The purpose of School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) at Whittlesea Primary School is to improve student outcomes through a safe and inclusive learning environment. As a SWPBS school, our community expectations of ‘Respect Your School’, ‘Do Your Best’ and ‘Help Others Succeed’ are pivotal to our school’s success. The school expectations underpin the SWPBS framework across the school. The expectations guide the language used for both positive reinforcement and when dealing with behaviours of concern.
SWPBS uses a tiered intervention framework which invests in:
Universal interventions are evident in every area across the school. The expectations, behaviour matrix, behaviour flowchart, targeted curriculum, and reinforcement systems form the common language and climate of SWPBS. These systems cater to the majority of students.
Golden Tickets are an important aspect of our whole school's Positive Behaviour Support. Staff hand out Golden Tickets when students have demonstrated our school expectations. The Golden Tickets are a form of acknowledgement, a simple and instant way to acknowledge the positive behaviour displayed by a student. The primary purpose is to acknowledge and reinforce the behaviour that the student has demonstrated. The Golden Ticket is not the focus. Golden Tickets can be redeemed at Whittlesea World on designated days.
A variety of other positive reinforcements are used throughout the school. These include:
Targeted group interventions are aimed at cohorts of students who may have a similar point of need or interest. Group interventions may include small groups working in the sensory space, learning how to get along with others, and taking turns or paying a compliment. Group interventions can also be classroom-based.
Students with high-risk behaviour require targeted interventions to support them to be successful at school. These students may require 1:1 intervention, individualised schedules, reward programs, and individualised approaches to their daily routine. At WPS we refer to this as being a student’s “Plan”. These students also require a Positive Behaviour Support Plan that outlines all the specific requirements. A Student Safety Plan also needs to be developed to ensure that any potential escalations are dealt with appropriately.
The School Wide Behaviour Expectation and Learning Matrices are charts that communicate Whittlesea Primary School’s expectations for positive behaviours and learning in various school environments. They aid in teaching, modelling, and reinforcing the expected behaviours in the learning spaces, toilets, outside, gym, assembly, cyberspace and in the community. The Matrices help Teachers, Principals, Education Support Staff, and Parents consistently reinforce a set of key behavioural and learning expectations during students’ daily routines. When they are visibly displayed in the classroom and other settings, they help to increase students’ understanding of school-wide expectations and offer specific examples of actions students can take to meet these expectations.
Teachers follow the Behaviour Process flowchart when re-directing behaviour. The Behaviour Process flowchart needs to be unpacked at the beginning of the year in each learning area. Teams may develop targeted lessons to revisit the Process and ensure that all students and staff have a shared understanding. It must be on display in all learning areas for everybody to see and refer to. Classroom teachers may create their visual representations of the flowchart suitable to the age of students, however, wording and vocabulary must be consistent with the original to ensure continuity. The flowchart must be followed consistently and calmly to ensure an agreed-upon approach across the whole school.
When implementing consequences the following points are made:
