Transfer Procedures

School policy

Transfers

Purpose of this policy

To ensure student transfers between schools meet department requirements.

Policy

Schools regularly transfer students in and out for a variety of reasons. Also, parents/carers are entitled to request a transfer between schools.

During this process, schools must avoid practices that:

• compel students to transfer or withdraw from school (e.g. for behavioural issues) through any other means than the formal expulsion process. See: expulsion policy
• restrict entry to eligible students.

Schools must:

• provide student information for all students transferring out
• receive student transfer information for all students transferring in
• seek parent consent for a transfer if the transfer follows a behaviour or disciplinary incident that may have otherwise resulted in commencement in expulsion procedures
• use the student exit form (docx - 67.47kb)to obtain this consent
• update CASES21 and contact regional staff as appropriate for additional advice and support.

Approval

School principals approve transfers when:

• the student residence changes and is now closer to a different government school (where requested)
• transfer is sought from an Australian school outside the state system
• the transfer is sought at the commencement of the school year or term 3 and in secondary schools the student can be accommodated mid-year without the reorganisation of the existing school program
• transfer is requested (other than in those instances cited above) by a parent/guardian and the principal of each school involved supports the request
• a student is expelled from a school via the formal expulsion policy. For students of compulsory school age, the principal of the school from which the student has been expelled is responsible for ensuring enrolment in another school or registered training organisation; in consultation with the local area team and regional office.

For all other transfers where the parent appeals against the Principal’s decision to not enrol the:

• transferring principal makes recommendations to the regional director
• regional director determines approval.

Additionally, schools should note that they cannot enrol international students wishing to transfer from another school (prior to the student completing six months of the  principal course of study) without a release letter issued by the Department's International Education Division, see: ISP Quality Standards and School Resources, under Department resources

Transfer of information

Transfer of information between Victorian government schools

When a Victorian government school student has been accepted at another Victorian government school, the transferring school will provide the student’s information to that next school.  

Important: Throughout this policy, ‘student information’ means personal and health information about the student, including achievement information, foreseeable risk and wellbeing information. For a comprehensive view of what student information should be transferred - see CASES21 User Guides

Parent consent is not required to transfer student information or records (including SSS/DCS files) to the student’s next Victorian government school.

Transferring student information to the student’s next Victorian government school is in the best interests of our students, because it assists that next school to provide optimal education and support to the student. This also enables the Department to fulfil important legal obligations.

The Department, which includes all Victorian government schools, central and regional offices, is a single legal entity. This means that all student records and files, including DCS/SSS files, are owned by the Department (on behalf of the State of Victoria), not individual schools, networks or school staff. This also means that transferring student information to the student’s next Victorian government school is a ‘use’ of that information for the same primary purposes it was collected, consistent with Victorian privacy law.

From July 2017, all Victorian government schools are expected to transfer student information through CASES21.

Where a student is in youth justice or secure welfare custody, all Victorian government schools must transfer information through CASES21, Student Data Transfer, to Parkville College. The student will remain enrolled at their base school while concurrently enrolled at Parkville College for the purposes of receiving education while in custody.

In addition, student information can be provided to the student’s next Victorian government school in any and all of the following ways: verbally (principal to principal, or nominees), electronically (via email) and in hardcopy (by providing copies of the student’s records, including health reports).

If the student has received Student Support Services (SSS) support in the last two years, the SSS area based team must arrange for the SSS/Department Confidential Student file (DCS) to be sent to the SSS area based team for the receiving school. 

Enquiries by a family about a potential transfer between Victorian government schools

Victorian government schools may not share student information with another Victorian government school before that student has been accepted at that next school, unless consent is given. This means that when a parent (or student on their own behalf) is enquiring about a possible placement at another Victorian government school, the student’s current school cannot share student information with that potential new school, except for the following circumstances:

• the parent (or student) has consented to the sharing of information
• the receiving school needs to consult with the student's current school to ensure that the person presenting to the school to enrol the student has decision-making responsibility for that student and there are no Family Law Act orders or other court orders or documents that are relevant to determining who has decision-making responsibility for that student.

A principal or regional officer supporting a student to find a suitable educational setting following an expulsion may also share relevant information about the student with another Victorian government school, in order to determine how that school could best support the student's education.