New Norfolk Primary School
Positive Behaviour
Management
School Profile
New
Norfolk Primary is a medium sized school with approximately 260 FTE students set
in the Derwent Valley of Tasmania, approximately 40km from Hobart, the capital
city. The school intake reflects a decline in community prosperity
with associated low educational achievement/high behaviour support needs.
Getting
Started
In 1991, the then
principal Mr John Husband, established a ground-breaking assertive discipline
program as part of the Supportive School Environment (SSE).
The development of the program was accompanied by wide community
consultation and publicity.
Goal
A safe and happy
environment for all children, where children take responsibility for their own
behaviour.
Implementation
Discuss and identify
children’s and teacher’s rights and responsibilities.
Establish
an agreed set of rules.
Positive
rewards for appropriate behaviour.
Consequences
for inappropriate behaviour.
Appropriate
support for children with behavioural difficulties.
The
playground program and individual classroom programs were developed.
Playground
Program
Five
playground rules (framed in positive language) were identified:
- Keep your hands and feet to yourself.
- Respect school and others property.
- Follow instructions the first time
they are given.
- Stay in designated play areas.
- Be kind to others.
Positive
Reinforcement
Gold
slips
Duty teachers award
gold slips to children who display appropriate behaviour.
Recipients of the gold slips have their names published in the weekly
school newsletter. Classroom
teachers also provide rewards, i.e. house points, class excursions, videos, free
choosing.
At assemblies at the
end of each term a gold slip raffle is drawn.
In the draw are all recipients of gold slips for the term.
All children who have not received a pink slip (see below) are allocated
an additional gold slip for the draw. Twenty-five
prizes are drawn. Winners select
from a range of prizes, such as tennis balls, pencils, textas, etc.
Consequences
– Reinforcement of school rules
If
a student chooses to break a school rule and the offence is observed by a
teacher a pink slip is completed in duplicate and a copy is given to the child
and the other to the Principal. The
pink slip details the child’s name, the date and the rule broken.
Counselling and reinforcement of the rule takes place at the time
including an appropriate immediate consequence, such as sitting out, moving to
another area. The child must show
the pink slip to his or her teacher and parents.
When
two pink slips are received by the child an interview takes place with the
Principal. When three pink slips
are received a letter goes home to parents and the child is placed in Time Out
for a period of time. The Principal
and/or support teachers provide appropriate counselling.
The length of time is allocated by the Principal.
Time
Out
Time
Out area is isolated from mainstream traffic.
Children sit in silence for
approximately 20 minutes during lunch times.
The children who do not follow the Time Out expectations may receive
another day in Time Out.
Severe
Clause
Children
who are involved in physical aggression are placed in Time Out immediately,
regardless of how many pink slips they have received.
Severe breaches of rules are referred to the Principal immediately.
Parents of repeat offenders are contacted and case conferences with
support staff are arranged with the aim of providing children with alternative
behaviours to aggression.
Suspension
Children
who continue to disregard school rules and/or endanger the safety of others and
repeat offenders who have failed to develop alternative behaviours will be
suspended in line with the Education Act Regulation 22: 1b.
Reported
unseen instances of bullying and harassment
Bullying
in the playground often occur behind the scenes.
Children are encouraged to report instances of harassment and bullying to
the teacher in the playground. Teachers
record each report including details of the victim, the alleged aggressor and a
brief description of the problem. The
report form is sent to the Principal who maintains the records in a file.
When
several reports or patterns of aggression or bullying by a child or group of
children have been identified children are counselled and parents are notified.
Consequences such as Time Out, withdrawal of privileges are applied.
For more information
contact the school on 03 6261 2488 or email: newnorfp@postoffice.tased.edu.au
