As a parent or carer, you are an important part of our school community. We offer a range of services to support you and your family.
Parents and Citizens’ Association (P&C)
Our Parents and Citizens’ Association (P&C) is made up of parents and carers, teachers and community members. The P&C meets regularly to contribute to decision-making, developing policies and management plans as well as fundraising.
Counselling for families
The school counsellor can assist when families undergo a trauma or big change. Contact us to make an appointment. For information in community languages, see school counselling service.
Outside of the education system, free telephone counselling services are available to support families who may be going through a difficult time.
- Lifeline – 24-hour telephone counselling service. 13 11 14.
- Mensline Australia – 24-hour telephone counselling service for men. 1300 789 978.
- Parent line – an advice and information service. 1300 1300 52.
Interpreting and translations
We will help you communicate with our school. If you’d like an interpreter for a school meeting, let us know and we will arrange one, if available.
If you don’t speak or understand English well and want to contact us, call TIS National on 131 450 and ask for an interpreter in your language. The operator will call the school and get an interpreter to help. This service is free.
For more information, listen in your language.
Visit the department’s translated documents section for important information that’s relevant for your child’s education in many languages.
Effective Communication Between Parents and The School - Guidelines
These guidelines have been devised to assist parents and carers (referred to herein as parents) seeking school related information and/or to communicate concerns.
Parents or other members of the school community may need to approach the school to:
- discuss the academic progress or welfare of their own child
- express concern about actions of other students
- enquire about school policy or practice
- provide positive feedback or a compliment.
These guidelines aim to:
- support class programs and student learning
- outline expected processes for community members and staff, ensuring that concerns are dealt with in an open and fair manner
- ensure that the rights of students, teachers and parents are respected and upheld
- support the sensitive and confidential resolution of matters
- help reach an outcome or resolution in the best interests of children involved.
It is important that if an issue is causing a family concern, they feel they are able to approach the school and have the issue appropriately addressed. It is also important that the school is given the opportunity to hear and respond to issues in an appropriate manner. We ask parents to make an appointment with an appropriate staff member to discuss the matter at hand.
Email is the preferred method of contact with the school office: petersham-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au. High volumes of phone calls and in-person enquiries can be challenging for our administrative staff to manage.
All parent enquiries will be attended to at the school office. Parents should not access classrooms or the playground during school hours without prior approval of the teacher.
Issue: The academic progress of your child
Appropriate Action:
- Contact your child’s teacher or the school office to make an appointment with them. The teacher will get in touch with you to arrange a suitable time to speak on the phone, or meet virtually or in person.
Teachers are not able to discuss issues with parents on the way to class, during teaching time, or when they have a duty of care for students. - For matters which are unresolved or require further support, contact the school office to request an appointment with the Assistant Principal supervising your child’s year group.
Issue: The welbeing of your child
Appropriate Action:
- Contact your child’s teacher or the school office to make an appointment with them. State the nature of your concern and arrange a suitable time to talk or meet with the class teacher or the appropriate staff member.
Teachers are not able to discuss issues with parents on the way to class, during teaching time, or when they have a duty of care for students. - For matters which are unresolved or require further support, contact the office to request an appointment with the Deputy Principal.
Issue: Actions of other students
Appropriate Action:
- Contact the school office detailing your concerns, marked attention to your child’s teacher. The class teacher will check and clarify details of the matter and share this information with you as soon as possible.
- The class teacher will liaise with the stage supervisor, deputy principal or principal for playground problems requiring clarification from students or additional support.
- For matters which are unresolved or require further support, contact the office to request an appointment with the Deputy Principal.
Issue: School policy or practice
Appropriate Action:
- Contact the school office. State the nature of your query. This information will be passed on to the appropriate staff member.
- The staff member will contact you to explain the relevant details or to make an appointment to discuss the matter further.
Issue: Change of details or information
Appropraite Action:
- To convey information about change of address, telephone number, emergency contacts, custody details, or student health conditions, email the school office.
Please note the following:
- Parents should not attend classrooms without a prior appointment.
- All enquiries are to be directed to the school office.
- All parents and visitors should sign in at the school office when entering or remaining on school grounds during school hours.
- No parent should directly approach another person’s child.
- Please be mindful of the volume and frequency of email communication with teachers. Managing a high volume of emails can impact on the time they have to prepare programs and assess students’ progress.
- When emailing or meeting with teachers and school staff, please be calm and respectful, raise any concerns early, and allow sufficient time for issues to be followed up and a response provided.
Complaints Handling Procedure
Our preference is to address and resolve complaints at the school level where possible.
Complaints can be made in writing directly to the school, or via the complaints and compliments form, available on the Department of Education’s Complaints, Compliments and Suggestions webpage.
The school looks forward to working with the wider school community and building strong respectful, positive relationships through communication and collaboration.
