The National Safe Schools Framework vision is underpinned by the following guiding principles that represent fundamental beliefs about safe, supportive and respectful school communities. These guiding principles emphasise the importance of student safety and wellbeing as a pre-requisite for effective learning in all school settings.

Australian schools:

• affirm the rights of all members of the school community to feel safe and be safe at school
• acknowledge that being safe and supported at school is essential for student wellbeing and effective learning
• accept responsibility for developing and sustaining safe and supportive learning and teaching communities that also fulfil the school’s child protection responsibilities
• encourage the active participation of all school community members in developing and maintaining a safe school community where diversity is valued
• actively support young people to develop understanding and skills to keep themselves and others safe
• commit to developing a safe school community through a whole-school and evidence-based approach

It provides:

• National Safe Schools Framework school audit tool
• Frequently asked questions related to student safety and wellbeing
• Key actions and effective practices for implementing the Framework’s nine elements
• Commonly used terms and definitions
• Resources to support implementation of the Framework
• Review of the literature on student safety and wellbeing in schools