School policies
The new Education Act and Education Regulations commenced 2 January 2016.
Work is currently underway to update policies, guidelines and other information sources to reflect the new Education Act and Regulations.
Read more about legislation and the changes and updates to policies following introduction of the Education Act 2015.
To find out more, contact Legislation Services by calling 08 8901 4990 or emailing legislation.services@nt.gov.au.
Current policies
Policies provide advice for schools, students, parents and the wider school community on the provision of education services and decision-making processes across the Northern Territory.
All policies on this website are current and enforceable. If the suggested review date has passed, the policy remains current until the review is undertaken.
Schools can create their own policies in addition to the departmental policies listed below.
Talk to your child's school about their local policies.
Get the following policy documents for alcohol consumption on Department of Education premises:
An allocation of 26 semesters of government school education for each child in the Northern Territory has been implemented under the new Education Act.
The allocation of government school education applies to all students enrolled at Northern Territory government primary, middle and senior secondary schools from 1 January 2016.
Every student enrolled in a Northern Territory government school is entitled to receive an allocation of 26 semesters (13 years) of government school education from Transition to Year 12.
Current students will be allocated the number of semesters they need to finish school calculated from 1 January 2016. For example, a student enrolled in Year 5 at the commencement of Semester 1, 2016 will have a remaining allocation of 16 semesters, which will allow them the time they need to finish Year 12.
From now on, students who enrol in a government school at any time after Transition will be allocated the balance of semesters required to finish school at the end of Year 12.
Students can apply for an additional allocation if they need more time to complete their schooling.
Read the guidelines and application forms below for more information.
Contact
School Operations
Email: schoolops.det@nt.gov.au
Allocation of Government School Education (26 Semesters)
Get the policy documents for amalgamation or permanent closure of a government school.
Get the following policy documents for animals in schools:
Get the following policy documents describing how to manage asbestos in schools:
Get the following policy documents for Assistance Animals:
Get the following policy documents for attendance:
Policies and guidelines
Get the following policy documents for back to school payments:
Get the following policy documents for student wellbeing and behaviour.
Detention and Internal Suspension
- Detention/internal suspension guidelines DOCX (69.4 KB)
- Parent letter template - Period of after hours detention DOCX (34.1 KB)
Suspension
- Suspension interim guideline for term 1 2021 PDF (888.7 KB)
- Alternatives to suspension DOCX (61.8 KB)
- Student suspension flowchart JPG (82.3 KB)
- Suspension decision making checklist for principals DOCX (705.5 KB)
- Student letter template DOCX (116.0 KB)
- Parent letter template DOCX (123.5 KB)
Expulsion
Get the following documents for career development services.
Schools in the Northern Territory may, after appropriate consultation with their school community, appoint a chaplain to support the provision of pastoral care and emotional wellbeing.
National School Chaplaincy Program
The Australian Government funded National School Chaplaincy Program (NSCP) supports the delivery of school chaplaincy services in the Northern Territory through the provision of a conditional grant of financial assistance, which is administered by the Department of Education.
- NSCP - General Information Handbook 2019-2022 DOCX (68.5 KB)
- NSCP - General Information Handbook 2019-2022 PDF (1.2 MB)
- NSCP - Cross Sector Panel Terms of Reference 2019-2022 DOCX (678.7 KB)
- NSCP - Cross Sector Panel Terms of Reference 2019-2022 PDF (528.2 KB)
- NSCP - Chaplaincy funding application form 2019-2022 DOCX (57.2 KB)
- NSCP - Chaplaincy funding application form 2019-2022 PDF (165.0 KB)
Get the following policy documents for the use of school facilities.
- Community use of school facilities policy PDF (114.6 KB)
Community use of school facilities policy DOCX (60.0 KB) - Community use of school facilities guidelines PDF (110.1 KB)
Community use of school facilities guidelines DOCX (60.2 KB) - Community use of school facilities agreement and schedule PDF (102.5 KB)
Community use of school facilities agreement and schedule DOCX (83.2 KB).
Get the following complaints policy documents.
Read more about where and how to make your complaint about your child's school, vocational education or training in school or an early childhood service.
Privacy statements can be found here.
Get the following policy documents for critical incident response.
Critical Incident Response
Get the following data access policy documents.
Get the following drones in schools policy documents.
Get the following duty of care policy documents.
Get the policy on early childhood transition to school.
Read more about the early childhood transition to school package
Get the following emergency management policy documents.
