Information for parents regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
We are acting on the advice of the WA Department of Health to take the necessary precautions for schools and staff.
All Western Australian public schools are being supported by the Department of Education to implement a plan in relation to COVID-19.
The State Government has announced new learning arrangements in Western Australian public schools will be introduced to help manage the COVID-19 pandemic.
To assist our students, teachers and parents, from Monday March 30 to Friday April 3, all children who attend school will continue to be taught. Staff will continue to be present to ensure this can occur.
However, we encourage families to keep their children at home if they can access online or other resources for their education to continue.
Children of parents who need their children to attend school to enable them to maintain employment, and those children in vulnerable families, such as children living with grandparents, are encouraged to continue to attend school.
Teachers and education assistants will use the time between Monday 6 to Thursday 9 April to complete professional development to prepare for Term 2. For children who need to attend school during these four days, arrangements will be in place to allow students to continue to attend school and be supervised.
Independent and Catholic schools will introduce their own suitable arrangements.
Work will continue during the school holidays on developing a longer term education model for Term 2 and beyond in response to COVID-19.
If there was to be a confirmed COVID-19 case at a school, the decision to close a school is based on the expert advice from the WA Health Department’s Chief Health Officer.
The Chief Health Officer will, if there has been a positive COVID-19 test result in a school, close the school temporarily while assessment and tracing of exposure is conducted. A thorough school clean will then be carried out to make the school safe for the return of students and staff.
In this situation, all families will be immediately contacted by the school and provided with the relevant information.
All non-essential travel in and out of Western Australia will be banned from 1.30pm on Tuesday, 24 March 2020.
New restrictions and arrival requirements to travel to Western Australia from other Australian States and Territories in response to COVID-19 will apply unless exempted.
Arrivals from overseas and interstate will now be ordered to self-isolate for 14 days.
Parents/carers must notify their school that their child will be absent from school for the isolation period and confirm the date of arrival into Western Australia.
Students do not require a medical certificate or clearance to return to school but must remain at home until 14 days.
The Learning at home website is now available and resources will continue to be added over the coming weeks.
Updates will be provided as any new information becomes available. Please check back regularly to ensure the information you have is up to date.
The Department of Education, Catholic Education Western Australia and the Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia will continue to respond as a collaborative team to advice from the WA Department of Health and provide updated advice to schools and staff as appropriate.
