We have a range of experienced Education Support (ES) staff who work in classroom support roles to have a significant impact on the achievement, engagement, and wellbeing outcomes of all students, including those with disability and additional needs. Our ES staff have an important role in strengthening our inclusive school culture and positive learning environment for all students.
Whittlesea Primary School highly values our ES staff, and therefore we create a workplace that enables and expects them to:
Positive Behaviour Support Plans (PBSP): A positive behaviour support plan (PBSP) is a document that addresses the inappropriate behaviour of a student and outlines strategies to improve their behaviour. PBSPs may include:
Individual Education Plans: IEPs assist students who require a range of supports with their education. An IEP is a written statement that describes the adjustments, goals, and strategies to meet a student’s individual educational needs so they can reach their full potential. An IEP is essential as it helps you plan and monitor a student’s unique learning needs. An IEP:
Koorie Education Plans: Whittlesea Primary School, along with the Victorian Government has a strong commitment to improving Koorie students educational achievement. This commitment is strengthened through the Education State, which provides every student the opportunity to succeed in life, regardless of background, place or circumstance. Marrung is the Aboriginal Education Plan (2016-2026) and is an integral element in building the Education State and will support the achievement of its key reforms and targets. At Whittlesea Primary School, in line with the Department of Education Policy, Individual Education Plans are provided for all Koorie students at the school.
Attendance Improvement Plans: When we feel as a school we have exhausted strategies for addressing a student's unsatisfactory attendance and deem it appropriate to make a referral to a School Attendance Officer, we adhere to the requirements set out in the Department of Education School Attendance Guidelines. This clearly outlines the need to meet with parents/carers to discuss reasons for their child’s absences and agree on strategies within a given timeframe to get the student to increase attendance at the school. At this time a range of supports can offered to the student and/or carer/parent/s that would enable more connection and regular attendance at the school. The school’s Mental Health in Primary School (MHiPS) leader assists in this process and regularly communicates with families to facilitate increased attendance rates.
SSG meetings are required for students supported under individualised disability funding programs including the PSD and Disability Inclusion and those in Out of Home Care (OOHC), and encouraged for any students with additional learning needs
Plan for Play: This is put in place when a student finds time out in the yard, during play breaks to have an undesirable outcome. A plan for play support is co-created with the student and promotes positive behaviour by creating a structure for the student during break times. The plan for play creates a visual schedule that is more reassuring than ‘open’ play whether it be through location, supervision or activity. For some students, the yard can be an overwhelming space, so this plan creates a supportive environment that is conducive to students feeling safe, supported, and valued.
State Schools’ Relief provides support to any Victorian student attending a government school on the advice of the school. Whittlesea Primary School applies via an online portal, whenever they believe there is a need to support a student whose family/carers are facing difficulty in providing the appropriate uniform, footwear, or educational items for attending school. Situations include, but are not limited to:
All requests for support received by State Schools’ Relief are treated sympathetically and in confidence. Assistance in the form of clothing or footwear is provided directly from SSR stock, where possible, and is delivered directly to your school free of charge. Where a voucher is provided instead of physical items, this will be emailed to the school for the student/family to use towards purchases from the school uniform shop, or uniform retailer, on a gap-payment basis. Please note: State Schools’ Relief can only respond to assistance requests from the Principal, Assistant Principal and/or wellbeing team members
Whittlesea Primary School has its own sensory space. This is a space that is for students who require additional time and/or equipment in order to regulate their behaviours, emotions and thought processes. The space is fully equipped to cater to students' sensory needs, including weighted blankets, visual prompts, calm-down tents, fidget tools and games that promote regulation and teamwork. The sensory space is available during lesson times, when support staff may require additional time or strategies with students to support re-entry to learning, as well as during all break times for those who wish to access the sensory stimulation and/or regulation tools during break times.
At Whittlesea Primary School we understand that students may access allied health services in the wider community. We support services to come into the school for the purpose of observations as this is an important part of being able to fully understand the child as a learner in their classroom environment. If this is to take place as required, the provider must complete all the mandatory requirements of the Department of Education for visits of this type to occur. If a family wishes for their child to undertake more regular sessions on the school site, then this is to be negotiated with the student's family, the provider, and the School Principal. In all instances, visits from allied health must be coordinated with the school and booked in advance. Unfortunately, we cannot allow sessions if a provider just arrives at the school.
We have a very small amount of Second-hand / Donated Uniform that is available to families who are experiencing hardship. If you would like to know what is available, then we ask for families to please give the office a call to discuss your needs and/or circumstances. If there is no Second-hand / Donated Uniform that suits students' needs, then a State School Relief application can be initiated.
