Teacher Conduct, Child Safety & Classroom Standards
Everything teachers, teacher aides and volunteers at Zenon need to know about their professional obligations and rights — grounded in the Victorian Teaching Profession’s Code of Conduct and Victoria’s Child Safe Standards — finishing with a short acknowledgement quiz.
The Victorian Teaching Profession’s Code of Conduct
Issued by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006, the Code sets out the professional conduct, personal conduct and professional competence expected of every registered teacher. It exists first and foremost to protect the safety and wellbeing of children — the teacher–learner relationship is never an equal one, and the trust placed in teachers must never be misused. A departure from the Code can be treated as misconduct, so every staff member at Zenon is expected to know it. Read the full Code (PDF).
Part A — Professional conduct
Teaching, dignity and objectivity
- Know each learner and how they learn; keep the classroom safe, welcoming and appropriately challenging for every ability.
- Treat learners with courtesy and dignity — model respectful language, protect students from intimidation or humiliation, and give them a genuine voice.
- Respect a learner’s privacy on sensitive matters, only sharing confidential information when consent, safety, or the law requires it.
- Work within your own expertise — know when a student’s needs should be referred to the Principal, coordinator or another professional.
- Stay objective: a teacher is never “a friend or a parent.” Decisions are made in the learner’s best interest, free of personal bias.
Professional boundaries — always, even outside school hours
Teachers hold a unique position of trust that is never switched off. The Code lists specific behaviours that break or put that trust at risk:
A professional relationship is violated if a teacher:
- has any sexual relationship or engages in sexual misconduct with a learner (including grooming-type behaviour or inappropriate touching)
- touches a learner without valid reason
- communicates with a learner outside the bounds of a professional relationship — including by text, social media or other electronic means
- accepts or gives gifts that could reasonably be seen as buying influence or showing favouritism
A professional relationship may be compromised if a teacher:
- socialises with learners outside a professional context, including online or via social media
- invites a learner into their home
- starts a relationship with a former student before they turn 18, or within two years of finishing senior secondary school
Parents, carers and community
- Be respectful, courteous and timely when communicating with parents/carers.
- Consider parents’ perspectives on decisions that affect a learner’s wellbeing or education.
- Take approached concerns seriously and respond appropriately — including when a parent raises something informally, such as at pick-up.
- Work collaboratively with the diverse family backgrounds and cultures represented at Zenon.
Collegiality
- Treat colleagues with courtesy, value their input and debate professional matters constructively.
- Share expertise, and support colleagues who are new to teaching.
- Share information that supports a learner’s safety and wellbeing — collegiality includes speaking up.
Part B — Personal conduct
Off-duty conduct still reflects on the profession
- Be a positive role model in the community and online, not only in the classroom.
- Never use your position for personal or financial gain.
- Keep personal interests from interfering with your duties.
- Maintain discretion and confidentiality about professional matters at all times.
- Be alert to how intolerance or prejudice — even outside school — can seriously harm student safety and the standing of the profession.
Part C — Professional competence
Maintaining high standards
- Keep developing subject and pedagogical knowledge.
- Reflect on your own practice and identify your learning needs.
- Carry out duties responsibly and thoroughly.
Know your legal obligations
- Mandatory and other reporting obligations
- Duty of care and the principle of negligence
- Anti-discrimination, harassment and vilification law
- Privacy, occupational health & safety, and registration requirements
- Awareness of the Child Safe Standards, the Reportable Conduct Scheme, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Victoria’s 11 Child Safe Standards
Every Victorian organisation that works with children — including community language schools like Zenon — must implement all 11 Child Safe Standards. They describe the outcomes the school must achieve, not just a policy on a shelf: culture, leadership, training and physical environment all matter.
A culturally safe environment that respects and values Aboriginal children’s identities and experiences.
Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in leadership, governance and everyday culture — not left to one policy document.
Children and young people are empowered to know their rights, have a genuine say, and are taken seriously.
