Privacy

We are committed to providing the highest level of privacy in handling the information you provide.

We are also committed to complying with the National Privacy Principles outlined in the Commonwealth Privacy Amendment (Private Section) Act 2000. These principles regulate the collection, use, handling and storage of personal and system information.

For detailed information about the legislation go to the Federal Privacy Commission website http://www.privacy.gov.au/

Standard Collection Notice

1. Schools in the Diocese of Parramatta collect personal information, including sensitive information, about pupils and parents or guardians before and during the course of a pupil's enrolment. The primary purpose of collecting this information is to enable the school to provide schooling for your son/daughter.
2. Some of the information we collect is to satisfy our legal obligations, particularly to enable the school to discharge its duty of care.
3. Certain laws governing or relating to the operation of schools require that certain information is collected. These include public health and child protection laws.
4. Health information about pupils is sensitive information within the terms of the National Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act. We ask you to provide medical reports about pupils from time to time.
5. The school from time to time discloses personal and sensitive information to others for administrative and educational purposes. This includes to other schools, government departments, the Catholic Education Office, the Catholic Education Commission, your local diocese and the parish, medical practitioners, and people providing services to the school (including specialist visiting teachers and counsellors, coaches and volunteers).
6. If we do not obtain the information referred to above, we may not be able to enrol or continue the enrolment of your son/daughter.
7. 7. Personal information relating to pupils may be supplied to parishes for use by them for pastoral and fundraising purposes. If you object to the information being used in this manner, please contact the school.
8. Personal information collected from pupils is regularly disclosed to their parents or guardians. On occasions, information such as academic and sporting achievements, pupil activities and other news is published in school and diocesan newsletters, magazines and websites.
9. Parents may seek access to personal information collected about them and their son/daughter by contacting the school. Pupils may also seek access to personal information about them. However, there will be occasions when access is denied. Such occasions would include where access would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others, where access may result in a breach of the school or diocese's duty of care to the pupil, or where pupils have provided information in confidence.
10. As you may know, from time to time the school engages in fundraising activities. Information received from you may be used to make an appeal to you. It may also be disclosed to organisations that assist in school and diocesan fundraising activities. We will not disclose your personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes without your consent.
11. We may include your contact details in a class list and school directory.
12. If you provide us with the personal information of others, such as doctors or emergency contacts, we encourage you to: inform them that you are disclosing that information to the school and why; that they can access that information if they wish; and that we do not usually disclose the information to third parties.

Why we need information

Any information collected is done so for the purpose of providing educational services to young people and managing the systems required to do this.

Following are just a few examples of why information may be needed:

• Pupils: day-to-day administration of the school; satisfying legal obligations; and looking after students’ educational, social, spiritual and medical wellbeing.
• Parents: keeping parents informed, discharging duty of care; seeking donations and marketing the school.
• Job applicants & contractors: administering an employment or job contract, satisfying legal requirements (e.g. child protection legislation); and completing documentation for insurance purposes.
  

How can you seek access to your personal information?

You have the right to seek access to any information about you that is being held by a school or the Catholic Education Office, as well as advising of any perceived inaccuracies. Note that there are some exceptions which are set out in the Act.

• Pupils will generally have access to their personal information held at the school through their parents, but older pupils may seek access themselves.
• Parents may seek access to personal information held by a school or the Catholic Education Office about them or their child. However, there will 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 pupil.

What if you have concerns or questions about privacy?

If you have any concerns or questions about the way your personal information is being managed please contact:

• the principal at the school concerned or
  
  
• the privacy officer at the Catholic Education Office
  Locked Bag 4
  Nth Parramatta NSW 1750
  T: 9840 5600

Special note

Photos of children are used for various communication mediums including school and Catholic Education Office websites, school and system publications and newsletters, and enrolment posters. If any parent or guardian does not want their child’s photo used in any of the above situations please inform the principal of the school.

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Click here to access the full Privacy Kit