- Emergency management: school preparedness policy PDF (686.3 KB)
Emergency management: school preparedness policy DOCX (67.8 KB) - Emergency management: plans for schools guidelines PDF (625.5 KB)
Emergency management: plans for schools guidelines DOCX (556.1 KB) - Emergency management plan template PDF (1.1 MB)
Emergency management plan template DOCX (119.8 KB) - Emergency management: public emergency shelter policy PDF (675.3 KB)
Emergency management: public emergency shelter policy DOCX (67.5 KB) - Temporary school closures guidelines PDF (685.1 KB)
Temporary school closures guidelines DOCX (67.5 KB)
Get the enrolment and criminal history checks for mature age students policy documents.
Enrolment
The Education Act outlines the enrolment, attendance and participation requirements for all children residing in the Northern Territory and establishes parameters around the enrolment of students in Northern Territory government schools.
This following policy, guidelines and procedures provide quality and consistent processes for all schools and departmental staff to adhere to when assessing student eligibility for enrolment, processing and recording student enrolments and ensuring enrolment is enforced.
Policy and guidelines
Enrolment eligibility guidelines
Enrolment procedures
Enrolment enforcement guidelines
Enrolment management and priority enrolment guidelines
Enrolment in distance education guidelines
Criminal history checks for prospective mature age students
From 1 January 2016 all prospective mature age students must undertake a criminal history check to resume studies in any Northern Territory school. This applies to both government and non-government schools.
This applies to all prospective students who are 18 years of age or older and have not been enrolled in a school in the previous 12 months.
When applying to enrol in a school, mature age students must provide a criminal history record at their own expense. The criminal history record will be checked for disqualifying offences. If the applicant has a disqualifying offence they may not enrol in any school in the NT.
There are separate processes for government, Catholic and independent schools.
Government Schools
Mature age applicants for enrolment in government schools can access the application forms and guidelines below.
Application forms and information
Procedures for government school criminal history check
Contact
NT Department of Education
School Operations
GPO Box 4821 Darwin NT 0801
Email: schoolops.det@nt.gov.au
Non-government schools
Mature age applicants for Catholic schools should contact the Catholic Education Office:
Catholic Education Office
PO Box 219 Berrimah NT 0828
Phone: 08 8984 1400
Email: admin.ceo@nt.catholic.edu.au
Mature age applicants for all other independent schools should contact the Association of Independent Schools NT:
Association of Independent Schools NT
GPO Box 2085 Darwin NT 0801
Phone: 08 8981 8668
Email: accounts@aisnt.asn.au
Get the following documents for external providers engaged for teaching and learning
Get the following gifted and talented education policy documents:
- Gifted and talented education policy PDF (300.6 KB)
Gifted and talented education policy DOCX (43.1 KB) - Gifted and talented education guidelines PDF (359.4 KB)
Gifted and talented education guidelines DOCX (62.3 KB) - Appendix 1 - the differences between bright and gifted PDF (426.9 KB)
Appendix 1 - the differences between bright and gifted DOCX (49.2 KB) - Appendix 2 - checklist for parents of young children PDF (656.0 KB)
Appendix 2 - checklist for parents of young children DOCX (53.0 KB) - Appendix 3 - checklist for parents of primary age children PDF (711.6 KB)
Appendix 3 - checklist for parents of primary age children DOCX (58.6 KB) - Appendix 4 - checklist for identifying intellectually gifted
Indigenous students PDF (499.0 KB)
Appendix 4 - checklist for identifying intellectually gifted Indigenous students DOCX (49.8 KB) - Appendix 5 - checklists for identifying intellectually gifted
Indigenous peer nomination PDF (514.4 KB)
Appendix 5 - checklists for identifying intellectually gifted Indigenous peer nomination DOCX (50.2 KB) - Appendix 6 - checklist for identifying gifted underachievers PDF (635.4 KB)
Appendix 6 - checklist for identifying gifted underachievers DOCX (49.3 KB) - Appendix 7 - international guidelines on suitability for accelerated
progression PDF (639.6 KB)
Appendix 7 - international guidelines on suitability for accelerated progression DOCX (52.3 KB) - Appendix 8 - Renzulli model PDF (501.7 KB)
Appendix 8 - Renzulli model DOCX (54.6 KB) - Appendix 9 - Gagne's model PDF (385.3 KB)
Appendix 9 - Gagne's model DOCX (303.6 KB) - Appendix 10 - Williams model PDF (643.0 KB)
Appendix 10 - Williams model DOCX (52.4 KB) - Appendix 11 - Blooms taxonomy PDF (693.3 KB)
Appendix 11 - Blooms taxonomy DOCX (375.6 KB) - Appendix 12 - Maker model PDF (439.2 KB)
Appendix 12 - Maker model DOCX (165.6 KB) - Attachment 1 - teacher process PDF (411.9 KB)
Attachment 1 - teacher process DOCX (50.0 KB) - Attachment 2 - parent process PDF (639.2 KB)
Attachment 2 - parent process DOCX (67.3 KB)
The below are policies, guidelines and other support documentation about student health:
- Health of students policy DOCX (50.4 KB)
- Student's health care action plan template DOCX (32.0 KB)
- Student's health care plan form DOCX (32.1 KB)
- Diabetic client form DOC (52.5 KB)
- Epilepsy management plan template PDF (419.2 KB)
- Emergency medication management plan for Midazolam form PDF (477.7 KB)
- Seizure major generalised first aid guide DOCX (189.6 KB)
- Seizure record template PDF (117.8 KB)
- EpiPen student information form DOCX (55.0 KB)
- Anaphylaxis management in schools
- Asthma management in schools
- Condom provision in schools
- Drugs in schools
- Head lice (nits) management
- Infectious diseases – exclusions from school and preschool
- Administration of medications to students with notified medical conditions
- School nutrition and healthy eating
- Sun safety in schools.
