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Legal · Child safety

Child Safety

Last updated: 18 October 2026

We teach children and young people, so this is the page we take most seriously. It explains who we allow to teach, what a Verity class should look like, the boundaries our tutors follow, how we handle online learning, and what happens if a student, parent or another person raises a concern.

The short version

  1. Tutors undertaking child-related work must hold the appropriate current Working with Children clearance before teaching students.
  2. Tutors are screened, inducted and trained in Verity's teaching approach and child-safety expectations.
  3. Classes are live, structured and supervised by a real tutor.
  4. Student communication happens through approved channels. Tutors must not move students into private personal messaging, social-media or gaming accounts.
  5. We do not publish identifiable student photographs, videos, testimonials, results or work without appropriate permission.
  6. We take concerns seriously. You do not need proof before telling us that something worries you.
  7. Where we believe a child may be at risk of harm, we will take appropriate action, including contacting relevant authorities where required or appropriate.

1. Who this policy covers

This policy applies to everyone involved in delivering or supporting Verity Education services, including:

  1. tutors;
  2. employees;
  3. contractors;
  4. volunteers, where applicable;
  5. managers and coordinators;
  6. anyone else who interacts with students through Verity Education.

It applies across:

  1. regular classes;
  2. individual tutoring;
  3. group programs;
  4. free discovery sessions;
  5. workshops;
  6. school-holiday programs;
  7. online sessions;
  8. in-person sessions;
  9. student projects;
  10. assessments;
  11. progress reporting;
  12. communications between sessions.

This policy sits alongside our Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, tutor Code of Conduct and other child-safety procedures.

2. Our commitment to child safety

Verity Education is committed to providing an environment where children and young people:

  1. are safe;
  2. are treated with dignity and respect;
  3. are listened to;
  4. know that they can raise concerns;
  5. are supported to participate in their learning;
  6. are protected from abuse, grooming, harassment, discrimination and inappropriate conduct.

Child safety is not limited to preventing physical harm.

It also includes creating safe:

  1. online environments;
  2. communication channels;
  3. teaching relationships;
  4. classrooms;
  5. learning activities;
  6. technology use.

We aim to create an environment where students feel comfortable asking questions, saying no, speaking up and telling an adult when something does not feel right.

3. Who we allow to teach

Before a tutor begins child-related work with Verity Education, we take reasonable steps to assess their suitability.

This may include:

  1. verifying identity;
  2. checking relevant qualifications or experience;
  3. reviewing subject knowledge;
  4. interviewing the tutor;
  5. conducting a trial lesson or teaching assessment;
  6. checking references where appropriate;
  7. confirming required Working with Children clearance;
  8. completing Verity induction and child-safety training.

A Working with Children Check is one part of our screening process. It does not replace appropriate recruitment, supervision, training or conduct standards.

We keep appropriate records of screening and clearance information and monitor expiry dates where required.

From 19 October 2026, Victorian organisations engaging people in child-related work have additional obligations relating to WWC Connect and notification of workers. Verity Education will seek to comply with applicable requirements as they take effect.

4. Tutor training and expectations

Tutors are expected to understand:

  1. appropriate professional boundaries;
  2. child-safe communication;
  3. how to respond if a student discloses something concerning;
  4. how to escalate a concern internally;
  5. appropriate online conduct;
  6. privacy and confidentiality;
  7. safe use of technology and AI;
  8. academic-integrity expectations;
  9. when they must seek assistance rather than trying to handle a situation themselves.

Tutors must teach only within areas they are reasonably competent to teach.

Where specialist qualifications or expertise are required, we will seek to allocate an appropriately qualified or experienced person.

5. What a Verity class should look like

A Verity session should be:

  1. scheduled;
  2. associated with an identifiable tutor;
  3. delivered through an agreed location or platform;
  4. appropriate for the student's age and program;
  5. conducted within Verity's professional boundaries.

Group programs may contain several students.

Where we advertise a particular class-size limit, we will make reasonable efforts to maintain that limit.

Students should not be asked to attend an undisclosed location, communicate through an undisclosed personal account, or enter into a private tutoring arrangement with a Verity tutor outside the agreed service.

Parents or guardians may ask us about:

  1. who is teaching their child;
  2. what the class is covering;
  3. their child's progress;
  4. appropriate communication channels;
  5. any child-safety concern relating to the program.

6. Online classes

Online learning creates different risks from face-to-face teaching, so additional boundaries apply.

Tutors must not ask students to move a Verity conversation to:

  1. a personal social-media account;
  2. a personal gaming account;
  3. private disappearing-message platforms;
  4. another communication channel that has not been approved for Verity use.