Families and communities are kept informed and involved in promoting child safety.
Equity is upheld — diverse needs (culture, disability, gender, language) are respected in every policy and practice.
People working with children are suitable for the role and supported to put child-safe values into daily practice.
Complaints and concerns are handled through processes that are clear, timely and child-focused.
Staff and volunteers build their knowledge and skills through ongoing child safety education and training.
Physical and online environments are designed to promote safety and minimise opportunities for harm.
The school regularly reviews and improves how it implements the Standards.
Policies and procedures clearly document how the school keeps children safe.
Who to contact
If you are ever concerned about a child’s safety or wellbeing — including a disclosure, a suspicion, or something that “doesn’t sit right” — act on it. Speak to Zenon’s designated Child Safety Officer as soon as possible and follow the school’s reporting procedure. In an emergency, or if a child is at immediate risk, call 000.
Recess & Student Supervision
Supervision is where duty of care becomes visible. Every teacher and volunteer on duty is legally expected to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable harm — during class, at recess, and during arrival and dismissal.
- Be present and active, not passive. Supervision means moving around the area, scanning constantly, and positioning yourself so you can see as many students as possible — not standing in one spot or being absorbed in a phone or conversation.
- Arrive on time for your rostered duty. A supervision gap of even a minute or two is when most avoidable incidents happen. If you’re running late, notify another staff member so the area is never left unsupervised.
- Know your boundaries. Understand which areas you are responsible for, which areas are out of bounds for students, and who is covering adjoining zones.
- Hand over clearly. When one supervision period ends and another begins (e.g. classroom to recess, recess to classroom), confirm — even briefly — that the next supervisor is aware and in position.
- Respond and document. If a student is injured, unwell, or involved in an incident, follow Zenon’s first-aid and incident-reporting procedure straight away and record what happened while it’s fresh.
- Watch for the quiet risks, not just the loud ones. Bullying, exclusion and unsafe play are often less visible than a playground scuffle — active scanning should include listening for what students are saying to each other, not just watching what they’re doing.
- Weather and facilities. Adjust outdoor supervision for heat, storms or poor lighting, and know where to move students if conditions change quickly.
A note on ratios and rostering
Specific supervision ratios and rosters are set by Zenon’s own supervision policy and should always take priority over general guidance. If you are ever unsure whether an area is adequately supervised, raise it with the coordinator on duty rather than leaving it unaddressed.
Professionalism & Classroom Behaviour
Day-to-day professionalism is where the Code of Conduct is lived out. These are the practical habits expected in every Zenon classroom.
Communication & tone
- Use respectful, encouraging language — in Greek and in English — even when correcting behaviour.
- Never use sarcasm, ridicule or public embarrassment as a discipline tool.
- Address parent concerns promptly, through official school channels, and loop in the coordinator for anything sensitive.
Classroom management
- Set clear, age-appropriate expectations at the start of term and reinforce them consistently.
- Use behaviour management that is proportionate to the situation and aimed at positive change, not punishment for its own sake.
- Apply the same standard to every student — no favouritism, no bias.
Technology & social media
- Only contact students or parents through official school channels (school email, school-approved apps) — never personal social media or private messaging.
- Do not accept or send “friend” or “follow” requests to current students.
- Photos or videos of students should only be taken and shared in line with Zenon’s media consent policy.
Presentation & preparedness
- Arrive prepared, punctual, and appropriately dressed for a school environment.
- Keep student information — results, family circumstances, health matters — confidential, sharing only when necessary or required by law.
- Model the cultural respect and pride in the Greek language that Zenon exists to pass on.
Acknowledgement Quiz
Answer all questions correctly to unlock the acknowledgement form below. You can retake the quiz as many times as you need — there’s no penalty for a wrong answer, only for skipping it.
✅ Well done — now confirm your acknowledgement
Acknowledgement recorded
Please also let the school office know you’ve completed this acknowledgement, so it can be filed alongside your other staff records.