Reservoir East Primary School - Statement of School Values and Philosophy Policy

STUDENT WELLBEING AND
ENGAGEMENT POLICY 2024-26

Help for non-English speakers.

If you need help to understand the information in this policy, please contact Reservoir East Primary School office on 9460-1569.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all students and members of our school community understand:

(a) our commitment to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for students.

(b) expectations for positive student behaviour

(d) our school’s policies and procedures for responding to inappropriate student behaviour.

REPS is committed to providing a safe, secure and stimulating learning environment for all students. We understand that students reach their full potential only when they are happy, healthy and safe, and that a positive school culture, where student participation is encouraged and valued, helps to engage students and support them in their learning. Our school acknowledges that student wellbeing and student learning outcomes are closely linked.

The objective of this policy is to support our school to create and maintain a safe, supportive and inclusive school environment consistent with our school’s values.

Scope

This policy applies to all school activities, including camps and excursions.

Contents

1. School profile

2. School values, philosophy and vision

3. Wellbeing and engagement strategies

4. Identifying students in need of support

5. Student rights and responsibilities

6. Student behavioural expectations and management

7. Engaging with families

8. Evaluation

Policy

1. School profile

Our school enrolment is 270 students, from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, with a high proportion of students for whom English is an additional language and a significantly large number of First Nations students (30%). The school community values this diversity and supports students by offering a broad curriculum with a strong emphasis on interpersonal learning. The school is justifiably proud of its ability to cater for a wide range of abilities and backgrounds giving rise to an ethos of tolerance, harmony, and inclusion. As many children are from a variety of non-English speaking backgrounds, all students have an opportunity to develop an understanding of other cultures. The school has a large Aboriginal student population. We have an active connection with our Aboriginal community and families through our Aboriginal Engagement Officer. We also have a strong focus on Aboriginal education, history and identity through the acknowledgement and celebration of NAIDOC Week, Reconciliation Week and Sorry Day as well as embedding understandings throughout our curriculum.

REPS is continually reflecting and evolving its practises to ensure our approach to inclusive education is genuine and meets all students at their point of need. This is especially reflected in our new Nurture Room. We are proud of our diversity and inclusive school community.

Our new buildings offer open and bright learning spaces and state of the art climate control. Our school grounds now include landscaped areas with new custom-built playgrounds, an Indigenous Garden and wetland, specialised play areas for younger students, a large oval and tennis courts. Many of our families live locally and we have strong connections with our local Aboriginal elders, local shops and community services.

Reservoir East Primary School is highly committed to improving the achievement levels of all students and at present we have much to celebrate. Students consistently improve at a greater rate than is expected. This is due to the authentic team approach towards learning, incorporating the input of students, parents and school staff in the development of individual learning plans (ILPs) for all students. We live a culture of “Together We’re Better” that is reflected in the collective responsibility we exemplify for the learning process. Pivotal to the improvement of student learning outcomes over the past five years has been the substantial investment in coaching to improve teacher capacity. Our staff is made up of 23 people of which three people currently provide literacy and numeracy coaching to fellow staff.

2. School values, philosophy and vision

REP’S Statement of Values and School Philosophy is integral to the work that we do and is the foundation of our school community. Students, staff and members of our school community are encouraged to live and demonstrate our core values of respect, integrity and kindness at every opportunity.

Our school’s vision is to empower students to reach their personal best, and fully equip them to contribute positively to society as happy, healthy young adults.

Our Statement of Values is available on our website.

3. Wellbeing and engagement strategies

REPS has developed a range of strategies to promote engagement, an inclusive and safe environment, positive behaviour, and respectful relationships for all students in our school. We recognise the importance of student friendships and peer support in helping children and students feel safe and less isolated We acknowledge that some students may need extra social, emotional or educational support at school, and that the needs of students will change over time as they grow and learn.

A summary of the universal whole of school and individual engagement strategies used by our school is included below:

Universal

REPS actively seeks to engage with parents and the community to ensure a positive and inclusive school culture in which every student has the opportunity to succeed. The School works collaboratively with students and parents/ carers to establish fair and respectful behaviour policies and practices, based on the school’s values, expected social competencies and positive peer relationships. There are also intervention strategies in place to address inappropriate behaviours which can negatively impact on the learning environment of the self and others.

REPS appreciates its diverse student and parent population and has measures in place to ensure all students enjoy the same level of access to the school’s curriculum and co-curricular programs. Our teaching and learning philosophy is important in engaging all students in their academic learning. Our student Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) and provision of additional assistance programs such as ‘Toolbox’ and EAL classes provide students with additional classroom support to ensure student literacy and numeracy needs are being addressed.

Due to this diverse population, REPS seeks to adopt a sensitive approach all times, to ensure all students and their families feel safe and welcome. This includes celebrating different cultural backgrounds, religions, family configurations and abilities. Some examples of how REPS achieves this includes but is not limited to:

● Providing space for students to pray

● Honouring the wearing of specific cultural attire

● Using correct cultural terminology

● Having zero tolerance for racist language and behaviour

● Providing withdrawal spaces for those with sensory needs

● Celebrating different cultural backgrounds through special days, cultural events, remembrance days such as, NAIDOC Day, Sorry Day, Eid, Christmas, Easter and ANZAC Day.

● Our implementation of the program for Students with Disabilities provides vital assistance and support to students in and out of the classroom.

We engage in school wide positive behaviour support with our staff and students, which includes programs such as Restorative Practices, Mind Up, Respectful Relationships, Berry Street Education Model and Calmer Classrooms:

● When relationships break down between members of the school community, we use Restorative Practices to restore and rebuild these. Staged responses are implemented in addressing ongoing behavioural issues, and suspension from school is viewed as a last resort.

● REPS is a Respectful Relationships lead school. Respectful Relationships supports schools to promote and model respect, positive attitudes and behaviours. It teaches our children how to build healthy relationships, resilience and confidence. We have implemented the initiative inside our classrooms and teaching ethos.

● Berry Street Education Model is used in all classrooms to provide students with an evidenced based trauma informed program that promotes:

● stress management through de-escalation, mindfulness and self-regulation

● building relationships based on a person-centred approach based on attachment theory, unconditional positive regard, whole-school relationships and redefining power.

● building stamina through emotional intelligence and resilience

● engagement through promoting positive emotions, play, humour and fun and cultivating a sense of wonder.

● character building through values, character strengths, community strengths, hope and gratitude.

● Calmer Classrooms: A guide to working with traumatised children developed by the Office of the Child Safety Commissioner, provides teachers and schools with effective relationship-based classroom and school-wide strategies such as:

● Understanding the child and their background to increase empathic communication from the teacher to the student to promote their sense of feeling understood and valued.

● Teachers managing their reactions, as trauma affected children often find aggression more familiar than calm and considerate interactions and can therefore attempt to evoke such reactions from adults.

● REPS provides opportunities for student inclusion including but not limited to sports teams, lunchtime and recess activities, clubs.

● Analysing and being responsive to a range of school data such as attendance, Attitudes to School Survey, parent survey data, student management data and school level assessment data

● Teachers at REPS adopt a broad range of teaching and assessment approaches to effectively respond to the diverse learning styles, strengths and needs of our students and follow the standards set by the Victorian Institute of Teaching.

● Our school’s Statement of Values are incorporated into our curriculum and promoted to students, staff and parents so that they are shared and celebrated as the foundation of our school community.

● Positive behaviour and student achievement is acknowledged in the classroom, and formally in school assemblies and communication to parents.

● Monitor student attendance and implement attendance improvement strategies at a whole-school, cohort and individual level.

● Create opportunities for cross—age connections amongst students through school plays, athletics, music programs and peer support programs.

● The school places an emphasis on maximum attendance and has in place attendance targets. Attendance is monitored, and student absences are followed up by teaching and Administration staff. (Refer to our Attendance Policy).

● The school values parent / carer input into its operations and curriculum offerings and seeks feedback through the Parent Opinion survey, and from parent representatives on School Council.

● The school will focus on establishing positive and respectful relationships, particularly between teachers and students, and establishing a learning community that provides multiple and diverse opportunities for students to experience success.

● The school will collaboratively develop and implement a fair and respectful whole-school behaviour management approach.

● The school will encourage and provide multiple opportunities for parents/carers and members of the broader community to play an active part in the life of the school and the education of their children.

● The school’s curriculum will include pro-social values and behaviour to enable students to acquire knowledge and skills, value diversity and build a culture of learning, community and engagement.

● The school will promote active student participation and provide students with a sense of ownership of their environment.

● The school will support families to engage in their child’s learning and build their capacity as active learners.

● The school will establish social/emotional and educational support for vulnerable students and monitor and evaluate progress.

● The school will have processes in place to identify and respond to individual students who require additional assistance and support.

The school will build strong links with the local community to gain access to an extended network of community members, professionals and educators who can provide expertise and experience that can build the capacity of our school and our teachers to respond to the needs of the students.

Implementing preventative and early intervention strategies to support positive behaviours is a key part of the Student Wellbeing Policy at our school. Prevention and early intervention strategies the school will deploy include:

● defining and teaching school-wide and classroom expectations through staff induction and staff meetings

● establishing consistent school-wide and classroom responses for problem behaviour, and implementing interventions based on trauma informed and restorative justice practices such as The Berry Street Education Model and Calmer Classrooms

● establishing school-wide and classroom processes for early identification of students experiencing academic and/ or behaviour difficulty

● providing school-wide and classroom processes for the ongoing collection and use of data for decision-making such as Compass

● providing teachers with relevant background information to enable them to better understand a student’s background and reasons for their behaviour which promotes empathy and the child feeling understood and valued.

● empowering students by creating multiple opportunities for them to take responsibility and be involved in decision-making.

● providing a physical environment conducive to positive behaviours and effective engagement in learning

● providing free breakfasts, snacks and lunches for financially at-risk students

● providing structured activities during lunchtimes

The school will promote and maintain high levels of student attendance and participation through:

● articulating high expectations to all members of the school community

● adopting consistent, rigorous procedures to monitor and record student absences.

● following up student absences promptly and consistently

● implementing data-driven attendance improvement strategies

● creating safe, supportive learning environments where all students experience success through active participation and engagement in purposeful learning.

● providing early identification of, and supportive intervention for, students at risk of non-attendance

● linking with local community groups and agencies to maximise program and individual support.

● providing a staged response

Targeted

Student wellbeing (social, emotional and cognitive engagement) is of high importance at our school and is addressed in several ways, in and outside of the classroom. Our pastoral programs in the classroom include curriculum based on circle time, Mind Up, The Berry Street Education Model and Calmer Classrooms model, and are tailored to address students’ personal and social learning at various stages of their education. These include the development of Individual Safety Plans and a Stress Survey, which allows teachers to individualise their teaching and communication with students to best meet student needs. At risk students are supported by our Wellbeing Team, which includes designated non-teaching staff, the DET Psychologist, school-based psychologist, speech pathologist and the teaching team.

The curriculum programs of the school will recognise and respond to the diverse needs of the school’s students by:

● accommodating different learning profiles and rates of learning

● intervening early to identify and respond to individual student needs.

● planning according to each students’ learning goals in their ILPs

● clearly stating the learning intentions and success criteria before each session so that students know what is expected of them and how they can achieve success.

● The school is committed to the delivery of an inclusive curriculum that ensures all our students have access to a quality education to meet their diverse needs.

● Each teacher is responsible for their class, who monitor the health and wellbeing of students and liaise with the Student Wellbeing Coordinator, who acts as a point of contact for students who may need additional support.

● REPS connects all Koorie students with our Koorie Engagement Support Officer

● Wellbeing and health staff will undertake health promotion and social skills development in response to needs identified by student wellbeing data, classroom teachers or other school staff each year.

● Staff will apply a trauma-informed approach to working with students who have experienced trauma.

The school will use coordinated early intervention and prevention strategies to identify and respond to individual students who require additional assistance and support. The school will provide the following support structures such as:

● monitoring of, and responding to, protracted student absences

● following government mandated protocol for mandatory reporting

● asking teachers to provide referrals for assessment and funding, for at risk students.

● each classroom conducting regular circle time sessions where students can talk about and process playground issues.

Longitudinal data will be collected regarding frequency and types of wellbeing issues, so as to measure the success or otherwise of school-based strategies and approaches.

Some sources of data are:

● the Attitudes to School Survey data

● school level report data

● parent survey data

● data from case management work with students

Individual

REPS implements a range of strategies that support and promote individual engagement. These can include:

To improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities, the following key strategies are in place:

● providing parents/carers with a learning program that best suits their child’s needs.

● involving students and parents in programming and planning decisions

● supporting students’ access to programs that let them pursue achievable pathways.

● ensuring the expertise of teachers working in our school is maintained and developed.

The school will utilise relevant external student wellbeing support services to identify and address the barriers to learning that individual students may be facing. Such services to provide support for students and staff include:

● psychologist for psychological and academic assessment

● mentors – providing support for ‘at risk’ children.

● Department of Human Services case managers and support workers

● social workers to provide services such as counselling, social skills and anger management programs.

● local parent support groups

● relevant DET support staff

● C.A.S.A. (Centre Against Sexual Assault)

● CYMHS (Child and Youth Mental Health Service)

● School Focused Youth Service (SFYS)

● Child First or Community Support Agencies

4. Identifying students in need of support

REPS is committed to providing the necessary support to ensure our students are supported intellectually, emotionally and socially. The Student Wellbeing team plays a significant role in developing and implementing strategies help identify students in need of support and enhance student wellbeing. Example School will utilise the following information and tools to identify students in need of extra emotional, social or educational support:

· personal, health and learning information gathered upon enrolment and while the student is enrolled.

· attendance records

· academic performance

· observations by school staff such as changes in engagement, behaviour, self-care, social connectedness and motivation

· engagement with families

· self-referrals or referrals from peers

5. Student rights and responsibilities

All members of our school community have a right to experience a safe and supportive school environment. We expect that all students, staff, parents and carers treat each other with respect and dignity. Our school’s Statement of Values highlights the rights and responsibilities of members of our community.

Students have the right to:

· participate fully in their education.

· feel safe, secure and happy at school.

· learn in an environment free from bullying, harassment, violence, racism, discrimination or intimidation.

· express their ideas, feelings and concerns.

Students have the responsibility to:

· participate fully in their educational program.

· display positive behaviours that demonstrate respect for themselves, their peers, their teachers and members of the school community.

· respect the right of others to learn.

Students who may have a complaint or concern about something that has happened at school are encouraged to speak to their parents or carers and approach a trusted teacher or a member of the school leadership team. Further information about raising a complaint or concern is available in our Complaints Policy.

6. Student behavioural expectations and management

Behavioural expectations of students are grounded in our school’s Statement of Values/Student code of conduct.

Violence, bullying, and other offensive and harmful behaviours such as racism, harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated and will be managed in accordance with this policy. Bullying will be managed in accordance with our Bullying Prevention Policy.

When a student acts in breach of the behaviour standards of our school community, Example School will institute a staged response, consistent with the Department’s policies on behaviour, discipline and student wellbeing and engagement. Where appropriate, parents will be informed about the inappropriate behaviour and the disciplinary action taken by teachers and other school staff.

Our school considers, explores and implement positive and non-punitive interventions to support student behaviour before considering disciplinary measures such as detention, withdrawal of privileges or withdrawal from class.

Disciplinary measures may be used as part of a staged response to inappropriate behaviour in combination with other engagement and support strategies to ensure that factors that may have contributed to the student’s behaviour are identified and addressed. Disciplinary measures at our school will be applied fairly and consistently. Students will always be provided with an opportunity to be heard.

Disciplinary measures that may be applied include:

· warning a student that their behaviour is inappropriate.

· teacher controlled consequences such as moving a student in a classroom or other reasonable and proportionate responses to misbehaviour.

· withdrawal of privileges

· referral to the Year Level Coordinator

· restorative practices

· detentions

· behaviour support and intervention meetings

· suspension

· expulsion

Suspension, expulsion and restrictive interventions are measures of last resort and may only be used in situations consistent with Department policy, available at:

· https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/suspensions/policy

· https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/expulsions/policy

· https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/restraint-seclusion/policy

In line with Ministerial Order 1125, no student aged 8 or younger will be expelled without the approval of the Secretary of the Department of Education and Training.

The Principal of REPS is responsible for ensuring all suspensions and expulsions are recorded on CASES21.

Corporal punishment is prohibited by law and will not be used in any circumstance at our school.

7. Engaging with families

REPS values the input of parents and carers, and we will strive to support families to engage in their child’s learning and build their capacity as active learners. We aim to be partners in learning with parents and carers in our school community.

We work hard to create successful partnerships with parents and carers by:

· ensuring that all parents have access to our school policies and procedures, available on our school website.

· maintaining an open, respectful line of communication between parents and staff, supported by our Communicating with School Staff policy.

· providing parent volunteer opportunities so that families can contribute to school activities.

· involving families with homework and other curriculum-related activities

· involving families in school decision making

· coordinating resources and services from the community for families

· including families in Student Support Groups and developing individual plans for students.

8. Evaluation

REPS will collect data each year to understand the frequency and types of wellbeing issues that are experienced by our students so that we can measure the success or otherwise of our school-based strategies and identify emerging trends or needs.

Sources of data that will be assessed on an annual basis include:

· student survey data

· incidents data

· school reports

· parent survey

· case management

· CASES21, including attendance and absence data.

· SOCS

REPS will also regularly monitor available data dashboards to ensure any wellbeing or engagement issues are acted upon in a timely manner and any intervention occurs as soon as possible.

COMMUNICATION

This policy will be communicated to our school community in the following ways.

· Included in staff induction processes.

· Available publicly on our school’s website.

· Included as annual reference in school newsletter.

· Made available in hard copy from school administration upon request.

Our school will also ensure it follows the mandatory parent/carer notification requirements with respect to suspensions and expulsions outlined in the Department’s policies at:

· Suspension process

· Expulsions - Decision

Further information and resources

The following Department of Education and Training policies are relevant to this Student Engagement and Wellbeing Policy:

· Attendance

· Student Engagement

· Child Safe Standards

· Supporting Students in Out-of-Home Care

· Students with Disability

· LGBTIQ Student Support

· Behaviour - Students

· Suspensions