Safe at Sovereign Hill
Policies and Documentation for School Groups
Sovereign Hill is committed to providing a safe and friendly environment for all children. This page is designed to help teachers who are planning an excursion or camp to Sovereign Hill and/or Narmbool. It will help you locate the documents you need. All resources can be downloaded from this page.
1. Child Safe Policy
Click here to view our Child Safe Policy
This policy outlines:
• How our staff are expected to relate to children.
• Staff selection and training (including mandatory Working With Children Checks for all staff).
• Procedures for reporting child abuse.
• Responsibilities of staff.
2. Insurance
Click here to see our Current Public Liability Insurance Certificate
3. Accreditation
Residential Campsite Certificate of Accreditation for
• Sovereign Hill Hotel
4. Supervision of Students and First Aid
Our Conditions of Entry for visiting schools. It explains:
- “Duty of care for all visiting students rests with the school and teachers. Adequate and active supervision of all students by their teachers is mandatory at all times.”
- Visiting teachers and supervisors must “provide appropriate, qualified first aid staff, equipment and medications for their students.”
The Conditions of Entry must be signed and returned by supervising teachers on behalf of their school community before visiting.
5. Venue and Safety Information
Our Venue and Safety document provides information to support schools in planning for a safe visit to Sovereign Hill, including, orientation maps, access and safety information, emergency planning, Sovereign Hill Hotel, Catering information and FAQ’s.
A section on risk assessments is included to support you to complete your camp/excursion assessments. All schools must complete their own risk assessment before visiting. Schools are supported with free-of-charge entry for organising teachers to visit Sovereign Hill to complete risk assessments as required, please contact education@sovereignhill.com.au to arrange a visit.
Short descriptions of Sovereign Hill Education programs are available here.
The Catastrophic Fire Danger letter to Principals explains that Sovereign Hill is not in a fire prone area and outlines our arrangements and procedures for Catastrophic Fire Danger days.
6. Access and Inclusion
Sovereign Hill is committed to be accessible and inclusive of all audiences. Our Accessibility page provides additional information concerning physical access, the Sovereign Hill Hotel facilities, hearing loops and more. Also available are Social Stories for those on the Autism Spectrum visiting the Sovereign Hill outdoor museum, and Auslan movies describing many of our common demonstrations and presentations for deaf or hard-of-hearing visitors.
7. Costume Information
Please respect the responsibilities and roles of our staff and volunteers, and the experience of other visitors, by not wearing gold rush period costume or fancy dress at Sovereign Hill.
Our costume is an important part of our role as a museum interpreting the gold rush. We research it thoroughly and wear it under strict guidelines. Our visitors know that the costumed people they meet are staff or volunteers who can help and inform them during their visit. They are trained on how to respond in an emergency and it is essential that visitors are able to quickly and clearly identify staff whom can help them in an emergency.
Within our Sovereign Hill Schools Program participating students participate in a costumed immersion in the life of an 18th century child. Wearing their costume according to strict guidelines and using the mid18th century manners they are taught are vital parts of their program.
You can have a photograph taken in costume at our Red Hill Photographic Rooms, our Schools Booking Officers can assist you with your booking schoolbookings@sovereignhill.com.au