Executive Director’s Update to Principals #45 - 6 October 2023
Review of Evacuation Diagrams
Evacuation diagrams are mandatory for all workplaces under Australian Standard 3745-2010 and are part of the Essential Safety Measures and Occupational Health and Safety audits. These diagrams are required to be current, clearly show evacuation procedures, fire and safety equipment, designated exits, and details of emergency assembly areas.
The VRQA requires that there be evidence of:
- building and facility compliance with local planning regulations and with the Building Code of Australia, Class 9b or equivalent
- policy and procedures to ensure the school complies with the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
It had been noted during the regular Essential Safety Measures and Occupational Health and Safety audits conducted by Planning & Infrastructure that many school evacuation diagrams were not compliant with AS 3745-2010. Failure to meet this requirement can result in fines up to $30 000 per incident.
In Victoria evacuation diagrams are valid for five years or until any renovations or changes to the business or building structure have been implemented.
To assist schools with compliance with this requirement, and to improve safety for students and staff, DOBCEL have investigated the possibility of centralising the provision and review of evacuation diagrams.
Quotes have been sought from a selection of companies that specialise in evacuation diagrams and emergency management, with the aim to find a suitably qualified contractor to assist schools in meeting their obligations in relation to AS 3745-2010, by providing evacuation diagrams that are current and contain all required information.
Hendry Group has been selected as the preferred provider with approximate costs for small, medium and large schools at $250, $450 and $750, respectively.
Unless a school has recently had its evacuation diagrams updated it is recommended that all schools have their existing diagrams reviewed by Hendry.
It is proposed that each school engage Hendry individually. However, in the first instance, Hendry have requested CEB to manage the coordination of interested schools. This will assist Hendry to keep to costs to a minimum and manage the work in a cohesive sequence. Hendry can also be engaged by you to provide additional services as outlined here.
You are asked to review the attached information and complete the survey to indicate the services/s you require by Friday 20 October.
Graduate Teacher Support - Term 4
Graduate teacher days are scheduled for Wednesday, October 18 (Graduates) and Friday, October 20 (2nd and 3rd Year teachers). Considering the competing demands on school staff, DOBCEL is taking a different approach to supporting Early Career Teachers over these days. Early Career teachers who have been a part of the 2023 Program will receive an invitation to participate in a one-to-one engagement reflecting on their successes as an early career teacher and an opportunity to discuss where they may need additional development that can be supported at a system level.
The purpose of these conversations is to provide personalised systemic support and to inform the future development of our Early Career Support Program. It provides a complementary support structure to the nurturing environment of your school to assist teachers at a time of year when they may be challenged by the diverse demands of the teaching profession.
Each participant of the 2023 program will receive an email in the week commencing October 9 inviting them to participate in a 30-minute one-on-one engagement. There will be a set of questions asked to each early career teacher (BELOW) as well as the opportunity for other general conversation related to the graduate program and a graduate teacher’s development and wellbeing.
Questions:
- How are you travelling at the moment?
- What have been some of your successes or challenges this year?
- Is there any way we can support you for the rest of this year?
- How have you found the graduate experience this year?
- How might we make it better? (even better if?)
- Going forward, what support/s might you require?
Whilst it will be a confidential process, DOBCEL staff will be able to collaborate with school leaders to deliver systemic support, where identified, for individuals. It provides another opportunity to reinforce the support structures that exist across DOBCEL and the profession more broadly.
The process of determining meeting times is still being confirmed; however, it is anticipated that the VC meeting will be approximately 30 minutes in duration. If the proposed time for the meeting is not suitable for your staff member or school organisation, we will arrange a more suitable time.
Principals may have already planned release for the full day for early career teachers on these days. If that is the case, your staff member would benefit from the additional time to address unit planning, assessment and reporting demands, compliance requirements or researching strategies to support managing complex behaviours or additional needs.
If your staff member/s does not have release at the invited time, we ask that you look at whether this is possible or, as outlined above, request an alternate time.
A communication will be sent to your early career teacher/s tomorrow and a copy of that communication can be found here.
Thank you for your commitment to the development of early career teachers and if you have any questions or concerns, please contact Fiona Murphy, Manager of Organisational Development (fmurphy@dobcel.catholic.edu.au ).
Sponsorship and Further Study
Sponsorship opportunities have opened this week for employees of Catholic Schools across the Diocese. Sponsorship funding sources are different for Diocesan primary and Secondary schools but educators in all schools can apply for sponsorship. It is important that Principals are aware of and endorse applications for sponsorship. Principals are encouraged to build the opportunity for dialogue within your school community regarding this opportunity to support Religious Education and enhanced student engagement and outcomes in this key area.
Secondary principals are advised that while the form states schools contribute 1/3 of the cost, this has already been allocated within your PD levy.
We sought interest recently for a 2024 cohort of the REAP program, under a slightly different model of delivery. There has been strong engagement with this opportunity. We will communicate with those who have expressed interest over the next week and invite them to submit an application for sponsorship by 27 October.
The link to this week’s communication to all staff can be found here.
The application form for Sponsorship can be accessed here.
We are aware that the information on the DOBCEL website needs updating for 2024 and we are working to achieve that.
2024 Meeting Calendar - draft
Please find attached the draft 2024 DOBCEL/CEB meeting calendar.
Due to the transition of the new CECV, we are still waiting on dates for statewide committee meetings which may require further adjustment to this calendar.
A final version will be released to CEB staff and Principals in December.
Should you have any concerns, please email Kerrie Zammit
Kids News Junior Journalist Competition
Kids News are now running a Kids News Junior Journalist competition that may be of interest to your primary and secondary teachers.
It's a way for kids to develop a range of literacy skills drawing on writing, editing, producing and presenting as there are newsreel and news story categories of the competition, and is open to Years 3-9 and accepting entries until Oct 27.
The grand prize is a guest presenter spot on Studio 10 and there are four $750 gift cards for primary school winners up for grabs too.
For further information click here.
If you have any questions please contact, Diana Jenkins via email or mobile 0403 848 189.