Author: Terry Scott

ANTI-BULLYING POLICY

Tate Street Primary School

Purpose
To maintain a school environment which affirms each student’s right to security, learning, personal growth and self esteem.
To enable students to be aware of how they interact with others in the school community and understand what are acceptable and unacceptable practices.
To ensure that students are aware of their rights and responsibilities as a member of the Tate St. Primary School community and the consequences of their actions.
Broad Guidelines
All individuals and groups within the school community deserve to be valued and treated with respect.
Parents have a right to expect that their children will be educated in a secure environment in which care, courtesy and respect for the rights of others are encouraged.
Students should be encouraged and feel secure in reporting incidents of bullying or harassment that they sense, recognise or witness.
Students will participate in programs to develop positive, tolerant and productive inter personal relationships.
There is recognition that each individual’s development in personal interaction is unique and they have different levels of ability to learn and cooperate with others.
Breaches of school rules will incur sanctions which will be logical consequences of the inappropriate behaviour. Students should be accountable for their behaviour and accept the consequences of their actions.
A partnership is necessary between students, staff and families if a safe, caring, productive school community is to be created and if responsible student behaviour is to be developed.
Staff are provided with the opportunities to develop skills in understanding a range of models in implementing programs to assist students to make positive decisions about their behaviour.
Implementation
All students, teachers and parents are responsible for the consistent and fair implementation and support of this policy. Tate St. Primary School views the success of programs as central to its role as an educational provider.
Students, teachers and the school community will be made aware of the school’s Harassment/ Bullying Policy, Student Code of Conduct and school rules through the curriculum, newsletter, information evenings if required and personal interviews.
Curriculum planning/ timetabling will allow for the implementation of Personal Development programs. eg. Peer Support and Health and Human Relations programs which are components in the delivery of our Health and Physical Education studies.
Students will be supported and encouraged by teachers and parents to recognise/identify a supportive network of peers and adults in whom they can confide.
Students will be supported and encouraged to notify staff of any behaviour they find uncomfortable or threatening.
Student behaviour will be documented and monitored both within the classroom and in the playground. Eg. surveys, discussion, incident documentation.
Students who are identified as having difficulties in personal interaction will be supported to understand and modify their behaviour. This may include counselling, individual programs, behaviour management, Individual Learning Improvement Plans and professional intervention.
A clear and consistent process will be provided through intervention procedures.
Immediate/Early
The school acknowledges that early intervention is a priority. Where students are identified as having difficulty with personal interaction, or behaviour is seen as harassment, discussion with the students involved will be undertaken as soon as possible after the incident. The identified students will be alerted to bullying practices and given strategies to respond in a more effective manner. Students identified at this level may also be involved in school community service or have some withdrawal of privileges. Documentation of the incidents will occur. In serious cases parents will be notified.
Ongoing
For students who repeatedly engage in, or display inappropriate behaviour, and fail to respond to initial intervention strategies, the following procedures will be undertaken in a professional and private manner.
Ongoing discussion with, monitoring and documentation of the student’s behaviour
Parents notified and issues discussed. Parents of students who demonstrate ongoing concerns will be invited to participate in the planning and implementation of an individual support plan. This may involve consultation with District Support Staff and other professionals outside the school and an agreement to a cooperative approach in partnership with the school.
Where a student’s behaviour seriously disadvantages members of the school community despite the implementation of an individual support plan, the school reserves the right to invoke suspension or expulsion.
The following is an extract from the Tate St. Student behaviour Management Plan and is particularly relevant towards our management of bullying:
If we are to provide a safe, supportive environment for our students, we need to create a ‘Preventative School Culture’. I outline for you here, the Tate St. Student Behaviour Management Plan for 2020. This plan is aligned with the Education Department’s ‘Student Well Being and Engagement’ Policies. The key component of this plan is to teach positive behaviours. This includes:
Reinforcing positive behaviour in the classroom and emphasising excellent work habits
Encouraging students to take pride in their appearance and their school environment.
Use of ‘Play is the Way’ strategies for good student decision-making.
Children being involved in the setting of classroom rules
Continuing a strong focus on ‘Positive Behaviour’ programs across the school
Restorative Practices to be used by staff
The following explains what is known as ‘Assertive Discipline’. It breaks down the time-wasting which teachers spend managing negative behaviours of some children. This allows for MORE TIME FOR TEACHERS ACTUALLY TEACHING STUDENTS. If a child interrupts the learning of others in the classroom:
Some misbehaviours are far more unacceptable and they will warrant immediate action. This involves parents being contacted and student being sent home with no warnings applied. These include:

