Policy Development Process

Policy Template

1. Purpose

The rationale or purpose statement explains “why” the policy is being written. The rationale may also contain or refer to background materials or more explanatory details regarding educational, environmental, legal, regulatory, or other factors that led to the development of the policy.

2. Policy Statement

The policy statement should be a brief statement of “what” the policy is intended to accomplish. That is, the aim(s) of the policy. The policy should only be one or two sentences describing the general intent with respect to the specific topic of the policy. The policy statement should be general enough to provide some flexibility in implementation and to allow periodic changes as it is monitored and reviewed.

3. Implementation

The implementation section details “how” the policy statement will be attained. It may set differing requirements for different parts of the school population (for example, staff, students at different year levels, parents, visitors) as well as outlining who will be responsible for various parts of the implementation of the policy.

4. Evaluation & Review

Policies must be monitored and reviewed on a regular basis. This may be bi-yearly, annually or as legislation or regulations change. A defined review cycle should be stated. 

5. Definitions

Policies should be precise and easy to understand. Sometimes terms will need to be defined to clarify meaning. 

6. References

For example, the Victorian Government Schools Reference Guide, Relevant legislation, “expert” sources, DET guidelines. 

7. Related Policies

Provide links to any related policies.