Respectful Relationships at CHPS

Respectful Relationships at Clifton Hill Primary School

At Clifton Hill Primary School we have always been committed to promoting happy, healthy, resilient children who participate in relationships with each other, their teachers and the community, that are respectful and equitable.

‘In 2015 the Royal Commission into Family Violence identified the critical role that schools have in creating a culture of respect, to change the story of family violence for future generations… In response to the Royal Commissions’ recommendation, all Government schools were mandated to deliver Respectful Relationships Education by June 2021.’                                  Dept. of Education and Training; Respectful Relationship a resource Kit for Victorian Schools; 2017

‘In 2020/21 the Victorian Budget  invested $37.5 million for Respectful Relationships to support schools and early childhood educators to promote respect, positive attitudes and behaviours. The initiative provides training and support to schools to implement respectful relationships education as a core component of the Victorian curriculum. It also includes professional development for educators to support respectful relationships in school settings.’                        Dept. of Education; 2020

What we have done so far:

During 2019/2020:

• we became a ‘partner school’ within a local support network
• began auditing our school with regard to Respectful Relationship needs
• a core group of teachers participated in initial Professional Development 
• we adopted the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationship resources (developed in partnership by Deakin and Melbourne Universities Education branches) as our core component for the explicit teaching of the Personal and Social Capabilities component of the Victorian Curriculum

During 2021:

• all Clifton Hill staff have participated in an initial Professional Development information session on the first day of Term 1
• teachers have begun teaching the curriculum across Units 1 – 6. These topics include: Emotional Literacy, Personal Strengths, Positive Coping, Problem Solving, Stress Management and Help Seeking.
• planning for further Professional Development has begun for teachers regarding responding to disclosures and teaching Units 7 and 8 during Term 1 and 2. These topics include: Gender and Identity and Positive Gender Relations
• planning has begun for Parent Information session/s during Term 2/3

Recognising that schools are a place of learning, a workplace and a community hub, Respectful Relationships aims to embed a culture of respect and equality across our entire community, leading to positive impacts on students’ academic outcomes, mental health, classroom behaviour, and relationships.

‘Everyone in our community deserves to be respected, valued and treated equally. We know that changes in attitudes and behaviours can be achieved when positive attitudes, behaviours and equality are embedded in our education settings.’

Dept. of Education and Training; Respectful Relationship a resource Kit for Victorian Schools; 2017

We look forward to facilitating discussion and action with our Clifton Hill community to embed this important aspect of learning into our school culture.