Ratified by School Council

The ‘Student Tracker’
A ‘Student’ Tracker’ has been set up on the School Intranet which only teachers have access to. All negative behaviours are entered onto this tracker and it will be monitored weekly by the Principal. This will allow us to view all negative situations. In this way, a student may have had an issue in the yard at Recess, with their classroom teacher during class-time and then in Art for example, so the Principal will be aware of all these situations. It cannot be viewed on the internet and only by staff at this school.
Some General Rules
Staff will this week explain our school’s system of behaviour management and general school rules to all of our students so that they are fully aware of rules and consequences of inappropriate behaviour. Some other general regulations of which we would like to remind parents include:
School bottle green hats are to be worn outside during Terms 1 and 4.
‘Nude food’ - Food is to be eaten in classroom and only “nude” food taken outside.
Lining up - children are to begin making their way to class at the sound of the 1st bell and line up in an orderly fashion.
In classroom - class rules established - also appropriate behaviour as outlined above
Children may only enter rooms before school, recesses, lunchtimes or after school if a staff member is present.
Out of bounds areas – staff car park or the front of the school
No glass bottles or cans are to be brought to school.
The bells are a signal to staff that a session has ended. Children will be dismissed when the staff member has completed the session and all tasks have been completed and items have been packed up.
Playground areas defined as exclusive - Years 4/6 playground equipment on the Ensby St. side of the school, Years P, 1 & 2 playground equipment near the oval. The playground on the Tate St. side of the school is for Gr. 2-6 students, though P-1 students may use it before or after school if supervised by a parent.
Mobiles, IPods and other electronic games etc. are not to be brought to school.
Children need to walk their bike or scooter when in the schoolyard for obvious safety reasons.
Resource List: Anti-Harassment Policy
‘Play is the Way’ - Wilson McCaskell—includes all books, posters and platforms.
Friendly Kids, Friendly Classrooms- Teaching Social Skills and Confidence in the Classroom—Helen McGrath & Shona Francey.
‘Children Aren’t Made of China’ - Wilson McCaskell
Resources
To be included in the Student Welfare Budget.
Evaluation
All students will be surveyed periodically over each year to ascertain their level of comfort at school.
Feed back from staff, parents and students will be sought through formal and informal documentation and personal communication.
Teachers will actively reflect upon the school environment/culture and implement strategies that ensure ongoing development of student self esteem and interpersonal skills.

Step	Child Behaviour	Action taken by teacher
1	Interrupting the learning of others in the classroom	First warning - name on the board / Restorative conversation
2	Child’s behaviour continues to be disruptive	Second warning - name and ‘X’ placed next to their name on the board / Child to walk with yard duty teacher for ten min’s or tidy the yard / Restorative conversation
3	Child’s behaviour continues to be disruptive	Third warning – another ‘X’ / Dependent upon the nature of this event the child might be sent to another teacher. / Restorative conversation / Child to apologize to staff and/or to students concerned / Any work missed must be done in the student’s own time / Note will go home in the diary informing the parent/s
4	Further misdemeanour	The third ‘X’ / Immediate time out – sent to office. / Parents informed / Child to apologize to staff and/or students concerned / Any work missed must be done in the student’s own time
5	Third warning occurs again within a week.	Parents contacted & informed about student requirements to do the following: Lunchtime detention (X2); Then: After school detention (X2); Then: Suspension (X2)

Fighting and any violent behaviour	Sexual harassment
Bullying, whether physical or verbal	Stealing
Continued rudeness/task refusal	Throwing stones or any objects
Wilful damage of property	Leaving a classroom or the school grounds