Positive Student Engagement Policy | Campbell Primary School

Rationale:

Campbell Primary School’s Positive Student Engagement Policy aims to provide a supportive, cooperative and safe environment for students, staff and parents; an environment where students can work and learn together in a harmonious environment.

Our intent is to create a learning environment within our school that embeds the school’s core values of respect, kindness and resiliency and supports students to make positive choices and accept responsibility for their actions. We adopt the belief that through poor choices students can learn important lessons, and further develop responsibility and independence. We encourage students to see poor choices as opportunities for growth. We are committed to using “Restorative Practices” where following a behaviour incident students engage in a conversation (with their teacher or an administrator) designed to encourage reflection and to minimise damage to relationships. The focus is on the behaviour exhibited, not the child.

Our school wide implementation of Be You and complementary Health Education programmes serve to support this aim. Our use of Restorative Practice aims to preserve relationships once a disciplinary action has taken place. Our staff has been trained in these processes and work collaboratively to implement these programmes.

This document also articulates the expectations of the school community in relation to student engagement, including strategies to address bullying and school attendance.

Key Principles:

Staff will:

Create a positive learning environment within the school and classroom and provide students with the skills and knowledge to make responsible choices and follow frameworks of responsible and acceptable behaviour within the classroom and in the playground.

Acknowledge the differing developmental levels of students and adapt our teaching and learning programme accordingly.

Acknowledge students whose behaviours foster a positive and caring school environment by encouraging and recognising their actions.

Establish a clear set of consequences for students who do not accept their responsibilities, in order to support students to understand and respect the rights of others.

Establish procedures so that conflicts and other factors impacting upon student engagement can be resolved in a positive and appropriate way.

Inclusivity

When dealing with students the following issues will be considered related to inclusive practices.

An awareness of the cultural background of students and in particular social formalities that may be contrary to expected behavioural norms in the school.
Accommodating for different starting levels of social skills that students bring to school.
Recognising the previous home experiences that a child may bring to situations where an expected code of behaviour is required.
The use of an Individual Behaviour Plan (IBP) to accommodate for individual needs of particular students.

Steps taken for Inappropriate Behaviour in the Classroom

Students are given a friendly verbal reminder of the expected behaviour.
Students are given a formal warning, recorded in the class tracking book.
Student is given a time out in classroom. Reflection is encouraged. Recorded in the tracking book. On the student’s return a brief restorative conversation will take place.
Student is given a time out in another classroom and asked to complete a written reflection, based on Restorative Practice. A restorative conversation is initiated by the teacher. Parent contact is made by the teacher. Written reflection sent home to be signed and returned. Behaviour entered in SIS under behaviour tab by class teacher.
Student is sent to administration with a red Classroom Incident Report. A further consequence (reprimand, detention, loss of privilege, shadow duty teacher, withdrawal or suspension) may be issued. Parent contact is made by administration and entered into SIS behaviour tab by Line Manager.

All parent contact made in relation to behaviour should be entered under the behaviour tab in SIS.

Fast Track

Any behaviours deemed to be extreme, including (but not limited to) bullying, physical violence or racism, will be fast tracked by the teacher to Administration. A consequence (reprimand, detention, loss of privilege, withdrawal or suspension) may be issued. Parents will be notified by Administration. Behaviour entered in SIS by class teacher and administration.

Students who attack other students or instigate fights or decide to film a fight rather than seek help will automatically be suspended. Physical assault with intent to harm will also result in suspension.

Behaviours resulting in an in school withdrawal and or suspension will result in Loss of Good Standing.

Bullying

Bullying is when an individual or group misuses power to target another individual or group to intentionally threaten or harm them on more than one occasion.
Campbell Primary School has a ZERO TOLERANCE for bullying and has a comprehensive approach to addressing it. Read the Bullying Prevention Procedures here.

*These steps will be implemented, as appropriate, with reference to and recognition of, the appropriate developmental sequence of learning and development in the early years.

Excursion/Incursions

A student’s participation in any excursion/ incursion organised by Campbell Primary School is always at the Principal’s discretion. Any student whose behaviour may be of risk to themselves or other students may be deemed ineligible to attend.

Rights & Responsibilities

Students have the right to:	Students have the responsibility to:
Learn in a purposeful and supportive environment Work and play in a safe, secure, friendly and clean environment Be treated with respect, courtesy and honesty Be heard Receive respect and kindness from others Make mistakes and learn from them An engaging curriculum	Show respect and kindness to all members of the school community Attend school Ensure that they are punctual, polite and prepared Set goals and work towards achieving them Develop their resiliency Ensure their behaviour is not disruptive to the learning of others Ensure that the school environment is kept neat, tidy and secure Display a positive manner Behave in a way that protects the safety and wellbeing of others Communicate issues and concerns to parents and teachers Value and respect the whole school community Follow school rules Accept consequences for their actions and learn from possible poor choices
Staff have the right to:	Staff have the responsibility to:
Be treated with courtesy and honesty Receive respect and kindness from others Teach in a safe, secure and clean environment Teach in a purposeful and non- disruptive environment Receive cooperation and support from parents	Model and demonstrate courteous and honest behaviour Show respect and kindness to all members of the school community Model resiliency Ensure that the school environment is kept neat, tidy and secure Establish positive relationships with students and parents Ensure good organisation and planning Provide an engaging curriculum Report student progress to parents and students Implement the Positive School Engagement Policy Know the school rules and incentive programs and show consistency when enforcing them
Parents have the right to:	Parents have the responsibility to:
Be treated with courtesy and honesty Receive respect and kindness from others Be informed of course and curriculum material, student engagement and attendance procedures and decisions affecting their child’s education, health and welfare Be informed of their child’s progress Access a meaningful and adequate education for their child Be heard in an appropriate forum on matters related to the rights of their child’s education	Model and demonstrate courteous and honest behaviour Show respect and kindness to all members of the school community Ensure that their child attends school and is punctual Inform staff of any concerns regarding their child’s health or welfare that may impact upon learning Ensure that their child’s health and welfare is at an optimum for learning Ensure that their child has the materials to participate in all learning activities Support the school in the education of their child

