​​​​​​Sun Safety​

​Rationale​

Year-round sun protection is important for all children and young people in Queensland as research demonstrates that high ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure in childhood and adolescence significantly increases the risk of developing skin cancer.

Our school aims to educate our students about being sun safe in order to develop important, lifelong, healthy habits, and acknowledges the important role adults play during and outside school hours to reinforce sun safety with children and young people. In implementing this policy, our school and community recognise that:

• the policy applies to all school and school-related activities and events;
• the strategies are to be implemented during the whole school day and year-round; and 
• a combination of sun safe strategies is more effective than a single approach.

Date of commencement: January 2022       

Review date: January 2023

 Clothing requirements 

Students are required to wear protective clothing, including appropriate hats, when outdoors during the school day and during school-related activities (for example, excursions/camps) to reduce students' exposure to the sun, including the following strategies:  

Hats

Students are required to wear appropriate hats when outdoors (non undercovered spaces). The only exceptions when playing sport are when a hat reduces visibility or interferes with activity skills and therefore poses a risk to students' safety; or when wearing a hat is not possible because other headwear is required to be worn for religious or safety reasons. Under these circumstances, students may remove their hats for the duration of the activity, ensuring they have applied sunscreen to uncovered skin (ideally 20 minutes) prior to participating. 

• Our school uniform hats are either broad-brimmed or bucket hats.
• Staff remind students to wear hats before and during lunch breaks, and during outdoor (non undercovered) activities.
  
• Students who do not have hats will be able to play in the in an undercovered area.
  
• Spare clean school hats are available for students to borrow if they forget their hat. 
  

Swim shirts

Students are required to wear swim shirts/rash vests during all water-based activities occurring at outdoor venues, except during their race/s at competitions and carnivals. 

Shade provision and use

• Sports activities are rotated during the week between the central/ undercover area and the oval.
• Temporary shade structures are used as necessary for outdoor events, for example, Sports Day, Maths Fiesta and Celebration Days.

Curriculum, teaching and learning

• Sun safety is formally taught as part of the implementation of the Australian Curriculum through Health and Physical Education 
• Staff include the risk of exposure to UVR in their curriculum activity risk assessments for outdoor activities, which includes ensuring that adequate shade is available for outdoor activities where possible, for example, using temporary shade structures.

Incidental teaching and promoting sun safe behaviours 

• Incidental teaching of personal sun safety strategies occurs in all year levels as part of the school routine on a regular basis, for example, through reminders to students to wear hats and apply sunscreen. 

Staff professional development

• Staff are informed about the school's sun safety policy and its requirements on induction. 

Sunscreen provision

• The school supplies SPF 30 or higher broad-spectrum, waterresistant sunscreen for student use.
• Parents/carers are encouraged through social media and newsletter items to have their children apply sunscreen before school. 
• Parents/carers are encouraged to provide sunscreen for their child if they don't wish their child to use the school's sunscreen.

Modelling sun safe behaviours

Our school promotes the importance of parents/carers, teachers, ancillary staff, volunteers and other adult supervisors as role models for students using the following strategies:

• Staff and P&C members are encouraged to consider the use of shade, sun safe hats and clothing, sunglasses and sunscreen when doing their duties, running outside activities, and when on excursions/camps.
• Parents/carers are encouraged to have their children apply sunscreen before they come to school and provide personal sunscreen for their children to use at school.

Cost considerations 

The department provides funding for sun safety using the following strategies:

•  School funding is allocated annually to enable the purchase of sunscreen for each class for the whole school year.
• Costs for sunscreen will be recovered in line with the Requests for External linkVoluntary Financial Contributions procedure​.External link
  

Additional strategies 

• Sunscreen stations are set up at sports days and swimming carnivals.

Endorsed by:

Approved by: