Victoria's teaching watchdog raids two Fitzroy Community School campuses in Melbourne
In short:
The Victorian teaching watchdog has launched morning raids on the Fitzroy Community School's two inner-city campuses.
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watchdog → raid → campuses
The ABC understands Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) investigators were looking for unregistered teachers and checking teacher-student ratios.
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investigators → understand → ratios
The state government has been contacted for comment.
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government → contact → comment
Victoria's teaching watchdog has raided an alternative primary school at the centre of child sexual and physical abuse allegations, simultaneously inspecting its two inner-city campuses.
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watchdog → raid → campuses
Authorised officers from the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) made the unannounced visit to Fitzroy Community School's campuses in North Fitzroy and Thornbury about 11am.
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officers → make → Fitzroy
The ABC understands the watchdog was checking whether any teachers were unregistered and whether enough staff were supervising children.
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staff → understand → children
It is a rare step for the VIT to use its authorised officer powers.
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The power allows the watchdog's investigators to enter a school to search the premises and seize documents.
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investigators → allow → documents
Today's raids follow the ABC's reporting of historical allegations of sexual abuse, a sexualised culture, and concerns about physical discipline that allegedly turned violent.
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that → follow → discipline
The regulatory action comes as sisters Gretel and Kirsten (surnames not used to protect their privacy), who blew the whistle on alleged sexualised conduct, lodge the first civil claim over sexual abuse allegations in Victoria's Supreme Court.
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who → come → Court
Later that month, the VIT suspended the school's co-founder, Faye Berryman.
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VIT → suspend → founder
She is the second teacher from the school to be suspended after her son, Nick Berryman, was suspended in September last year.
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son → suspend → September
His brother, former principal Tim Berryman, remains under investigation.
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brother → remain → investigation
The ABC also understands the VIT is currently investigating a third teacher for physical abuse allegations against a child this year.
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VIT → understand → child
A Victorian Institute of Teaching spokesperson said the organisation was "focused on the safety and wellbeing of children and young people".
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organisation → say → children
"The VIT can confirm that authorised officers attended Fitzroy Community School today as part of VIT's regulatory functions," the spokesperson said.
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spokesperson → confirm → functions
The raid follows the resignation of the school's former principal, Craig Dowell, earlier this month, and board chair Clare Myers and board member Peter Behrendorff in September.
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raid → follow → September
Current acting principal Miranda Frankel is the former partner of Sean O'Carroll, the son of the school's co-founder.
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"I want to acknowledge the ongoing media attention the school has received this year," Ms Frankel wrote to parents in an email on Monday, October 12.
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"This attention has been challenging for our whole school community, in particular families and staff.
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attention → challenge → community
Unfortunately, we cannot rule out the possibility of further media coverage."
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we → rule → coverage
The board and Ms Frankel did not respond to the ABC's questions.
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board → respond → questions
The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority declined to answer questions about the school's new arrangements; however, the ABC understands it is aware of the recent changes.
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it → decline → changes
"The school is working transparently with regulatory authorities and continues to work with our independent investigator to conduct a thorough review of the allegations," Ms Frankel said in her email to parents.
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Federal school data from 2025 shows there were about 98 students at both Fitzroy Community School campuses.
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data → show → campuses
The ABC understands that figure has dropped significantly, with numerous families leaving the Brunswick Street campus specifically.
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families → understand → campus
The federal education department said it would take the outcome of Victorian regulators' investigations into consideration when determining whether Fitzroy Community School remained a "fit and proper" school.
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School → say → consideration
"It would be inappropriate for the department to comment further on active compliance matters," a spokesperson for the federal Education Department said.
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spokesperson → comment → Department
The state government has been contacted for comment.
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government → contact → comment
The Aporia