Tuesday, 24 March 2026
Chair:
Dr Steve Middleton, Principal and CEO, The Pittwater House School
1.00pm to 2.00pm
Ctrl+Alt+Protect: Maintaining Safe Online Environments – The New Standard
- Queensland’s Child Safe Standards (effective 2026), and in particular Standard 8, require schools to ensure safe environments including online
- As Australia’s new Online Safety laws ban social media for under-16s come into effect, schools must balance enforcement with student wellbeing and protection.
- Leadership and clear communication are essential to building a culture of safety and trust across the school community.
Presented by Megan Kavanagh, Partner, and Jay Keenan, Solicitor, Colin Biggers & Paisley
Description
Attend and Earn 1 Professional Development Hour (NSW, VIC) / CPD Point (QLD, WA, SA)
For Lawyers: Attend and earn 1 CPD unit in Substantive Law
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
Presenters
Megan Kavanagh, Partner, Colin Biggers & PaisleyMegan Kavanagh is a partner in the employment and safety team. Her main areas of expertise include equal opportunity, discrimination, unfair dismissal, harassment and diversity, work health and safety, and industrial relations. Megan is an experienced employment litigator and defends claims in the industrial, discrimination and human rights, workplace health and safety, and civil jurisdictions. Megan's practice is focused on working with insurers and their insureds to resolve or defend claims arising under employment practices liability (EPL) policies and directors' and officers' policies. She is recognised as the preferred EPL lawyer in Brisbane by some of Australia's largest insurers. In addition, Megan provides advice on employment, work health and safety, equal opportunity, harassment and bullying to clients in a range of industries, including education, health, transport, manufacturing, retail and hospitality, as well as government and the not-for-profit sector. She also regularly conducts client training in these areas. Megan holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Human Resources and Industrial Relations in addition to holding a Bachelor of Laws. She is admitted to practice in Queensland. Megan joined Colin Biggers & Paisley in 2016.
Dr Steve Middleton, Principal, Pittwater High
Dr Middleton, who will formally begin in Term 1, 2026, is a respected educational leader with close to 30 years’ experience in Australia’s top independent schools – including The King’s School and Knox Grammar. Prior to this role, Dr Middleton was Associate Principal at St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar in Melbourne. Named one of The Educator’s Most Influential Educators, Dr Middleton is a passionate advocate for the collective well-being and academic advancement of each student.
Jay Keenan, Solicitor, Colin Biggers & Paisley
This seminar is part of a series
School Law Series 2026: Social Media Restrictions, Psychosocial Hazards and Injured Staff
This School Law Series brings together three critical topics for school leaders and administrators. Examine psychosocial hazards in educational settings, including bullying, work-related stress and exposure to traumatic events, and the legal duties for managing these risks. Focus on creating safe online environments in light of new child safety standards and social media restrictions, offering strategies to balance compliance with student wellbeing. Hear practical guidance on supporting ill or injured staff while meeting obligations under workplace health and safety, anti-discrimination, and employment laws. Together, these sessions deliver actionable insights to help schools navigate complex legal responsibilities and foster safe, supportive communities.
Description
Teachers attending the entire series earn 3 Professional Development Hours (NSW, VIC) / CPD Points (QLD, WA, SA)
Lawyers attending the entire series earn 3 CPD units in Substantive Law
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
If you register for the full series as a live online product after the date of an individual session, you will be sent the recording for the sessions that have passed. Alternatively, you can register for individual sessions by following the links below.
View series listing
