Behaviour management

Our three school commitments of: I am Safe, I am Respectful and I am a Learner are the embedded foundations to maintaining a safe, supportive and disciplined learning environment at Norfolk Village State School. Our Responsible Behaviour Plan outlines our system for facilitating positive behaviours, preventing problem behaviours and responding to unacceptable behaviours. Parents, students and staff school opinion survey data indicates very high levels of satisfaction with the social climate of the school. The school has developed and established a comprehensive 2016-2018 Responsible Behaviour Plan for Students which is based on the Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) philosophy. Included within this framework is the High 5 and Cyber Safety 5 processes which are explicitly taught in every classroom for students to use when responding to bullying.

The school operates a Positive Behaviour for Learning committee which meets each month to discuss school based behavioural data, establish behaviour focuses for explicit teaching each week and review/update Positive Behaviour for Learning operations and processes across the school. In Term 4 2016, Norfolk Village State School was accredited as a Tier 1 Positive Behaviour for Learning school by the Department of Education and Training and is now working towards Tier 2 accreditation. The school has developed a comprehensive 2017 Positive Behaviour for Learning action plan which is actioned, monitored and reviewed each month by the PBL committee.

The school has allocated additional funding to ensure that we have a full time Guidance Officer. The school also has a part time Chaplain (three days per week) who is available to assist students. The Chaplain is funded through the National School Chaplaincy and Student Welfare Program in partnership with Ormeau Community Church Ltd. Despite the rapid growth of the school, external and internal feedback is that the school has a “positive” culture which is embedded in the daily operations of our school and which assists new children to the school in feeling supported.

Norfolk Village State School provides a supportive school environment where each classroom operates on the premise that teachers have the right to teach and students have the right to learn in a safe and supportive environment.

Every classroom has the following expectations for students:

• I am Safe
• I am Respectful
• I am a Learner

This common language is embedded in every classroom and team to ensure the learning behaviours and expectations are consistent across the school. “Student behaviours” have been defined by two categories: - Social and Academic. We know that if students do not have these identified behaviours, it dramatically impacts upon their ability to learn and access the curriculum.