SWPBS Update

School Wide Positive Behaviour Support – An Update

You will have already seen in different newsletter articles, little drops of information about School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS).

This year, a team of teachers have completed training modules to support the development of our very own SWPBS framework at FPS. While we still have lots to do, there is much to celebrate from the year.

Behaviour Data

We have analysed behavioural data across our school. We used this data to identify any physical locations in the school where challenging behaviour is occurring, as well as the amount of different challenging behaviours occurring across the school. Similar to how we assess our grades’ maths skills before teaching a new topic, this has also helped us to identify what positive behaviours we need to teach across the school, and has supported in the creation of our SWPBS matrix.

SWPBS Matrix 

This matrix was established through consultation with staff, parents, and the student voice team, as well as feedback from our SWPBS coach. FPS teachers are currently practising using the language from this matrix to positively reinforce appropriate school behaviour. 

For example, teachers will say:

• Well done Paul for using your growth mindset during that challenging maths task. You are being a good learner.
• Thanks Nicole for wearing your hat outside at recess to be safe.
• Please remember to use quiet voices and feet when we walk through the hall to be respectful to the classes who are learning.

Teachers have also used a lesson plan introducing SWPBS and this version of our matrix to all students in the school. 

While this is our current version of our matrix, with listed behaviours that are expected from everyone in our school – students, teachers, parents and guests – we expect that this could also change as we continue establishing our SWPBS framework across the school. 

SWPBS Lesson Plans

Part of the SWPBS framework involves the explicit teaching of expected behaviours. The SWPBS team have created a series of mini lesson plans to support teachers with this in the classroom. Here you can see the lesson plan for the expectation ‘Wait for toilet buddy to be finished.’

While these lesson plans can be adapted by year levels to be as accessible as possible for their students, these lesson plans help provide consistency in expected behaviours across the whole school; i.e. a student in Foundation and Grade 6 will both be reminded “make sure you wait for your toilet buddy before coming back to the classroom.”

SWPBS Characters

Part of the SWPBS introductory lesson that teachers and students completed together, involved looking at some SWPBS posters from other schools. 

Students noticed that other schools have little characters to match their expectations. For example, ‘Percy Perseverance’, the Superhero characters, bees, apples or crayons. 

Teachers spoke about how these characters are really important because they are a visual representation of each expectation and are designed differently to suit each school. 

At Fairfield Primary School, we have set up our own character competition. Students from Foundation to Grade 6 were invited to draw/design their own different characters for our expectations on our matrix; Be Respectful, Be Resilient, Be a Learner, Be Safe. In true FPS style, students were incredibly creative with their designs. Each classroom voted on the designs they created, then the student voice team voted and narrowed it down, and now the SWPBS team have had a final vote to decide on our SWPBS characters.

As always, we were blown away by the artistic talent displayed across the school. Ultimately, the student voice team and SWPBS team were most impressed by the creativity and ingenuity of the designs above. Well done to everyone who entered their designs into the competition and congratulations to the students whose designs have been chosen. 

Parent Design Help

Now that we have these fantastic student designs, we need a little help from an arty parent (or two) who would be able to help ‘professional-ise’ these drawings. If this is something that’s in your wheel-house, please email the school, to the attention of Grace.

~ Alannah, Monique, Tam, Nicole & Grace, SWPBS Team