Principal 10/5: Building a Positive Learning Environment

Building a Positive Learning Environment

Welcome back to Term 2 at William Carey! We have another busy term of learning and activity, and it started right from day one.

Last week we commemorated ANZAC Day with Primary and High School assemblies. The students conducted themselves extremely well as the School reflected on the terrible cost of war and the sacrifice made by so many Australian men and women. I would like to thank the staff who organised these events along with our guest speaker, Rev Tim Booker (Senior Minister at St Luke’s Anglican Church, Liverpool). Tim has served in the capacity of chaplain in the Australian Defence Force and spoke on God’s love expressed through Jesus and how if love was extended between people, war would be something that could be avoided.

I also had the privilege of spending some time with Year 5 on camp at Teen Ranch. Students were having a great time hanging out together while enjoying a wide range of activities (including archery, various ropes courses, and lots of other fun and challenging sessions). This week Year 11 are on camp enjoying activities plus skills building for their senior school lives. Camps are a high value aspect of school life, and they also demand a lot of organising and supervising teachers. I would like to thank them for their commitment to their students learning and growth.

This week we published the School’s updated Student Behaviour Policy. This document has undergone extensive review, and I would ask all parents to read this. Often documents such as this focus on consequences for negative behaviour. This new policy takes a holistic view of both proactive and reactive approaches to student behaviour. It closely partners with the Student Code of Conduct to reflect the school’s values and biblical foundations to maintain a school culture in which students and staff benefit from respectful and safe behaviour to effectively engage in learning.

The following is an excerpt from the policy’s introduction:

“The Bible (inc. Hebrews 12:4-11) describes discipline in terms of:

•         Deterring individuals from harm (v. 4)
•         Involving words and actions (v. 5)
•         Expressing love and care (vv. 6-9)
•         Training for long term benefits (vv. 10-11)

 

All students and staff have the right to a safe learning environment, characterised by positive relationships, and based on respect. All students and staff have the right to be treated fairly and with dignity in an environment free from intimidation, harassment, discrimination, bullying or continued disruption. Engaging with student behaviour positively is based on students knowing that staff care about them as a person and care about what they are doing. Strong relationships between staff and students are vital. Staff must be fair and consistent with students (taking individual needs into account) and students need to understand that the staff member is the authority in the room and is in control, enabling pupils to feel safe.

 

Equally, staff must be approachable and there to help (not only there to discipline) and students must understand this. If a member of staff is having difficulties with an individual or group of students, they are expected to seek support in order to make a positive change.

This policy is developed to support staff to maintain high expectations of student behaviour in the School. This policy and the procedures in this document provide a consistent approach across the School and enable students, parents and staff to understand approaches to the management of behaviour in the School.

It is also recognised that for some pupils, variance on these procedures may be made in order to meet specific social, emotional, learning or other needs which require a personalised approach; guidance for this is included in the appendices.”

 

The Student Behaviour Policy and Student Code of Conduct are both available on the WCCS Family Portal on the ‘Forms and Documents’ page. 

The Student Behaviour Policy aims to provide clear indication of the School’s position on maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment. Key concepts of the policy include:

• Promoting positive behaviour:
  • The School maintains a positive culture by setting and communicating clear expectations of students and encouraging positive behaviour. This is linked to our Attributes and Awards system.
• Rules and expected standards of behaviour:
  • Students are expected to abide by the rules of the School, and the directions of staff. These rules are in place to maintain the positive values and culture of the school, and provide safe and productive learning environments for students and staff.
• Response to behavioural incidents:
  • The School’s response to incidents, when student behaviour falls short of School expectations, seeks to balance accountability with an understanding of the roots of student behaviour. Responses are to incorporate the features of procedural fairness and restorative practices.
• Procedural fairness:
  • Students have a right to procedural fairness in dealings that involve their interests. Procedural fairness refers to what are sometimes described as the ‘hearing rule’ and the ‘right to an unbiased decision’. This includes disciplinary decisions.
• Restorative practices:
  • Restorative practice (justice) is a teaching and learning approach that encourages behaviour that is supportive and respectful. It puts the onus on individuals to be truly accountable for their behaviour and to repair any harm caused to others as a result of their actions.

The policy also provides information for more serious or ongoing matters and statements regarding the prohibition of corporal punishment as a form of school discipline.

While a document such as this may feel somewhat negative, it is valuable for all members of the School community as it provides clarity and certainty. As mentioned previously, providing discipline and training is an expression of love so that harm may be avoided, and students may grow and enjoy long term benefits. This endeavour is a partnership between staff and families and this policy helps ensure it is a productive partnership.