Paparoa Street School
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At Paparoa Street School, we recognise that acceptable and appropriate physical contact contributes to ākonga safety and wellbeing. We ensure that the kura is a safe and inclusive place of learning for all ākonga, and seek to recognise and respond to ākonga needs.
We consider physical contact acceptable if:
Appropriate areas are generally considered the shoulders, arms, hands, and upper back. Exceptions to this may include professionally or medically prescribed positioning techniques.
We consider the benefit to ākonga of using physical contact compared with non-physical interactions, such as using affirmative gestures or words, and make informed decisions about whether contact is 
appropriate to the situation. In making decisions about physical contact, kaimahi also consider the background and needs of individual ākonga. This includes the physical capabilities of the ākonga and their cultural preferences.
Assessing if physical contact is acceptable
In circumstances where physical contact may be appropriate, kaimahi look for signs that the ākonga is willing to receive physical contact, such as an affirmative facial expression or movement toward the kaimahi.
We do not use physical contact if the ākonga does not seem willing to receive physical contact (e.g. shaking their head or hesitating/retreating).
Purposes of acceptable physical contact
Physical contact may be used at Paparoa Street School for the following purposes:
Unacceptable physical contact
Paparoa Street School is responsible for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our ākonga, and does not allow unacceptable physical contact. We respond to incidents involving unacceptable physical contact using our concerns and complaints procedures, and report serious misconduct by teaching kaimahi to the Teaching Council.
Contact may be considered unacceptable due to:
Kaimahi do not engage in any physical contact while alone with ākonga in a space that is not accessible to other people (e.g. in a room with the door closed).
Responding to inappropriate physical contact from ākonga
Paparoa Street School kaimahi enforce boundaries for physical contact where required, and use techniques such as redirection to promote appropriate interactions. We encourage kaimahi to consider how non-physical interactions may be used, and how individual interactions affect other ākonga in the learning environment.
We support kaimahi to seek guidance from other colleagues and the tumuaki if they are uncertain about the appropriateness of physical contact. We may consult parents/caregivers as necessary to support the safety and wellbeing of ākonga.
Release history: Term 4 2025, Term 1 2023
