About the survey

• The NSW Public Schools Student Survey asks students about their experiences at school. Key topics in the survey include sense of belonging, teaching practices and engagement.
• Participating students will be given a unique login to complete the survey online.
• Students will complete the survey at school during school hours. The survey will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
• Participating in the survey is voluntary. Opting not to participate will not impact your child’s school experience. Your child can choose to stop the survey at any time and they can skip any questions that they prefer not to answer.

Explaining the survey to your child

• Your child will be filling out an online survey called the NSW Public Schools Student Survey.
• This survey is an opportunity for your child to let their school know how they are going at school.
• The survey will ask your child how engaged they are with their learning, whether they feel supported at school, and more.
• Your child’s responses are confidential, which means the school and their teachers will not know how they have answered.
• Please encourage your child to answer as honestly as they can. There are no right or wrong answers. The school wants to hear what students think, and responses will help to improve their school and better understand student needs.
• If your child doesn’t understand a question, they can ask their teacher for help.
• Your child can skip any question they don’t want to answer.
• If your child feels distressed while completing the survey, they can speak to their teacher or the school counsellor/psychologist. At the end of the survey, there is also the contact information for the Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) and a link to make a report to the eSafety CommissionerExternal link if your child is experiencing cyberbullying.

What information is collected and why

The department will collect personal information from your child including, but not limited to, information relating to their gender, cultural background, and their opinions on matters such as their school experience. Information will be held and managed by the NSW Department of Education, 105 Phillip Street, Parramatta NSW 2150. This information is collected to support every student to achieve their educational potential, and for other directly related purposes including but not limited to:

• implementing programs that meet student educational and support needs
• maintaining the good order and management of schools
• assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of programs and their impact on student educational outcomes
• conducting lawful research and compiling statistics relating to the education and wellbeing of students and student performance
• operational and administrative purposes.

How the department may use the information

Survey results may be used locally at schools to help inform planning and decision-making. Your child’s school will receive a report once surveys are completed, but school staff will not be able to identify individual students from their responses. At least 5 students need to have answered the question in the same way for that data to be included in the results.

The department’s analysis of the data will involve linking students’ responses to their student reference number (SRN). Responses may then be linked with other information the department may hold, such as students’ scholastic year, gender, Aboriginal status, cultural background, migrant status and whether they are a person with a disability. This will allow the department to group the results for analysis and research purposes.

The department does not intend to give you a copy of your child’s responses, or the opportunity to amend them. You may contact the department to request access to the survey responses, and your request will be considered in light of the department’s obligations under law.

Who the department may share information with

Only grouped results from this analysis and research may be made public through the department’s publications, with all identifying information removed.

The department will not disclose your child’s personal information to any other person or body, except:

• when you have given your consent
• where authorised to do so by law.

Protecting your child’s information

The department will only keep information for as long as the department needs it to fulfil the purposes it was collected it for. After this, the information will be disposed of securely in accordance with the State Records Act 1998 and any other applicable legislation.

The department’s privacy management plan details the department’s practices and procedures for handling personal and health information. It can be accessed from the department’s website. Concerns about the collection or handling of personal or health information should initially be raised with your school’s principal.