William Ruthven Primary School is an accredited member of the Cancer Council's 'SunSmart schools' program. The school’s SunSmart policy helps protect our students and staff from sun damage. All students and staff are required to wear a school hat from 15 August until the end of April. A 'No hat, no play' policy operates at the school during these dates.

For more SunSmart information, please see: SunSmart advice for schools.

Shade

The school ensures there are sufficient shelters and trees to adequately shade the school grounds, particularly in the following spaces:

• where students congregate for lunch
• outdoor lesson areas
• popular play areas
• assembly areas.

Clothing

Our uniforms include sun-protective clothing such as:

• loose, cool, closely-woven fabrics
• shirts with a collar and or higher necklines
• tops with elbow length or long sleeves
• longer style shorts and skirts.

Hats

Students and staff are encouraged to wear hat styles which protect the face, neck and ears. That is:

• broad brimmed hats
• bucket hats.

Please note: Caps and visors offer little protection and are not recommended.

Sunscreen

We encourage and remind students and staff to:

• apply SPF-30 (or higher) broad spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen
• apply a generous amount to clean, dry skin at least 20 minutes before going outdoors
• re-apply sunscreen every two hours or more often when sweating or swimming
• check and follow the use-by date stated on the packaging
• store sunscreen below 30°C
• do not rely on sunscreen alone as it does not provide full protection - combine with other sun protection measures.

Role modelling

As part of OH&S risk control and role-modelling, during sun protection times when the UV levels are 3 or above, staff are encouraged to:

• wear broad-brimmed hats, clothing and sunglasses for all outdoor activities and duties
• apply SPF-30 (or higher) broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen
• seek shade whenever possible.

During sun protection times, families and visitors participating in and attending outdoor school activities should also be encouraged to use a combination of sun-protection measures.