Code of Conduct

Respect

Be kind and courteous to all members of the Campbell Community.
Show respect for self and always do my best.
Follow instructions given by all staff members.
Use whole body to listen actively to the person speaking and raise my hand to speak.
Treat all school and personal property with care.
Let others learn.
Proudly wear my Campbell school uniform.
Be punctual and organised for learning with all my equipment.
Walk through the boulevard and around buildings to keep all community members safe.
Act in a safe manner both in and out of the classroom.
Look after your school environment.

Resilience

Believe in yourself. Have a positive attitude and self-image.
Demonstrate control over your impulses and feelings/emotions.
Know how to bounce back and bounce forward.
Solve problems effectively.
Adapt to adversity.
Not be afraid to ask for help when needed.
Display a genuine interest in school.
Be responsible, honest and trustworthy.
Set and attain realistic goals.
Take responsibility for your actions and be honest about your behaviour.
Participate actively in all Campbell activities.
Understand that there are consequences for poor behavioural choices.

Kindness

Smile, say hello to people and use their names.
Listen and look at others when they have something to say.
Genuine caring for others.
Being helpful.
Being honest with others.
Doing something for someone without them asking.
Offer your help when someone needs it. THINK motto.
Don’t judge others.
Be kind to yourself.
Include people in activities; in class and in the playground.
Make all members of the Campbell Community feel welcome.

Application of Disciplinary Measures – Glossary of Terms

Tracking Book

Each class has a tracking book which goes with the class to specialist teachers. This ensures a detailed record of student behaviour and maintains consistency between staff members.

It needs to be kept up to date, and entries must clearly reflect the behaviour/action. The tracking book may be used as evidence when creating behaviour management plans or in distinguishing behavioural patterns. Parent contact should be made by the class teacher to discuss repeated entries (two consecutive weeks of three or more in a week) or negative behavioural patterns (three entries over three non-consecutive weeks)

Time Out – In the classroom

The student, after receiving an informal and formal warning, is given five minutes to reflect in a quiet space inside the classroom. A visual prompt or ‘think spot’ may be employed by the class teacher.

Time Out – In another classroom

The student has returned from time out and has not complied with the classroom rules. They are sent to another agreed upon classroom, for 15 minutes with a restorative based reflection sheet to complete. The sheet is checked by the teacher and sent home for the parent to sign and return. A restorative conversation in initiated by the teacher on the student’s return to class. The class teacher is responsible for contacting the parent and recording in SIS.

Administration Contact

The student has reached the end of the classroom behaviour management system and is sent with a red classroom incident slip to the office. The line manager responsible for that year level liaises with the classroom teacher and the student and decides upon the suitable consequence. Parent contact is made by the line manager and recorded in SIS.

Loss of Privilege

Examples: The student may be requested to shadow a duty teacher during recess or lunch, miss a non-curricular event, lose their leadership role for a period of time. Note that this is not an exhaustive list.

Lunchtime Detention

A lunch time detention may be issued by the line manager. The student reports to administration at the commencement of lunch. Parents are notified when the detention takes place. The consequence is recorded in SIS by the line manager.

Withdrawal

An in school withdrawal may be issued by the Principal or principal’s delegate if the student’s behaviour is deemed to be extreme or if the student has reached the end of the behaviour management process. The student spends the day in administration, supervised by the Principal or principal’s delegate. The student is permitted break times, although these will not be in line with normal school breaks. The Principal or principal’s delegate informs the parents and records the consequence in SIS.

Suspension

The student is suspended from attending school by the Principal. Parents are informed by the Principal or the principal’s delegate and a meeting takes place with the parent/carer and child upon the child’s return to school. A restorative conversation is initiated by the Principal or principal’s delegate with the student on their return.

Exclusion

The student is excluded from attendance at Campbell Primary School permanently or for a period of time. A Student Exclusion Review Panel will be established by the Regional Director to review whether a child shall be excluded from the school.

Restorative Practice

Restorative Practices assist teachers, students and parents to build, maintain and restore relationships. Restorative Practices will help build capacity to enable students to self-regulate behaviour and contributes to the improvement of learning outcomes.

Engaging in a Restorative Conversation

After an incident, the staff member will engage students in a restorative conversation, to encourage reflection and to restore any damage to relationships. The following questions can be used to facilitate the conversation.

When challenging behaviour:

What happened?
What were you thinking of at the time?
What have you thought about since?
Who has been affected by what you have done?
In what way have they been affected?
What do you think you need to do to make things right?

To help those affected:

What did you think when you realized what had happened?
What impact has this incident had on you and others?
What has been the hardest thing for you?
What do you think needs to happen to make things right?

Each year new staff will be up-skilled in Restorative Practice techniques.

Staff Review: Term 2 2021

Ratified by School Board: July 2021

Next Review: 2023