St Andrew's College
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This policy does not include smoking and vaping – smoking and vaping are managed separately due to the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990. See Smokefree and Vapefree.
At St Andrew's College, the board of governors ensures that the school is a physically and emotionally safe place for students and staff where risks to health and safety are eliminated or minimised (Education and Training Act 2020; Health and Safety at Work Act 2015). This includes maintaining a school environment free of alcohol, 
drugs, and other harmful substances. We follow relevant New Zealand legislation, regulations, and guidance, and we take a whole-school wellbeing approach to minimise the impact of alcohol, drugs, and other harmful substances on our school community.
This policy applies to staff, students, and our school community (including parents, caregivers, whānau, or anyone supervising or transporting students), while at school, school-related events or activities, and when representing the school.
Failure to meet our Policy requirements (see below) is considered a breach of this policy. This policy must be read with its supporting policies for breaches.
Policy requirements
Our whole-school wellbeing approach to health and safety means everyone has a role to play in minimising the impact of alcohol, drugs, and other harmful substances on our school community. This approach aligns with Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 requirements for workers and others to take reasonable care of their own health and safety, take reasonable care that their behaviour does not negatively affect the health and safety of others, and comply, as far as reasonably able, with any reasonable instruction given by the school.
No one should:
Staff
Staff are made aware of conduct expectations as part of their staff induction and as required. All staff must:
signs of impairment in order to encourage a positive, safe, and healthy school environment that focuses on the prevention of alcohol and substance misuseIf a staff member has concerns about a student, another staff member, or other member of the school community's breach of the policy requirements, they should raise this with a senior staff member.
If a staff member thinks they may have a problem with alcohol, drugs, or other harmful substance that may affect their work, they are encouraged to ask for help as soon as possible. If a disclosure is made at the initiative of a staff member, this is generally treated differently from a breach of the policy requirements, but the board of governors must still ensure that staff are fit to perform their role.
Any disclosures about risks of impairment are managed according to relevant legislation and school policies. See Privacy Policy.
If a staff member breaches the policy requirements, the school follows our policy for Staff Breaches of the Alcohol, Drugs, and Other Harmful Substances Policy.
Students
All students are informed about student behaviour expectations and receive age-appropriate information about alcohol, drugs, and other harmful substances through our curriculum and other educational programmes. See Curriculum and Student Achievement Policy and Student Behaviour Management.
Students must follow the policy requirements while on school grounds or taking part in school activities, and while wearing school uniform.
Students are encouraged to seek support for themselves if they think they may have a problem with alcohol, drugs, or other harmful substance. Students approaching the school at their own initiative and asking for help is not treated as a breach of the policy and will be dealt with through our student wellbeing and safety policies and procedures. See Responding to Student Wellbeing Concerns.
We have a separate policy to ensure student medication (prescription and non-prescription) is kept securely and taken appropriately. See Medicines.
If a student has concerns about another student, staff member, or other member of the school community's breach of the policy requirements, they should raise this with a staff member.
If a student breaches the policy requirements, the school follows our policy for Student Breaches of the Alcohol, Drugs, and Other Harmful Substances Policy.
Others associated with the school
Our policy requirements also apply to others that are associated with the school. This includes parents, caregivers, whānau, contractors, volunteers, and visitors. School community members are made aware of conduct expectations as required:
If a school community member has concerns about a student, staff member, or another school community's breach of the policy requirements, they should raise this with a staff member.
If a school community member breaches the policy requirements, we manage the risk to ensure the safety of everyone. This may include isolating the affected person and notifying the rector (or their delegate) as appropriate. Next steps are considered on a case-by-case basis by the school. See Assessing and Responding to Concerns and Complaints (see Matters involving other members of the school community).
Exceptions
An exception may be made for occasions when the school approves the consumption, use, possession, or supply of alcohol on school property or at a school event.
When making exceptions, we take into consideration the values and culture of our school community and ensure that alcohol is never:
If alcohol is approved for an event, we ensure that it is consumed safely and responsibly, in keeping with the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. Before approving alcohol use, we consider the:
licence host responsibility obligations.With the approval of the rector, staff and guests may drink alcohol on school property. Alcohol may also be available at appropriate school-related events.
No one must attend school or school-related activities where there is a risk that they are impaired due to having consumed or used alcohol, drugs, or other harmful substances before school or any school-related activity. Approved alcohol at a school-related event does not remove this requirement.
Staff members are responsible for ensuring that they remain in a condition to be able to get home safely and ensure that if they are required to work after the event or the following day they are not impaired.
External organisers of functions on school property must send a written request to the board of governors if they wish to serve alcohol or allow BYO at any function. The organisers must have this consent before any alcohol is consumed and must meet their host responsibility obligations.
Release history: Term 3 2026, Term 3 2023
