Behaviour Development Policy

RATIONALE

A supportive school environment is one that endeavours to meet the needs of the school community.  Our Behaviour Development Policy provides a system of relationships, expectations, rewards and consequences designed to promote effective learning. It strongly emphasises the use of positive practices to support the students in making appropriate choices and accepting responsibility for their behaviour.

Our school is committed to five core values:

• Respect
• Honesty
• Optimism
• Caring
• Generosity

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RESPONSIBILITY OF SCHOOL STAFF:

In line with DECS School Discipline Policy school staff will:

• develop and foster positive relationships with students and families
• communicate and interact effectively with students and engage in co-operative problem solving relationships to address issues faced by the learning community
• participate in developing, implementing and reviewing the schools’ procedures for managing student behaviour
• critically reflect on practices and develop the knowledge and skills needed to manage behaviour change successfully
• establish, maintain and make explicit the schools’ expectations relating to student behaviour
• respond positively to responsible student behaviour
• apply consequences if students interfere with teaching and learning and the safe school environment

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The teacher will:

• structure the teaching program to facilitate learning and encourage students to achieve their personal best
• take into account the needs of individual students and their learning styles
• provide formal and informal feedback to both students and parents that takes into account the different needs of individuals and groups of students
• encourage student self-discipline
• negotiate expectations
• provide a clear statement of expected behaviour that is expressed in terms of rights and responsibilities and identifies consequences of behavioural choices
• continually monitor the behaviour of students
• develop individual behaviour learning plans where appropriate outlining expectations and consequences consistent with department and school policy
• identify factors contributing to prolonged or repeated inappropriate behaviours and seek solutions
• use support from within or outside the site in achieving effective behaviour development practices
• encourage and support students displaying positive behaviour
• use a range of strategies to deal with inappropriate behaviour
• use a behaviour development approach which emphasises positive consequences and focuses on improvement to encourage responsible behaviour
• take prompt action to prevent or minimise inappropriate behaviour
• restate expectations when implementing consequences
• model effective and acceptable behaviour
• apply consequences promptly, fairly and consistently to students behaving inappropriately. These consequences are consistent with site and department policy
• follow through with appropriate consequences
• document behavioural issues when necessary

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CLASSROOM

Setting up a class code of conduct/co-operation

Class Code of Conduct/Co-operation needs to be:

• Based on our school values
• Negotiated with students
• Completed and displayed in first term
• Stated positively
• Clear and specific
• Frequently reinforced positively in a variety of ways
• Linked with appropriate consequences
• Easily understood and able to be verbalised
• Sent home to parents/caregivers
• Part of the induction of new students
• Frequently re-visited

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Class consequences:

Classes need to negotiate and identify low, moderate and severe level inappropriate behaviours and their consequences in line with site and department behaviour policy.

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Class consequences need to:

• Be reviewed and negotiated regularly with the students
• Be a way to support students in changing their behaviour
• Include individualised behaviour plans that are developed to provide support for students with challenging behaviour

Parents are to be informed as soon as possible on any issues relating to the behaviour of their child.  It is expected that the teacher will notify all parents whenever their child has time out from the learning environment.

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Non Instructional Time Procedures

Students sent to time out from NIT subjects need to be sent to other NIT subject teachers to fill out a planning sheet before returning to class.

Classroom teachers need to be notified of any time out from NIT subjects.  

NIT teachers to contact parents about time out from their classes.

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Building relationships

The teacher will develop and maintain positive relationships with students that support a co-operative, collaborative and congenial learning climate.

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Positive relationships can be fostered by:

• providing appropriate opportunities for learners to contribute to class decision making, class meetings, committees
• choosing content, behaviour management strategies and teaching methods to enhance the learning environment and to develop learners’ skills
• using “identity webs” to collect information from learners and parents/caregivers
• meeting with parents/caregivers at the beginning of the year to exchange information i.e. acquaintance evenings, interviews
• using programs that support the development of social and emotional skills e.g. Program Achieve, Think Boldly, Stop! Think! Do!, Stop! Think! Choose!, Lions Quest, Virtues Project, Friendly Kids, Bounce Back, Talk Sense To Yourself, Re-Think

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YARD CODE OF CONDUCT

We aim to promote a safe, active and caring environment for all members of our school community. Our yard code of conduct has been developed to assist in the management of out of class behaviour.

• Students play/behave in a way that will not harass, bully, hurt or endanger themselves or others.
• Students care for school grounds and property.
• Students play and eat in appropriate areas.
• Students share equipment and spaces fairly.
• Students show respect to others

In the first week of each term all teachers will need to walk their classes through out of bounds areas and yard code of conduct to reinforce yard behaviour for the rest of the term.

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Yard Duty

Staff are rostered on yard duty.  A roster will be displayed clearly in each classroom to help TRTs who may have a duty to cover. A roster will be displayed in the Staff Room, Planning Room and at the Front Office.

