Infectious Diseases
The board of St Joseph's School is responsible for providing a physically and emotionally safe place where risks to health and safety are eliminated or minimised (Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, Education and Training Act 2020, Health Act 1956). We recognise the risks of infectious diseases to the school and our wider community, use preventative measures to minimise the spread of infectious diseases, and respond promptly to actual or suspected cases when they arise. We have appropriate reporting and recording systems for managing incidences of infectious diseases.
We maintain 
privacy and confidentiality when managing health information. Personal health information is only used or shared to support the health and wellbeing of the student or staff member, or when it presents a threat to public health or safety. See our Privacy Policy.
Privacy refers to the right to have personal information protected. The Privacy Act 2020 outlines how personal information must be collected, stored, used, shared, and disposed. For more information, see Privacy Policy.
Confidentiality refers to the responsibility to ensure personal information is kept secret. Confidential information may be shared if it is in the best interests of the student. See Sharing Student Personal Information with External Agencies.
St Joseph's School keeps an up-to-date immunisation register for students in years 1-8, as required by the Health (Immunisation) Regulations 1995. We ask parents/caregivers to provide immunisation information about their child at enrolment, and the information we collect and store complies with regulations. If the school does not receive an immunisation certificate, this is recorded on the register. We may request for students to have an immunisation certificate completed. During an outbreak of infectious disease the Ministry of Health may use our immunisation register to help identify students at risk, and public health officials may contact parents/caregivers about immunisation options.
School responsibilities
St Joseph's School promotes basic hygiene measures as the first line of defence against the spread of infection. This includes:
- encouraging immunisation against infectious diseases
- encouraging everyone to cover coughs and sneezes, and wash and/or sanitise their hands regularly
- regularly cleaning and disinfecting our school
- keeping indoor spaces well ventilated.
When an increased risk of infection is signalled by the Ministry of Education and/or the Ministry of Health, we carry out detailed risk assessments and may introduce additional measures. We also follow any directives from the Ministry of Education and/or the Ministry of Health (e.g. restrictions and safety measures).
Additional measures we may take when there is an increased risk of infection include:
- informing parents/caregivers about the situation, what they can do, and what actions the school is taking
- reinforcing basic hygiene measures and increasing the frequency of sanitising and disinfecting high-touch surfaces (e.g. sinks, door handles, railings, table tops).
- monitoring for symptoms
- limiting large gatherings (e.g. school assemblies), and encouraging physical distancing where possible
- providing personal protective equipment (PPE)
- encouraging masks at school and on school transport.
To manage infectious diseases safely, we carry out the following actions.
- If someone is unwell at school, we provide appropriate first aid and contact parents/caregivers (for students) or emergency contacts. See Managing Injuries and Illness.
- When determining how long a student or staff member should stay away from school if they are ill, we follow guidance from the Ministry of Health, and may also get advice from a medical practitioner and/or public health officer. See HealthEd Infectious diseases information and exclusion list
. - The principal contacts the public health service and follows their advice if they suspect a student has symptoms of a notifiable infectious disease. This includes cases when a student has symptoms and is either a close contact of someone with the illness or has recently travelled somewhere there is a known risk of infection. See When to contact the National Public Health Service (Ministry of Education).
- If the principal has reasonable grounds to believe a student may have a communicable disease, they may preclude the student from school (i.e. require them to have a temporary health exclusion from school, as allowed by the Education and Training Act, s 77). If a student is precluded from school, the principal notifies their parents/caregivers, the board, and the Medical Officer of Health. The board investigates the matter as soon as possible and may either cancel or confirm the preclusion. A precluded student may return to school when a medical practitioner confirms they are well enough.
For the purpose of preclusion at a school, communicable disease has a definition within the meaning of the Health Act 1956. That is: "communicable disease includes any infectious disease, and any other disease declared by the Governor-General, by Order in Council, to be a communicable disease for the purposes of this [Health] Act", where "infectious disease means any disease for the time being specified in Part 1 or Part 2 of Schedule 1."
See Schedule 1 – Part 1 lists "Notifiable infectious diseases"; Part 2 lists "Other infectious diseases"
Education and Training Act 2020, s 77 (1)
Health Act 1956, s 2 (1)
- Staff asked to stay away from school due to contracting a notifiable infectious disease may be eligible for disregarded sick leave. See Staff Leave.
- The board notifies WorkSafe of any school-related notifiable event. See Recording and Reporting Injuries and Illness.
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (s 25), a notifiable event is any of the following events that arise from work:
A notifiable event must arise from work (the conduct of the business or undertaking). It may include the condition of the work site, the way the work activity was organised, or the way equipment or substances were used. A notifiable event may occur at school or at school-related activities that take place off school grounds. Notifiable events apply to all affected workers, students, visitors, and contractors if they are injured while involved in school activities (on or off school grounds), work being done on behalf of the school, or using school grounds and equipment.
Worksafe relies on PCBUs to determine whether an injury, illness, or incident is notifiable. Only one notification is required for each notifiable event. See Notify WorkSafe
We recognise that members of our school community may live with chronic manageable conditions and have a right to be free from discrimination. We manage any personal information we receive about such conditions with privacy and confidentiality.
Responsibilities of others
We expect everyone at school or school-related activities to take care of their health and notify school staff if they need support. Keeping everyone safe is a shared responsibility, so we have the following expectations of others.
- To stop infection from spreading, we encourage students, staff, and other members of the school community to stay at home when they are ill or symptomatic.
- Anyone with an infectious disease should stay away from school, unless they have a chronic manageable condition.
- If parents/caregivers suspect or know a student has a notifiable infectious disease, they should notify their health provider and keep the student away from school.
- Staff must notify the school if they suspect or know they have been exposed to a notifiable infectious disease at work.
- COVID-19 is a notifiable disease and anyone who tests positive is encouraged to follow Ministry of Health recommendations. See If you have COVID-19 (Health New Zealand).
Related topics
Legislation
- Health Act 1956
- Health (Infectious and Notifiable Diseases) Regulations 2016
- Education and Training Act 2020
- Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
- Privacy Act 2020
Resources
: Term 4 2025, Term 3 2025, Term 3 2023, Term 3 2022
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