Where reasonably practicable, communications with younger students should occur through a channel that a parent or guardian can access or is aware of.

For younger students, we ask that a parent or guardian:

  1. knows when the session is taking place;
  2. is reasonably contactable during the session;
  3. knows which platform is being used.

Students should participate from a reasonably appropriate environment.

Tutors should also teach from an appropriate professional environment.

7. Recording sessions

Verity Education does not routinely record classes simply because they take place online.

If a session is to be recorded, we will provide appropriate notice and obtain any consent that is required.

Where recordings are created, they may only be used for the stated purpose and should be retained only for as long as reasonably necessary.

A tutor must not privately record a student using a personal device or account.

8. Communication between sessions

Between-class communication should occur through approved Verity channels.

Tutors must not establish secret or personal communication arrangements with students.

Tutors must not:

  1. ask a student to hide communications from a parent or guardian;
  2. initiate inappropriate personal conversations;
  3. send sexual, discriminatory, threatening or otherwise inappropriate content;
  4. encourage dependence or exclusivity in the tutor-student relationship;
  5. use private communication to create a relationship outside the educational context.

Academic questions between sessions should remain educational and appropriate.

Where applicable, Verity may provide response-time expectations for particular programs, but these should not be treated as emergency-support services.

9. Tutor Code of Conduct

Tutors must maintain appropriate professional boundaries.

This includes:

  1. no sexual or romantic conduct with students;
  2. no grooming behaviour;
  3. no inappropriate jokes, comments or material;
  4. no bullying, harassment or discrimination;
  5. no unnecessary or inappropriate physical contact;
  6. no private meetings in undisclosed locations;
  7. no encouraging students to keep inappropriate secrets;
  8. no exchange of inappropriate gifts, loans or financial arrangements;
  9. no photographing, filming or recording students without appropriate authority;
  10. no use of alcohol or illegal drugs while teaching;
  11. no teaching while impaired;
  12. no misuse of confidential student information;
  13. no retaliation against a student who raises a concern.

Tutors must not promise absolute confidentiality to a student.

If a student tells a tutor something that indicates they or another person may be unsafe, the tutor may need to share that information with the appropriate person.

10. Student behaviour

Students are also expected to contribute to a safe environment.

Students must not:

  1. bully another student;
  2. harass tutors or students;
  3. use discriminatory or threatening language;
  4. deliberately expose others to inappropriate material;
  5. misuse technology or AI systems;
  6. photograph or record other students without permission;
  7. deliberately disrupt the safety of a class.

Where behaviour creates a safety concern, we may:

  1. speak with the student;
  2. contact their parent or guardian;
  3. remove the student from a session;
  4. move them to another program;
  5. suspend or end participation where necessary.

Our response will depend on the seriousness and circumstances of the behaviour.

11. AI, coding and online safety

Some Verity programs involve:

  1. artificial intelligence;
  2. coding;
  3. online platforms;
  4. digital tools;
  5. websites;
  6. software development;
  7. online research.

Students may therefore encounter technology that can generate unpredictable, inaccurate or inappropriate content.

Tutors are expected to teach students to use these tools responsibly.

Depending on the program, this may include:

  1. protecting personal information;
  2. recognising inappropriate content;
  3. avoiding unsafe links or downloads;
  4. understanding AI limitations;
  5. respecting copyright;
  6. avoiding plagiarism;
  7. using appropriate usernames and account settings;
  8. understanding when human review is required.

Students must not deliberately use Verity programs or technology to create harmful, illegal or abusive content.

12. Atlas learning records

Some Verity programs may use Atlas-powered learning records to document:

  1. projects;
  2. skills;
  3. assessments;
  4. tutor observations;
  5. learning milestones;
  6. evidence of progress.

These records are learning tools, not public profiles by default.

Access should be limited according to appropriate permissions.

An Atlas record does not automatically give Verity Education permission to publish student information.

Public use of identifiable student work, achievements, screenshots, photographs or testimonials requires appropriate separate consent.

13. Photographs, videos and student work

Enrolment does not automatically give Verity Education permission to publish a student's:

  1. photograph;
  2. video;
  3. voice;
  4. testimonial;
  5. result;
  6. project;
  7. schoolwork;
  8. Atlas record.

Where we want to use identifiable student material publicly, we will seek appropriate consent through a separate release process.

A parent or guardian may refuse marketing consent without affecting the student's ordinary participation in Verity Education.

Where appropriate, we will also seek the student's agreement.

14. What we ask parents and guardians to do

Parents and guardians play an important role in keeping students safe.