• Teachers on duty need to wear a fluorescent jacket for ease of identification.  
• A sun-safe hat must also be worn.
• Teachers need to carry a yard duty pouch which includes
•  a yard time-out booklet,
• a whistle,
• pen,
• first aid gloves,
• slips showing their name to authorise students entry to the Front Office,
• specific first aid instructions for individual students,
• Emergency Card,
• Support Needed in Yard Card.
• Any yard duty swaps need to be recorded on the Computer Diary.
• Teachers need to be mobile over the whole duty area.
• Teachers need to encourage students to move off play areas at the first bell.
• Teachers need to ensure all students have left the yard duty area before the teacher leaves.
• Organise with nearby teacher to go to toilet, get drink etc. before recess/lunch bell goes in order to get to duty area on time.
• Where applicable, follow up on issues in yard i.e. send note etc. to let teachers know of yard incidents that may impact on the students back in the class.
• Teachers on duty will interact positively to prevent inappropriate behaviour escalating through redirection, and supporting the resolution of conflict.
• Teachers will attempt, where possible to apply logical consequences for inappropriate behaviour e.g. drop a paper, pick it up; cool down time by sitting out or walking with teacher.
• Use “green circles” for low level behaviour.
• At lunchtime teachers on first duty are not to leave their area until they are relieved. If you are not relieved send a runner to the Front Office.
• Teachers need to be punctual when going to duty.

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Procedures for high-level inappropriate behaviour.

1. Teacher informs student that their behaviour has resulted in time out of the yard.
2. Planning Room slip is filled out and sent to the Planning Room.
3. Student reports to Planning Room.
4. Duty teacher completes records.
5. Student fills in Reflection sheet.
6. Reflection sheet put in School Counsellor pigeon hole.
7. Reflection sheet copied – one sent/posted home,  to class teacher.
8. If a student does not attend or behaves inappropriately, extra time is given

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Planning Room Rules

• No eating/drinking
• Students stay in seat
• No talking unless discussing issues with the teacher
• Student completes reflection sheet
• Used for Yard behaviour

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Repeated Yard Planning Time

For ongoing repeated, inappropriate behaviours that result in repeated visits to the Planning Room, either the teacher or a member of the leadership team may contact the parents/caregivers.

Three visits to the Planning Room in a term will result in one or more of the following:

• Alternative play areas
• Restricted play
• Community service
• Utilising DECS personnel e.g. Behaviour Support Unit
• Take Home
• Suspension
• Attendance at identified skills sessions

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Positives in yard

• Yard Raffle – the duty teacher rewards the student with a yard raffle slip for positive behaviour.
• Positive comments to students for playing safely, co-operating, sharing equipment and resources – verbal, written, merit certificate
• Stickers
• Organised extra play for no yard time-out

Supporting teachers to respond to high level challenging behaviours

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Take Home

• This is not a suspension; it is used in a behavioural emergency.
• “This situation occurs when a student is unwilling or unable to comply with reasonable directions from teachers and is endangering himself or herself, or other members of the school community, or is interfering with the learning and teaching rights of other members of the school community.” (DECS School Discipline Policy)
• There is no limit to the number of times “Take Home” can be used.
• If parent is unable to collect the student, he/she can be suspended the next school day.

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In School Suspension

In cases where student will benefit from remaining in the school but separate from the class he/she will be internally suspended and will work in the office area. The class teacher will organise work for the student to complete while in the office area.

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Suspension

A student may be suspended if the Principals have reasonable grounds to believe that he or she:

• has threatened or perpetrated violence
• has acted in a way which threatens the good order of the school by persistently refusing to accept the school’s behaviour code
• has acted illegally
• has acted in a manner which threatens the safety or well being of a student or member of staff through sexual or racist harassment, verbal abuse, bullying or any other means
• is interfering with the rights of teachers to teach and students to learn
• shows persistent and wilful inattention or indifference to school work

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The Use of Suspension

Suspension from school means that a student does not attend school for a period of time ranging from one to five days. The length of suspension is determined by the Principals and depends on the severity or frequency of irresponsible behaviour. However, generally, the first suspension is one day, the second two days etc until five days consecutively are reached. Although suspension is generally a pre-discussed consequence, it may also be implemented immediately due to the severity of an incident.

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Students Returning from Suspension

After each suspension, there needs to be a re-entry meeting involving the student, parent, leadership member and the class teacher, where possible at this time, the Student Development Plan is developed/reviewed/updated.  

The Student Development Plan is negotiated between school staff, the student and parents and caregivers, as part of a behavioural change plan.  It will clearly outline the responsibilities of the student and the part played by the student, the school and the parents or caregivers in helping the student become more successful at school. Further consequences involving suspension are outlined at this time.

Year 3-7 students may have a behaviour support agreement.  This provides the opportunity for the student to make a plan to change his/her behaviour and to improve their learning.  It also includes a school community service component.  

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Exclusion

A student will be generally excluded rather than suspended if the Principal believes the student’s inappropriate behaviour is severe enough or frequent enough for a stronger response to be used. A student may be excluded from school for between four and ten weeks or for the remainder of a term.

Before exclusion is decided upon, a conference is held so that the student, parents/caregivers and school can discuss the student’s behaviour, and so that the Principal can make a final decision about the exclusion. A Student Development Plan will be negotiated at this time. An Interagency Behaviour Support Caseworker will also attend the conference. The student, parents/caregivers may invite support people to attend this conference.

Close to the end of the period of exclusion, a student will take part in a supervised re-entry to school if the goals of the exclusion have been met.

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If the goals of the exclusion have not been met exclusion may be:

• extended
• an alternative site may be explored

While under exclusion, a student is required to complete an alternative educational program, which may be in another school (if this is successfully negotiated between the Principals of the two schools), a Learning Centre, Open Access or elsewhere.

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