Photography & Media Consent Policy

How St Mary's College collects and manages consent to photograph, film and publish images of students, the three consent tiers available to families, and how to change your consent at any time via the Parent Portal.

Updated 12 August 2026

Photographs and video are part of the life of a busy school, from the Friday Junior Assembly to a first Athletics Carnival. They also involve the personal information of children, so we manage them carefully. This policy explains where images may appear and how you control what happens with images of your child.

Purpose

To set out how St Mary's College obtains, records and respects parent and carer consent for the taking and publishing of student images and recordings, consistent with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Child Safe Standards and the requirements of Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS).

Scope

This policy applies to all students from Prep to Year 12, all staff, contractors (including photographers), volunteers and members of the community who take or publish images of students at College activities, on campus or off campus (camps, excursions, sport, Masses and performances).

Policy statement

The College will only photograph, film or record students for legitimate educational, administrative, communication and promotional purposes.
Consent is collected on the Enrolment Application and re-confirmed annually in Term 1 via Parent Portal > Consents.
Students are never identified by full name with a photo on public channels. At most, a first name and year level are used.
Official College channels are the website, the newsletter and the College Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Staff use College devices only for student images; personal phones are not used to photograph students.
Images are stored and retained in line with MACS records retention requirements and the Privacy Policy.
Parents may change their consent at any time.

Procedures

Consent tiers

Families choose one of three tiers for each child. The choice made on the Enrolment Application carries forward until changed.

Tier	What it covers	Examples
Tier 1 – Internal only	Images visible only within the College community	Parent Portal galleries, classroom displays, Learning Hub, the College yearbook
Tier 2 – College publications	Tier 1 plus College-controlled public channels	Website, newsletter, prospectus, College Facebook and Instagram
Tier 3 – External media	Tiers 1 and 2 plus third parties	Local newspapers, MACS publications, sporting association websites

Choosing no consent is also available. Children without consent are positioned out of group photographs intended for publication, without being singled out.

Annual re-confirmation

In Week 2 of Term 1 each year, the Business Manager's office opens the "Media Consent" item in Parent Portal > Consents.
Parents review and confirm or update the tier for each child by the end of Week 5.
Non-responders receive a Portal reminder; the previous tier remains in place meanwhile.

Changing consent

Log in to the Parent Portal, open Consents > Media Consent, and select the new tier. Changes take effect within 5 school days. Printed items (yearbook, prospectus) cannot be recalled, but online items are removed on request.

Staff and contractors

Class teachers check the class consent list (available on the staff portal) before submitting images to the newsletter or website.
Contracted photographers, including for school photo day and Year 12 media and Valedictory photos, must hold a current Working With Children Check and sign the College Child Safety Code of Conduct.
Performance recordings (Spring Concert, College Musical) are shared through the Portal under Tier 1.

Parents and the wider community

Parents are welcome to photograph their own child at assemblies, carnivals, concerts and Masses. Out of respect for other families, please do not post images of other children on social media.

Responsibilities

Parents and carers

Confirm or update Media Consent each Term 1 and whenever circumstances change.
Photograph only your own child at College events and avoid publishing images of other children.
Tell the College Privacy Officer promptly if an image appears that you did not consent to.

Students

Follow the ICT Acceptable Use Policy and the Mobile Phones Policy: no photographing or filming other students without their agreement and a teacher's permission.
Respect requests from peers who do not want to be photographed.

Staff

Use College devices only and upload images to College systems the same day.
Check consent lists before any publication.
Report any breach to the Business Manager within one school day.

Review

Policy owner: Business Manager (College Privacy Officer). Approved by the College Leadership Team March 2026; ratified by the College Advisory Council; next review March 2028.

Frequently asked questions

Can I see which consent tier I chose for my child?

Yes. Log in to the Parent Portal and open Consents > Media Consent. The current tier for each child is shown with the date it was last confirmed.

My child appeared in a newsletter photo and I only gave Tier 1 consent. What should I do?

Email office@stmaryswc.vic.edu.au marked "Attention: Privacy Officer" with the page and date. We will remove the image within 5 school days and review how the error occurred.

Will my child be left out of the class photo if I say no?

No. Every child is included in the annual class photograph, which is provided to families only. The consent tier affects publication, not participation.

Can I film the Junior Assembly on Friday afternoons?

You may film your own child's item. Please keep recordings for family use and do not upload footage showing other children to social media or public video platforms.

Who takes the Year 12 Valedictory photographs?

A contracted professional photographer with a current Working With Children Check. Families receive a private download link through the Parent Portal after the Valedictory Dinner on Thursday 26 November 2026.