Schools with boarding facilities
If a registered non-government school/registration system and/or member school provides boarding facilities, whether itself or by contractual arrangement, the school must have policies and procedures that are satisfactory to ensure the safety and welfare of boarders.
A school that provides boarding facilities is one that regularly provides overnight accommodation for students enrolled at the school, either itself or by contractual arrangement. Boarding facilities exclude accommodation provided away from school premises for day students during a brief school trip and 'home stay' accommodation.
The requirements that are appropriate to ensure the safety and welfare of boarders are contained in a set of minimum standards for the safety and welfare of boarders. While the title and scope of policies and procedures that a school will have in place will vary from school to school depending on the school's philosophy, ethos and practice, each standard must be addressed within the totality of the school's policies and procedures.
The standards for boarding relate to:
- availability of aims and guiding principles in relation to boarding
- compliance of accommodation with legislative requirements
- rights and responsibilities of boarders being defined and respected
- compliance with child protection legislation
- minimisation of harm to boarders
- monitoring of boarders' physical well-being and development
- monitoring of boarders' personal development and emotional well-being
- day-to-day management of the boarding accommodation.
In addition, schools with boarding facilities must comply with all other registration requirements.