Privacy Policy
Your Privacy is important to us.
Introduction
Melbourne Girls Grammar (MGGS) is bound by the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Commonwealth Privacy Act (1988) (Cth) – specifically the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection 2012 (Amending Act). The Privacy Act (1988) is one of many Acts which govern privacy in Australia.
The Australian Privacy Principles cover the collection, use, disclosure and storage of personal information. They allow individuals to access their personal information and have it corrected if it is incorrect.
Melbourne Girls Grammar is committed to protecting privacy and confidentiality. Our Privacy Policy ensures the School continues to manage personal information provided to it, or collected by it, in accordance with current Australian privacy laws.
The School will regularly review and make any amendments to this Policy to reflect changes to new laws, technology changes or changes to the School’s operations and practices.
What kinds of personal information does the School collect?
MGGS collects and holds (but is not limited to) personal information, including sensitive and health information, about:
- Students and parents and/or guardians before, during and after the course of a student’s enrolment at the School. This includes information for unsuccessful applicants for enrolment
- Job applicants, staff members, volunteers and contractors
- Other individuals or organisations that come into contact with the School.
Why we collect personal information?
The main purposes for which we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information include carrying out the day-to-day administration of the School, meeting the School’s legal obligations and fulfilling its duty of care to students and staff.
Volunteers
The School also obtains personal information about volunteers who assist the School in organising special School-related functions or who conduct associated activities or who run and participate in bodies such as the Merton Hall Foundation.
Development, marketing and fundraising
Development and fundraising are important for the future growth and development of MGGS and are also an important part of ensuring MGGS continues to be a quality learning environment in which both students and staff thrive. Personal information held by the School may be disclosed to the Merton Hall Foundation, the Melbourne Girls Grammar Old Grammarians’ Society or people providing services to the School to assist in the School’s fundraising (e.g. members of parent auxiliaries who assist in the organisation of functions).
Collection of personal information through the website
Information is automatically collected through your use of the MGGS website.
We may use temporary (session) cookies or permanent cookies when you access our web site. This allows us to recognise your browser and track the web pages you have visited. Cookies are small text files that websites may place on your computer or device. Most often, cookies are used to recognise repeat users of websites and remember user preferences. Cookies are also used to allow the website to track usage behaviour and aggregate data to allow MGGS to customise a user’s experience on our website.
The information may be used and disclosed by MGGS for purposes including statistical analysis, and to assist MGGS to improve the functionality and usability of marketing materials, including the website. You can switch off cookies by adjusting the settings on your web browser.
Services that our website may use from time to time include Google Analytics, a service which transmits website traffic data to Google servers in the United States. Google Analytics does not identify individual users or associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. We use reports provided by Google Analytics to help us understand website traffic and webpage usage. By using our website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner described in Google’s most updated version of its Privacy Policy (located on the Google website) and for the purposes set out above. You can opt out of Google Analytics if you disable or refuse the cookie, disable JavaScript, or use the opt-out service provided by Google.
We are constantly developing and enhancing our use of online technologies, and make reasonable efforts to ensure we keep this Privacy Policy and related documents up to date in this regard.
Opting out: Where an individual has consented to receiving marketing communications from us, consent will remain current until the individual advises us otherwise. However, you can opt out at any time, by:
- Contacting us (either via the contact details provided on the communication received or via the details at the end of this Policy);
- Advising us if you receive a marketing call that you no longer wish to receive these calls; or
- Using the unsubscribe facility that we include in the relevant documentation.
Collection notices: the School will take reasonable steps to provide you with certain details about that collection (such as why we are collecting the information and who we might share it with). Collection notice may provide more specific information than contained in the Privacy Policy. We encourage you to refer to those provisions carefully.
To whom might the School disclose personal information?
MGGS may disclose personal information held about a student or other individual to:
- People providing services to the School, including specialist visiting teachers, consultants, counsellors, sports coaches and other co-curricular;
- Another school or educational institution;
- Parents;
- Recipients of School reports, publications, newsletters and magazines;
- MGGS’ Old Grammarian’s Society and the MGGS Parent’s Association;
- Medical practitioners, or other health-related professionals;
- Law enforcement agencies;
- Debt collection agencies; and
- Government departments.
Sending information overseas
MGGS will not send personal information about an individual outside Australia without:
- Obtaining the consent of the individual (in some cases this consent will be implied); or
- Otherwise complying with the Australian Privacy Principles or other applicable privacy legislation.
Management and security of personal information
MGGS staff are required to respect the confidentiality of students’ and parents’ personal information and the privacy of individuals, and take this obligation seriously.
The School has in place reasonable steps to protect the personal information the School holds from misuse, interference and loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure by use of various methods.
MGGS also takes reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify personal information if, in the School’s opinion, it is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was collected.
Access to personal information
Under the Commonwealth Privacy Act (and the Health Records Act), an individual has the right to obtain access to any personal information which the School holds about them.
There are some exceptions to this right that are set out in the legislation. To make a request to access any personal information held by MGGS, or to ascertain information on the main exceptions that may apply, please contact the MGGS Business Office in writing.
Correction of personal information
An individual may advise MGGS of any perceived inaccuracy in their personal information held by the School. If the individual is able to establish that the information is not accurate, complete and up-to-date, the School will take reasonable steps to correct it. MGGS will give reasons if it refuses to correct personal information.
Enquiries and complaints
If you would like further information about the way in which the School manages the personal information it holds, or wish to complain that you believe the School may have breached the Australian Privacy Principles, please contact the:
Business Office,
86 Anderson Street,
South Yarra VIC 3141
AUSTRALIA
Telephone: +61 (0)3 9862 9200
Facsimile: +61 (0)3 9866 1119
Email: privacy@mggs.vic.edu.au
The School will investigate any complaint and will notify you of the making of a decision in relation to your complaint as soon as is practicable after it has been made.
Further information on the Privacy Legislation is available on www.oaic.gov.au or by contacting:
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
GPO Box 5218
SYDNEY NSW 2001
Privacy Hotline 1300 363 992
Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au