Assistant Principals' Report

Hello and welcome to our newsletter item for this week.

Berry Street Education- Professional Learning Day

Last Monday, 2nd November, the whole staff at Heidelberg Primary School participated in a masterclass with Berry Street Education. The masterclass was titled ‘Restorative Practices and Fair Consequences.’ It was a fantastic day working with the facilitators and our colleagues to learn more about restorative practices and discussing what fair consequences can look like in different situations. 

This masterclass was an opportunity to consider what behaviour management processes are currently in place at HPS, what is going well but also what we might be able to improve. We reviewed and referred to some of our previous learning through the four Berry Street modules; Body, Relationships, Stamina and Engagement and Character and how some of these ideas and strategies can link with the masterclass work.

We started the day with some predictable routines that had previously been presented to us through the four modules. These are routines that currently occur across our classrooms first thing in the morning. On this day the welcome circle included a greeting, a positive primer, considering our school values and how they will look throughout the day, expectations for the day and announcements. 

When supporting students who may be dysregulated or where there has been a conflict, it really is important to consider your own needs in healthy ways. We talked about physical, emotional, cognitive, sensory and spiritual needs and had an opportunity to develop a self-care plan. We were reminded that whole school behaviour support can be challenging so when leading this work, there is a need to ensure we are regulated and know how to turn the volume down on our emotions when required. 

There was discussion about educators standing in their personal power when supporting students. There are three powers; reward power, expert power and referent power. Reward power is being able to provide positive feedback, expert power is having an expertise in maybe a particular learning or wellbeing area and then referent power relates to being able to have relationships, be empathetic and have connections. Acknowledging that we can move in and out of these powers at certain times when supporting students however all these powers can really help to make a difference. 

The learning explored how behaviour has a function and communicates an unmet need. We discussed different sorts of behaviours and where they fit within the five areas referenced above; cognitive, energetic, spiritual, emotional and physical. Co-regulation and self-regulation strategies are important when supporting students through challenges, adults being able to step in and support and redirect, assist a student to draw on strategies we know will work for them at that moment.

The latter part of the day had the staff team considering what fairnesslooks like in practice and in managing behaviour. We reflected on our school values and identified what is currently fair and unfair within our school environment. Looking at the difference between traditional disciplinary approaches and restorative practices. We discussed the language, phrases and definitions associated with restorative practices. 

The team looked at restorative approaches and how this can shift our focus from simply managing behaviour towards understanding, teaching and repairing relationships. In using this approach key considerations would be to understand the reasons behind behaviour, maintaining positive relationships and supporting accountability without shame. Helping children understand the impact of their actions and building skills to make different choices in the future.

As a School Improvement Team and staff team, we will continue to review and improve our School Wide Positive Behaviour Support and whole school consistent approaches to behaviour. We will consider how this new learning will fit with what is currently in place at HPS to support our students to have succees and improved outcomes in learning and wellbeing. 

Have a great weekend and week ahead.

Warm Regards,

Helen Thomas & Monique Rankin

Assistant Principals

Heidelberg Primary School