Student Welfare and Wellbeing News

Our Approach to Behaviour in the Classroom: A Guide for Parents

At our school, we want every student to feel like they belong and to learn how to take responsibility for their own behaviour. To support this, we have clear expectations and a step-by-step process for managing classroom behaviour.

Setting Expectations Together

At the start of each year—and again at the beginning of every term—teachers and students work together to agree on classroom behaviour expectations. These are then displayed in every classroom as a reminder of how we all want to treat each other. Teachers refer to these when recognising positive behaviour or when reminding students about expectations.

The Four Steps: Responding to Behaviour

In every classroom, we use a Four-Step Process to manage behaviour fairly and consistently. A visual poster helps students understand each step.

Step 1: Verbal Reminder

• A gentle warning is given when a student breaks a classroom rule (e.g., interrupting, calling out, not following instructions).
• The teacher reminds the student of our agreed expectations.

Step 2: Visual Reminder (Token)

• If the behaviour continues, the student is given a visual cue (like a token) as a second reminder.
• The teacher may suggest a short break to help the student calm down and reset.
• Teachers continue to follow school guidelines for appropriate consequences or support.

Step 3: Reflection Time in the Classroom

• If the behaviour still doesn’t improve, the student is moved to a quiet spot in the room to reflect.
• The teacher reminds the student of the classroom expectations and that the next step is removal from class.
• Parents are informed via Compass (our communication platform).

Step 4: Removal from the Classroom

• If the behaviour still doesn’t change or becomes more serious, the student is removed from class.
• They are sent to a designated room with some work to complete and do not return to class for the rest of the day.
• A form is completed explaining what happened, and parents are informed.

More Serious Behaviour

In some situations, a student may be moved straight to Step 3 or 4. This includes serious behaviour like physical contact or abusive language. In these cases, it's important we also consider the safety and wellbeing of other students involved. Parents will be contacted by school leadership.

Ongoing or Extreme Behaviour

If a student continues to be removed from class regularly or shows extreme behaviour, the school may need to take further steps, such as:

• After-school time to catch up
• A meeting with parents and the creation of a Behaviour Support Plan.
• In-school suspension
• Formal suspension

Keeping Parents Informed

Teachers use Compass to keep a record of behaviour steps, especially if concerning patterns start to appear. In some cases, these notes may not be visible to parents but help staff track and support student behaviour over time.

If you ever have questions or concerns about how your child is going at school, please feel free to reach out to their classroom teacher via email. We are here to work together to support every student’s success—both academically and socially.