Links to Australian National Safe Schools Framework
The Australian National Safe Schools Framework incorporates existing good practice and provides an agreed national approach to help schools and communities address the issues of bullying, harassment, violence, and child abuse and neglect. (National Safe Schools Framework, p 2)
The National Safe Schools Framework is based on the following overarching vision:
All Australian Schools are safe and supportive environments.
How Friendly Schools and Families Links to the National Framework
The Friendly Schools and Families Program is closely linked to the National Safe Schools Framework. The Framework identifies bullying as a key issue to be addressed in schools. The Friendly Schools and Families Program supports the Framework Implementation Plan in the following areas:
- Building evidence-based planning, implementation and monitoring processes
- The Audit Process
- Implementing of the National Safe Schools Framework
1. Building evidence-based planning, implementation and monitoring processes
National Safe Schools Key Elements linked with Friendly Schools & Families Whole-School Component Handbooks
| 1) School values, ethos, culture, structures and student welfare |  |
| 2) Policies, programs and procedures |  |
| 3) Education/training for school staff, students and parents |  |
| 4) Managing incidents of abuse/victimisation |  |
| 5) Providing support for students | |
| 6) Working closely with parents |  |
2. The Audit Process
The National Safe Schools Framework states that "the audit process is
intended to assist school communities to determine whether there is a
need to refine current practices, or re-focus attention and energy on
emerging situations. [10]
(Implementation Manual for the National Safe Schools Framework, p.5)
The Friendly Schools & Families Program provides a detailed audit system to determine what is currently happening in the school and what needs to be reviewed and/or developed:
- Principles for Success Review Pack
The Friendly Schools & Families Program provides a detailed but easily implemented review process to assist schools to review their current policies and practice.
- Survey Service
The Friendly Schools & Families Program offers a survey service which can help schools to survey student, staff and parents to assess bullying in the school
- School Team Capacity Self-assessment Tool
The capacity measuring activity questionnaire is designed to help determine the school's strengths and opportunities to implement and sustain the program
3. Implementing of the National Safe Schools Framework
The key messages from the Safe Schools Framework are:
- The need to develop an evidenced-based approach;
- The importance of healthy debate based on reliable evidence;
- The importance of shared practice and learning from other schools and communities, while maintaining a critical perspective about the similarities or differences in context and circumstance; and
- The value of networking widely.
The Friendly Schools & Families Program is an evidence based program which incorporates shared practice and learning from over two hundred schools from Australia. The Friendly Schools & Families Program provides schools with a systematic set of small steps towards the planning and implementation of the Safe Schools Framework.
