We review Victorian independent schools to ensure they meet the minimum standards and requirements for school registration.
The Department of Education review government schools and the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria review Catholic schools our behalf. They report their schools’ compliance with the minimum standards to us.
We typically review schools every 5 years, but we may conduct reviews at any time.
We may conduct a out-of-cycle review if:
- there are matters about the safety of a student which need urgent action
- exceptional circumstances justify a review of the school's operations.
What is the procedure for a school review?
When we select your school for review, we conduct a risk-based assessment to determine its focus.
Depending on the outcome of this assessment, your school may be subject to a:
- desk audit where we review school documentation to assess compliance with some or all of the minimum standards
- site audit where we, or one of our contracted reviewers, visit your school.
We may also conduct:
- a financial capability assessment
- an assessment of your school's bushfire preparedness and emergency management procedures.
We will notify you in writing about the review focus and give you appropriate time to prepare.
How do I prepare for a review?
Attend an information session for reviews
Each year, we run review information sessions for schools selected for review.
Email us to find out more at vrqa.schools@education.vic.gov.au.
Use our evidence tool
Our evidence tool is a checklist that guides you through the requirements for each minimum standard.
It will help you:
- identify areas for improvement
- provide required documents
- access relevant guidelines and publications.
What happens if we identify non-compliance?
If we identify non-compliance with the minimum standards during a school review, we will provide you with a non-compliance report and a rectification plan.
We work with schools collaboratively to help you meet minimum standards.
For more information about how we approach compliance during a review, see our School compliance framework.
The school is accountable for rectifying non-compliance on time. If this is unsuccessful, we may enforce certain powers.
These powers include:
- imposing conditions on a school for the whole or any part of the period of registration
- imposing interim conditions on a school before a review
- prohibiting the school from enrolling new students
- requiring the school to report its non-compliance to parents
- accepting an enforceable undertaking from a school
- suspending or cancelling the school's registration.
We usually provide a notice of proposed action to the school.
The school has 28 days to show why the proposed action isn't necessary.
What is an enforceable undertaking?
If a school wishes to formalise a process for rectifying non-compliance, they may offer us an enforceable undertaking. This is a written agreement between the school under review and us.
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