Principal Report

Dear Families, 

Each year, our Student Opinion Survey provides us with an important opportunity to hear directly from our students about their experiences at school. The results help us celebrate what is working well, while also identifying areas where we can work together to make Berwick Chase an even stronger, safer and more connected learning community.

This year’s results provide us with many reasons to be proud. Our students have reported very positively about the relationships they have with their teachers and other trusted adults at school. An outstanding 94% of students feel their teacher expects them to do their best, while 93% believe their teacher thinks they can do well. These results reflect the high expectations our staff hold for every student and the positive relationships that underpin successful learning.

Our students also feel strongly supported. 90% report that there is an adult at school who cares about them, while 91% say they have an adult who listens to them. Similarly, 89% feel included at school, 95% report having friends, and 83% feel safe at school. Importantly, 88% of students know where to get help if they are bullied or hurt.

While these results provide a strong foundation, the survey has also highlighted an area requiring our collective attention. Only 52% of students believe that students at our school treat each other with respect. This aligns with a trend we have been noticing, particularly with minor playground disagreements and friendship issues being regularly reported to staff.

For the remainder of the year, respectful relationships and respectful behaviour will become a whole-school focus. We will be working with students to reinforce what respect looks, sounds and feels like—in the classroom, in the playground and in the way we communicate with one another.

We would greatly appreciate families reinforcing this message at home. Simple behaviours such as using kind words, including others, listening, accepting differences, resolving disagreements calmly and thinking about how our actions affect others can make an enormous difference.

Respect costs nothing, but its impact is enormous. It is a key pillar of belonging to a successful community, and by working together—students, staff and families—we can continue to strengthen the respectful and inclusive culture of our Chaser Community.

Warm regards,

Chris Short

Principal