The purpose of School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) at Whittlesea Primary School is to improve student outcomes through safe and inclusive learning environments. 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 features:

• As with all learning, behaviour must be taught, modelled, and reinforced
• The Behaviour Matrix is explicitly taught to every classroom in every location at WPS
• Students’ individual needs and abilities are catered for
• Staff have a common understanding of what the expected behaviours look like
• All staff are responsible for implementing consistent behaviour management strategies
• All staff are responsible for using a common language
• Behaviour management data is used to guide further teaching and planning
• Positive reinforcers are used to acknowledge school expectations and behaviours
• Staff actively pre-correct and teach expected behaviours
• Positive relationships are built between staff and students
• Appropriate consequences are in place when students do not demonstrate the expected behaviours
• Behaviour Process Chart directs responding to undesired behaviour
• Teachers are proactive, identifying student needs before a problem arises
• Tiered Intervention Framework

SWPBS uses a tiered intervention framework, which invests in:

• Tertiary prevention (tier 3): specialised, individualised systems for students with high-risk behaviour (approximately 5% of students)
• Secondary prevention (tier 2): specialised group systems for students with at-risk behaviour (approximately 15% of students)
• Primary prevention (tier 1): school and classroom-wide systems for all students, staff and settings (approximately 80% of students)

Universal Interventions

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

Golden Tickets are an important Tier 1 reinforcer and part of our whole school Positive Behaviour Support. Staff  use Golden Tickets to reinforce when students have demonstrated our school expectations. The Golden Tickets are a form of acknowledgement, a simple and immediate way of acknowledging 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:

• Principal’s Awards
• Learning Legends
• Students of the Week
• Specialist Awards
• Individual Positive Reinforcement Systems

Targeted Group Interventions

Targeted group interventions are aimed at small groups of students who may have a similar point of need or interest. Group interventions may include 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.

Intensive, Individual Interventions

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.

School-Wide Behaviour and Learning Expectation Matrices

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.

Consequence Continuum

Teachers use this visual tool to ensure that students are more aware of their actions and the associated outcomes, which can be both ‘desirable and undesirable’. The continuum outlines a series of colours linked to reminders, warnings, and redirection strategies to help students understand how their behaviour affects their own learning and the learning of others.  These colours also initiate appropriate consequences. Likewise, this encourages students to stay in the ‘green’ area, reinforcing that they are showing our school expectations and that praise and rewards will be available in a way that enhances this behaviour, which is ‘desirable.’