Get the following policy documents for home education.
For more information, guidelines and application forms for home education go to the Northern Territory Government website.
Get the homework policy document.
The Northern Territory Indigenous Languages and Cultures Curriculum
The revised Northern Territory Indigenous Languages and Cultures Curriculum is now complete and available for schools. The curriculum was developed by a reference group led by Indigenous educators from across the Northern Territory.
At the heart of the curriculum is cultural knowledge, organised across three strands: Country/Land, People and Kinship, and Natural Environment. Students in Northern Territory schools come from diverse linguistic backgrounds and to cater for this diversity the NT ILC Curriculum provides four broad learner pathways:
- First language pathway
- Language Revitalisation, Revival and Renewal Pathway
- Second Language Learner Pathway
- Language and Cultural Awareness Pathway
The choice of pathway is based on the community language profile and the knowledge situation of the languages. Schools negotiate the choice of the focus language and the best language learning pathway with the school community.
Keeping Indigenous Languages and Cultures Strong
The NT ILC curriculum is part of the Northern Territory Board of Studies Keeping Indigenous Languages and Cultures Strong – A Plan for Teaching and Learning of Indigenous Languages and Cultures in the Northern Territory (the Plan).
- …the Plan provides a long term vision and goal for building the capacity of our Indigenous leaders, sector and school leaders and classroom educators to implement teaching and learning programs in Indigenous Languages and Cultures.
The Plan aligns the teaching of Indigenous Languages and Cultures (ILC) in the Northern Territory with the Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages in the Australian Curriculum: Languages learning area.
ILC Curriculum Implementation guidelines
Guidelines for the implementation of ILC programs in schools have been developed to support schools in engaging with the Plan and the long term goals of building ILC teaching and learning capacity across the Northern Territory.
The guidelines also outline the roles and responsibilities of the regional and corporate office business units in supporting schools.
The guidelines have been developed for all NT schooling contexts; urban, remote and very remote.
Contact
For more information contact the Indigenous Languages and Cultures team: indigenous-lc.doe@nt.gov.au or (08) 8901 1303
NT Indigenous Languages and Cultures Curriculum Documents
Get the following departmental Information Statement
Get the landscaping and trees policy documents.
Landscaping and Trees
Policy under review.
Literacy and Numeracy Improvement policy
Detention and Internal Suspension
- Detention/internal suspension guidelines DOCX (69.4 KB)
- Parent letter template - Period of after hours detention DOCX (34.1 KB)
Suspension
- Suspension guideline DOCX (191.4 KB)
- Alternatives to suspension DOCX (61.8 KB)
- Student suspension flowchart JPG (82.3 KB)
- Student letter template DOCX (116.0 KB)
- Parent letter template DOCX (123.5 KB)
Expulsion
Get the following mandatory reporting policy documents.
Mandatory reporting of harm and exploitation of children
You can get the mobile phone and electronic device policy documents:
- mobile phones and electronic devices in the school environment policy PDF (651.6 KB)
mobile phones and electronic devices in the school environment policy DOCX (57.2 KB) - mobile phones and electronic devices in the school environment guidelines PDF (638.0 KB)
mobile phones and electronic devices in the school environment guidelines DOC (79.0 KB).
Get the following policy documents for naming government education facilities.
- Naming of government educational facilities in the NT guidelines PDF (664.6 KB)
Naming of government educational facilities in the NT guidelines DOCX (48.8 KB) - Naming of government educational facilities in the NT flowchart PDF (109.0 KB).
Naming of government educational facilities in the NT flowchart DOC (46.5 KB).
Get the physical activity requirements for schools policy document.
Get the following police in schools policy documents:
The School-Based Police Program was launched in ten government schools at the start of Term 4, 2018.
The Department of Education completed a review of the program in Term 2, 2019 and has committed to implementing all recommendations by the end of 2019.
The Police in Schools Guidelines will be updated at the start of 2020 to reflect the service delivery framework for schools and school-based police officers.
Get the following policy documents for political activities
Get the following early years of learning policy documents.
Get the following preschool specific policy documents.
Supporting documents
Get the following privacy policy documents.
Privacy complaints
Get the following policy documents for non-government schools:
Registration of a non-government school
For further information, please contact the Manager of Non-Government Schools at ngs.det@nt.gov.au
Get the following religious instruction policy documents.
Get the following policy documents for reporting of alleged misconduct of a teacher.
Get the Safety in School Sport policy document.
Safety in School Sport policy (110 kB) PDF (530.8 KB)
Safety in School Sport policy (41 kB) DOCX (61.0 KB)
School representative bodies provide a way for parents and community members to be involved with decisions at schools.
There are three types of school representative bodies:
- school council - an elected body of members for a government school
- independent public school board - an elected body of members for government schools that are independent public schools
- joint school representative body - an elected body of members which represent more than one government school.
Role of school representative bodies
A school representative body is the governing body of a school. They work with the school to achieve the best outcomes for students.
Independent public school boards have all the functions of a school council; however school boards focus on strategy and monitoring performance.
Contact
For more information contact the Department of Education by calling (08) 8901 1383 or emailing cls.doe@nt.gov.au.
Council of Government School Organisations
The Northern Territory Council of Government School Organisations (NTCOGSO) is a voluntary organisation made up of members from affiliated school representative bodies.
NTCOGSO provides support for school representative bodies including training and publication of resources for members.
For more information contact:
Phone: (08) 8999 3255
Fax: (08) 8999 3254
enquiries@ntcogso.org.au
www.ntcogso.org.au
Policy, Guidelines and Templates - School representative bodies
Independent public school board
Other available structures
- Sexual Behaviour in Children DOCX (82.7 KB)
- Traffic Lights guide to identify sexual behaviours in children and young people JPG (460.5 KB)
- Identification and response to sexual behaviours scenarios DOCX (60.8 KB)
- Information sharing scenario DOCX (60.2 KB)
- Behaviour and support plan template DOCX (43.6 KB)
- Support and Safety plan template DOCX (45.9 KB)
- Services that can assist DOCX (60.1 KB)
- Allegations of Sexual Misconduct Policy DOCX (57.9 KB)
Get the following documents for contractors entering school premises here
Site Rules For Contractors Entering School Premises
Get the policy document for smoke free premises.
Get the following policy documents for student assistance schemes.
Get the following policy documents for students with a disability.
Students with Disability
Diagnostic Assessment
Transition from School for Students with Disability
- Transition from School for Students with Disability DOCX (158.6 KB)
- Effective Transition Planning Timeline DOCX (41.4 KB)
- Guiding Documents and Additional Resources DOCX (46.0 KB)
Read the Transport for students with special needs policy and guideline.
NDIS information for schools
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) information package for Northern Territory Government schools comprises documents which contain the appropriate documentation needed by each stakeholder group; family, provider or school.
Acknowledgement
The Northern Territory Government would like to acknowledge the Victorian Department of Education and Training, South Australian Department of Education and Child Development and the National Disability Insurance Scheme for permission to use and adapt their information for the development of this information package.
Get the following policy and supporting documents for swimming and water safety:
Policy and procedures
Supporting documents
Templates
Get the documents on temporary school closures.
- Temporary school closures guidelines DOCX (58.6 KB).
- Temporary school closures guidelines PDF (150.8 KB).
Read more about emergency management.
These guidelines have been developed to assist teachers and principals in making informed decisions when selecting spoken, written or visual text and media to be used by the school. There are legislative requirements regarding the Australian Classification Codes and copyright laws that schools must adhere to. Additionally, students and parents have the right to make a conscientious objection to a resource or program and the school will follow these guidelines to manage such objections.
Suitable Text and Media Resources
Read more about transport for students - free public bus travel.
- Transport for students with special needs policy PDF (662.9 KB)
Transport for students with special needs policy DOCX (63.3 KB) - Transport for students with special needs guidelines PDF (957.0 KB)
Transport for students with special needs guidelines DOCX (228.6 KB) - Frequently asked questions PDF (794.4 KB)
Trespass on school premises
Internal guidelines regarding Trespass on School Premises can be located here (internal staff access only).
You can get the following Vocational Education and Training policy documents:
VET Delivered to Secondary Students policies and guidelines
Go to Vocational Education and Training for information on procedures for VET Delivered to Secondary Students coordination and the VET DSS program handbook.
Get the following work experience policy documents.
Work Experience
You can get the following policy documents for working with children clearances:
Last updated: 31 March 2016
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