And now a word from
Mrs Richards...
School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) Update
At PPS, we are committed to creating a safe, supportive and positive learning environment where every child can thrive. We are pleased to provide an update on our ongoing work implementing School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS).
Over recent months, our dedicated SWPBS Team has worked diligently to complete a series of professional learning modules designed to build our understanding and capacity in the Eight Universal Supports that form the foundation of effective school-wide behaviour support. These supports provide a consistent framework for promoting positive behaviour, wellbeing and engagement across the entire school community.
The Eight Universal Supports
1. Leadership
Strong leadership ensures that SWPBS remains a priority, with systems and processes in place to guide implementation, monitor progress and support continuous improvement.
2. Team-Based Implementation
A representative SWPBS team leads the work, gathers feedback and ensures that decisions reflect the needs of staff, students and families.
3. Defining Expected Behaviours
Schools clearly identify and teach the behaviours expected in different settings, helping students understand what success looks like both in and out of the classroom.
4. Teaching Expected Behaviours
Just as we teach academic skills, we explicitly teach behavioural expectations so students can learn, practise and apply them confidently.
5. Acknowledging Appropriate Behaviour
Positive behaviours are recognised and reinforced to encourage students to continue making positive choices and contributing to a positive school culture.
6. Responding to Challenging Behaviour
Schools develop consistent and fair responses to behaviour concerns, ensuring students are supported to learn from mistakes while maintaining a safe environment for all.
7. Using Data for Decision-Making
Behavioural data is collected and analysed to identify trends, celebrate successes and guide future actions and supports.
8. Family and Community Partnerships
Strong partnerships between home and school help create consistency for students and ensure families are active participants in supporting positive behaviour.
Our Progress
As part of this work, the SWPBS Team has developed several draft documents that will soon be shared with staff and the wider school community for feedback. These include:
A framework that clearly defines minor and major behaviours, helping to ensure consistency in how behaviour incidents are understood and addressed across the school.
A behaviour response flowchart that outlines the process staff will follow when responding to unacceptable behaviour, ensuring responses are fair, predictable and supportive of student learning.
Supporting documentation that will guide the consistent implementation of our behaviour expectations and acknowledgement systems.
We value the perspectives of our staff, students and families and look forward to gathering community input as these documents continue to be refined.
Thank you for your ongoing support as we continue to strengthen our positive, inclusive and respectful school culture. Together, we are building a learning environment where all students feel safe, connected and ready to succeed.
The SWPBS team presented at a staff meeting this term so that all staff have a good understanding and working knowledge of the framework. In Term 3 we will take our first steps in implementing the framework. With our list of minor and major behaviours in mind, teachers will be recording, using a universal dot system, unacceptable behaviours in the classrooms and in specialist classes. We will also be using yard duty folders to record unacceptable behaviours out in the yard. This data will then be used by grade level teams and the SWPBS team to unpack what sort of behaviours need to be an ongoing focus and how we manage students who begin to fall outside of the Tier 1 behaviour management framework.
Below is a working draft of our list of Minor and Major Behaviours as well as how these relate to “behaviour dots”. We are also working on a Behaviour Matrix that links with our school values. Feel free to let me know your feedback on these: tracy.richards@education.vic.gov.au
Minor Behaviours @ PPS
(For minor behaviours at PPS - Initial is a redirect. If it continues consequence is a dot)
Work Avoidance: Refusal to work after choices
Calling out without raising a hand
Talking while the teacher is speaking
Running inside the classroom
Misusing classroom materials
Chatting during transitions
Leaving their seat without permission
Copying another student’s work
Disruption: Consistently causing an interruption to instruction.
Immediate Dots or recording in YD folder
Physical: Incidental or unintentional inappropriate contact.
Property: Reversible low-level damage of property, e.g. drawing on a table. Use of an item for an unexpected purpose. Taking or using an item that belongs to someone else without permission.
Swearing: Non-targeted or non-confrontational swearing out of frustration.
Teasing: Low-level verbal teasing. Excluding other children from play or activities.
Threat: Verbal exchange without causing physical harm.
Disrespect: Argumentative, lying or cheating.
Exiting: Leaving the classroom without permission; consistently late from breaks.
Defiance; not following instructions, answering back
Repeated behaviours:
Major - Immediate escalation to leadership and parents contacted
Physical deliberate aggression (hitting, kicking, punching, biting)
Bullying or repeated harassment
Threatening another student or staff member
Swearing directly at others
Leaving the school grounds without permission
Throwing objects dangerously
Deliberate damage to school property
Stealing
Cyberbullying or inappropriate online behaviour
Bringing unsafe items to school
- Racist or sexist comments
PREMIERS’ READING CHALLENGE
Well done to those students who have already made a great start to their reading for the 2026 Premiers’ Reading Challenge. Please contact me if you would like your child to participate and I will provide you with login details.
