School-wide Positive Behaviour Support Blitz

Information for Families

School-wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) is an evidence-based, whole-school framework that helps schools create positive, safe, predictable and inclusive learning environments. A key part of SWPBS is recognising that positive behaviour needs to be clearly explained, explicitly taught, practised and encouraged, just like academic skills. The same expectations and language are used across classrooms, playgrounds and other school settings so students understand what is expected wherever they are.

What is a School-wide Blitz?

A School-wide Positive Behaviour Blitz is a short, focused period during which the whole school gives extra attention to one behaviour expectation from the school’s behaviour matrix. It is a way of strengthening or refreshing an expectation that students may need more help to understand and consistently demonstrate.

During the blitz, all staff use the same language, teach the same behaviour and provide students with plenty of opportunities to practise it. The focus may apply across the entire school or to a particular setting, such as the playground, toilets, corridors, classrooms or school buses. Victorian schools commonly use the term blitz to describe this short-term, coordinated teaching and reinforcement approach.

Examples of blitz expectations might include:

We walk
We keep our hands, feet and objects to ourselves.
We are inclusive
We use kind words

Why does the school run a blitz?

A blitz may be introduced when school information shows that an expectation needs further teaching or clarification. This information might come from behaviour data, staff observations, student feedback or concerns about a particular time, location or routine.

The aim is not to catch students doing the wrong thing. Instead, the aim is to prevent problems by making the expected behaviour clear and achievable. SWPBS guidance recommends that schools regularly use data to identify needs, teach positively stated expectations and monitor whether school-wide supports are working.

A blitz helps the school to:

create a shared understanding of the expected behaviour
provide consistent messages from all adults
give students additional teaching and practice
notice and acknowledge students using the expected behaviour
improve safety, inclusion and respectful relationships
reduce disruptions and increase time available for learning.

What happens during a blitz?

The school begins by clearly explaining the behaviour focus and why it is important. Teachers then explicitly teach what the behaviour looks like, sounds like and feels like. Students may watch demonstrations, discuss examples and non-examples, role-play situations and practise the behaviour in the setting where it is needed.

Staff provide reminders before students enter the setting or begin the activity. They then give specific positive feedback when students demonstrate the expectation. For example:

“Thank you for walking in the corridor. That is how we move safely and responsibly.”

Students may also receive acknowledgements through the school’s existing SWPBS recognition system. The acknowledgement is linked directly to the behaviour so students understand exactly what they have done successfully. Effective school-wide plans include explicit lessons, prompts, praise and consistent responses across both classroom and non-classroom settings.

At the end of the blitz, the school reviews the information it has collected to determine whether students are demonstrating the expectation more consistently. The behaviour continues to be encouraged after the formal blitz has finished and may be revisited later if further teaching is required.

How can families support the blitz?

Families may hear about the current blitz through newsletters, assemblies, social media or classroom communication. Parents and carers can support the school by asking their child:

“What is your school’s current behaviour focus?”
“What does that expectation look like at school?”
“Why is this behaviour important?”
“How did you demonstrate the expectation today?”

Using similar language at home can help children connect the behaviour to everyday life. For example, a school expectation such as “We keep our hands, feet and objects to ourselves” can also be discussed when children are playing with friends or at community events.

Short parent-friendly summary

A School-wide Positive Behaviour Blitz is a short, positive whole-school focus on one expected behaviour. During the blitz, all students are explicitly taught what the behaviour looks and sounds like, provided with opportunities to practise it and positively acknowledged when they demonstrate it. By using the same language and expectations across the school, staff help students feel safe, supported and confident about what is expected. The blitz is not about punishment; it is about teaching, practising and celebrating positive behaviour.

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