School Wide Positive Behaviours
Our New Whole-School SWPBS Focus: Manners
At Park Orchards Primary School, we are excited to introduce our new whole-school School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) focus: Manners!
At POPS, our values of Be Kind, Be Respectful, Be Excellent and Be Honest guide the way we learn, play and interact with others. Using good manners is a simple but powerful way for students to put these values into practice and help create a school where everyone feels safe, welcome and respected.
Our focus: Manners at doorways and entrances
While we will continue to recognise and reward all positive behaviours with SWPBS tokens, our main focus over the coming weeks will be on showing good manners when moving through doorways and entrances around the school.
Students will be encouraged to:
- Wait their turn and give others time and space to move through doorways without pushing or crowding.
- Hold the door open for others when it is safe and appropriate to do so.
- Let people out first before entering a classroom or building.
Teachers will be looking for these thoughtful behaviours and awarding SWPBS tokens to students who demonstrate them. Tokens will continue to be awarded for other positive behaviours as well. Our aim is to help students recognise that small, everyday actions can make a big difference to the people around them.
We will also continue to encourage the everyday courtesies that matter, such as saying please, thank you and excuse me, and greeting others with a friendly “How are you?”
How can families support this focus at home?
Manners are best developed through regular practice, positive role modelling and gentle reminders. Families can support our school focus in a few simple ways:
- Model the manners you want to see. Use polite language with your children and others, including saying please, thank you and excuse me.
- Practise doorway etiquette. When entering shops, buildings or busy spaces, encourage children to wait patiently, hold doors safely for others and allow people to exit before entering.
- Notice and acknowledge thoughtful actions. A simple comment such as, “I noticed you waited for that person to come through the door. That was very considerate,” reinforces the behaviour.
- Encourage children to think about others. Ask questions such as, “How might that person feel if we let them go first?” or “What could we do to make it easier for everyone to get through?”
- Offer gentle reminders. Children are still learning, and busy moments can be challenging. Calm reminders and opportunities to try again help build these habits over time.
By working together, we can help our children understand that good manners are about more than following rules. They are about kindness, respect and considering the needs of others.
Small actions make a big difference. Thank you for partnering with us to make POPS a welcoming and respectful community for everyone.