We ask you to:

  1. keep emergency and contact information reasonably current;
  2. tell us about information that is genuinely relevant to your child's safe participation;
  3. let us know about accessibility or support requirements where relevant;
  4. tell us if there are restrictions concerning who may collect or contact your child;
  5. raise concerns promptly.

You do not need to disclose every private detail about your child or family.

Only information reasonably relevant to the student's learning, wellbeing or safety should be provided.

15. If something worries you

If you are concerned about:

  1. a tutor;
  2. another student;
  3. a communication;
  4. a class;
  5. an online interaction;
  6. inappropriate behaviour;
  7. a child-safety issue;

please contact Verity Education.

You do not need proof before raising a concern.

You also do not need to be certain that misconduct has occurred.

It is enough to tell us what you observed, heard or are worried about.

Contact:

  1. Email: hello@verity-education.com

Use "Child Safety" in the subject line where practicable.

You may also raise a concern verbally with a tutor, but serious concerns should be passed to the designated Verity child-safety contact.

16. How we respond to concerns

When a child-safety concern is raised, we will take reasonable steps to:

  1. listen and record the concern;
  2. consider any immediate safety risk;
  3. protect the student where necessary;
  4. escalate the matter to the appropriate person;
  5. determine whether external reporting is required;
  6. document actions taken;
  7. communicate appropriately with affected people, subject to privacy, safety and legal restrictions.

We will not require a child or parent to prove an allegation before it is taken seriously.

Not every concern will result in the same response.

The appropriate response depends on:

  1. what occurred;
  2. the level of risk;
  3. legal obligations;
  4. the interests of the child;
  5. whether police, child-protection authorities or another regulator should be involved.

17. Concerns involving a tutor or worker

Where a concern involves a tutor, employee, contractor or volunteer, Verity Education may take precautionary steps while the matter is assessed.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

  1. changing teaching arrangements;
  2. limiting contact with students;
  3. temporarily removing the person from child-related duties;
  4. conducting an internal review;
  5. seeking professional advice;
  6. making a report to an external authority.

Precautionary action does not itself mean that an allegation has been proven.

Where allegations are substantiated, appropriate disciplinary or contractual action may follow.

18. When we report externally

There are situations where Verity Education may need to contact:

  1. Victoria Police;
  2. Child Protection;
  3. the Social Services Regulator;
  4. another regulator or authority;
  5. emergency services.

This may occur where:

  1. a child appears to be at immediate risk;
  2. abuse or serious misconduct is suspected;
  3. the law requires notification;
  4. a reportable-conduct or Working with Children obligation applies.

Reporting obligations can vary depending on the type of conduct, the person's role and Verity Education's legal status.

We will seek to follow applicable Victorian requirements rather than making promises about reporting that the law does not require.

Victoria's Child Safe Standards require organisations working with children to maintain child-safe practices, including appropriate complaints, screening, risk-management and reporting systems.

19. Confidentiality

Child-safety information is handled carefully.

However, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed where information needs to be shared to:

  1. protect a child;
  2. investigate a concern;
  3. obtain professional advice;
  4. comply with law;
  5. report to an appropriate authority.

Information should only be shared with people who reasonably need it for those purposes.

20. Records

We may keep records relating to:

  1. Working with Children clearances;
  2. tutor screening;
  3. child-safety training;
  4. complaints;
  5. incidents;
  6. disclosures;
  7. actions taken;
  8. communications concerning serious concerns.

Records are stored with appropriate access restrictions and retained for a period reasonably appropriate to their purpose and any legal requirements.

21. Cultural safety, inclusion and participation

Verity Education aims to provide an environment that is safe and welcoming for students from different:

  1. cultures;
  2. backgrounds;
  3. abilities;
  4. identities;
  5. family circumstances.

We do not tolerate discrimination, racism, bullying or harassment.

We recognise the importance of cultural safety for Aboriginal children and young people.

We also aim to ensure that children:

  1. understand their right to feel safe;
  2. can participate in decisions affecting their learning;
  3. know how to raise concerns;
  4. are taken seriously when they speak.

Victoria's Child Safe Standards include specific requirements concerning cultural safety, participation, family involvement, equity and child-focused complaints.

22. Reviewing child safety

Child safety is an ongoing responsibility, not a document we publish once.

We will periodically review:

  1. this policy;
  2. tutor screening;
  3. communication rules;
  4. online-learning risks;
  5. complaints and incidents;
  6. tutor training;
  7. technology used with students;
  8. areas where our systems could be improved.

Material changes will be reflected in the updated date at the top of this page.

Questions?

Email hello@verity-education.com and a person — not a form — will answer.

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