the school site, please contact the Principal on 5248 2284
• for parent payments, please contact the Business Manager on 5248 2284 or moolap.ps@education.vic.gov.au
• A private Facebook group has been set up for current families. This group is to provide school information and celebrate student achievement. Members will only be approved by answering the required questions.
• for all other enquiries, please contact our Office on 5248 2284 or moolap.ps@education.vic.gov.au

We will do our best to respond to general queries as soon as possible. The right to disconnect legislation makes explicit that all employees have the right to refuse to monitor, read, listen to or respond to contact that occurs outside their working hours from their employer or a third party (such as a student or a parent), unless that refusal is unreasonable.

We ask that you allow us 2 – 3 working days to provide you with a detailed response to general queries. We will endeavour to respond to urgent matters within 24 hours where possible.

All parents or carers who visit the school during school hours (between 8:30am to 4:00pm) must do so via the school office first. All parents or carers are to remain outside classrooms and teaching areas, including individual classrooms, Pavillion and BER. If you wish to see a staff member during school hours an appointment must be made via the school office first. Parents or carers inside buildings during this time, may unintentionally disrupt classes or create a privacy issue as confidential meetings may be held in these areas.

All parents or carers collecting students at the end of the day must remain outside classrooms and teaching areas, including individual classrooms, Pavillion and BER.

Interpreting Services

We can arrange for interpreting support if you are from a language background other than English and need help with understanding important educational information about your child. Contact the school office for more information.    

Requests for information

Parents and carers are generally entitled to information ordinarily provided to parents, including school reports and newsletters.

Parents and carers seeking information that is not ordinarily provided to parents are encouraged to apply for access through the Freedom of Information process, or, if the information is sought for use in court proceedings, by issuing a subpoena.

Freedom of Information requests should be directed to:

                Manager – Freedom of Information Unit

                Department of Education and Training

                2 Treasury Place

                EAST MELBOURNE VIC 3002

                03 9637 3134

                foi@education.vic.gov.au

COMMUNICATION

This policy will be communicated to our school community in the following ways:

• Available publicly on our school’s website
• Discussed at parent information nights/sessions
• Reminders in our school newsletter
• Discussed at student forums
• Hard copy available from school administration upon request

POLICY REVIEW AND APPROVAL