Confiscations Policy
Approved By: Principal
Date of Review: August 2028
Page contents
Purpose
To explain the Templestowe College policy in relation to confiscations. Items brought to school that are dangerous, unlawful, harmful or detract from the smooth running of TC will be deemed inappropriate and the school’s duty will be to confiscate such items.
In doing this:
To ensure the ongoing safety of students and staff members.
To ensure that the law, and/or TC Code of Conduct are consistently upheld.
To ensure all student’s rights are protected and preserved.
Scope
This policy applies to all school activities, including camps and excursions.
Policy
Students have rights in relation to privacy, their belongings and themselves.
However, TC owes our students and staff a duty of care to ensure that the school is safe and free from reasonably foreseeable harm.
Staff and students are expected to provide a learning environment that is free from items that may cause annoyance, unnecessary distractions, and/or disruptions.
The school will provide clear, broad guidelines to students and parents/carers as to the types of objects that are not desired at school and the justifications as to why they are banned.
Students who are in possession of banned objects at school can expect to be asked to surrender the object to a staff member and in the case of dangerous or unlawful items, the item will not be returned. Such non-returnable items may include cigarette lighters, knives, or other as adjudged by a relevant staff member.
Students who do not voluntarily surrender objects after a reasonable request from a staff member to do so, will be immediately referred to the Principal or Assistant Principal, or their delegate.
Staff members will never forcibly take objects from students or conduct random/non-consented searches unless the staff member forms the belief that the student, other students, and/or staff are in genuine, imminent danger. Under such circumstances, immediate action will be taken to prevent injury to the student or others, and police, the Principal and parents/carers will be contacted.
Consequences for having items confiscated, or for failing to comply with a reasonable instruction to hand over an object for confiscation, will be managed in a manner consistent with the TC Code of Conduct.
Confiscated items may be collected from the staff member or the school office at the end of the school day. This will only be the case if they are considered not to be dangerous or unlawful. At times, it may be more appropriate that parents/carers or police collect the confiscated items.
Communication of this policy
This policy will be communicated to our school community in the following ways:
Available publicly on the school website
Annually referenced in Next Week @TC
Discussed at parent information nights/sessions
Hard copy available from school administration upon request
Further information and resources
The Department’s Policy and Advisory Library (PAL):
Related TC Policies: