Student Wellbeing
Whole School Welfare Policy
Purpose
- To ensure that Black Hill Primary School provides a safe, secure, supportive and stimulating environment that is responsive to the social, emotional, and learning needs of all members of the school community.
- To encourage cooperation, respect and consideration for and between all members of the school community.
- To support and encourage all students in their learning and development in the pursuit of excellence.
- The following school programs will support student welfare, Values Education, Kids Voice, Student Leadership Programs, Behaviour Management Programs, Anti- Bullying Programs - the No Blame Approach, TRIBES, School Support Services, Life Education, Special Assistance Programs, and the Integration program.
- All students are acknowledged and valued as individuals regardless of gender, racial, cultural, physical or intellectual differences.
- Teachers and students have a right to work in an atmosphere conducive and supportive to learning.
- Students have a right to be educated in a positive, safe, encouraging environment with expectations of care, courtesy and respect for all.
- Students have the right to be treated equally in an environment that values and encourages tolerance, inclusion, integrity and diligence.
- Students have a right to work and play free from intimidation.
- Principal and staff have a responsibility to fairly, reasonably and consistently implement the code of conduct.
- The school has a responsibility to identify children at risk both socially and academically and to devise programs to support these children.
- The school has a responsibility to ensure that internal processes address students with specific learning needs at both ends of the scales.
- The school has a responsibility to ensure that internal processes refer students to agencies when appropriate.
- To develop in student’s, resilience and independence within their community and relationships.
- Building mutual respect and promote safety at school.
- Implementing comprehensive and inclusive curriculum to engage all students in an innovative and creative learning and teaching environment.
- Enhancing school attendance (see Attendance Policy).
- Encouraging supportive relationships.
- Implementing effective social skills and Values Program school wide.
- Involving parents/families and communities.
- Smooth transition.
- Assessing children at risk and identifying their needs via assessments, surveys and tests.
- Providing PSG (Parent Support Group) meetings to set goals and review progress.
- Developing programs and individual learning plans to improve skills.
- Providing counseling and support as required utilizing Student Services within the Grampians region.
- Establishing a support group for the student at risk.
- Linking to appropriate support staff/agency.
- Monitoring and evaluating social progress.
- Emergency response plans.
- Providing counseling and support utilising Student Services within the Grampians region.
- Monitoring recovery and evaluate plans.
- Staff opinion survey
- Parent opinion survey
- Student survey.
- To build mutual respect and promote safety at school.
- All students, parents and staff have the right to be treated fairly by fellow staff, parents and students regardless of gender, sexual orientation, body shape or race.
- To ensure all children’s right to a pleasant safe learning environment at Black Hill Primary School is upheld and that they are free from harassment and fear at school.
- To ensure that all children are aware of and are expected to take personal responsibility for their behaviour, particularly towards others.
- Bullying or harassment is a serious offence. Bullying and harassment can occur:
- between students
- between staff and students
- between students and parents/guardians
- between parents/guardians and teachers
- DEECD guidelines & DEECD Student Wellbeing policies
- Whole School Welfare Policy
- Student Welfare Policy (see above)
- Healthy Relationships Program
- Drug Education (Individual School Drug Education Strategies)
- NO Blame approach
- TRIBES program
- Bullying is repeated incidents involving:
- A bigger, stronger or more powerful child on a smaller or weaker child, or
- A group of children on a single child.
- These might be:
- Verbal: the child is called names, put down, threatened.
- Physical: the child is hit, tripped, poked, kicked, or belongings are stolen or damaged.
- Social: the child is left out, ignored, or rumours are spread.
- Psychological: the child is stalked or given dirty looks.
- Bullying is not tolerated. The school community rejects bullying and harassment in any form.
- Promote and implement the school Codes of Conduct from the Charter with the expectation that the whole-school community will adhere to it.
- Implement a comprehensive curriculum to engage all students.
- Encourage and actively develop positive and supportive relationships across the school.
- Students are actively encouraged to support each other and report when possible all instances of Bullying.
- Provide effective interventions and support programs for both the bully and the bullied.
- Examples of acceptable behaviour are recognised and praised.
- Involve students in leadership programs that emphasize the importance of supporting and nurturing strong positive relationships.
- Conduct regular surveys that identify “at risk” students and “hot spot” within the playground where children feel unsafe.
- Involve parents, families and the community where appropriate.
- Bullying material and pamphlets are made available for the community.
Guidelines
Implementation
In line with the framework for Student Support Services for Victorian Government Schools, the implementations of the approaches to student welfare at Black Hill Primary School are based on effective practices at each of the following levels.
1.Primary Prevention
Strategies at this level include:
2.Early intervention
Strategies at this level include:
3.Intervention
4. Postvention
Postvention relates to traumatic incidents, that is those which are extraordinary and are beyond people’s normal coping abilities.
Strategies at this level:
Evaluation
The Student Welfare Policy will be reviewed and modified on an ongoing basis. The staff and the parent community (School Council) will be asked to comment on the effectiveness of the policy implementation and this feedback will be utilised to modify the process. Procedures to assist with the evaluation are:
Bullying Policy
Purpose
Black Hill endeavours to provide a safe and secure environment for everyone by actively implementing the policy through classroom activities, staff and parent education sessions.