The Stand Up Project

The Stand Up Project: Empowering Students, Building Capacity and Strengthening Community

At Glen Waverley Primary School, we are guided by three core beliefs:

1. Students are at the centre of everything we do.
2. Building staff capacity is paramount.
3. Everything we do is based on research and a whole school approach.

These principles shape our response to one of the most serious issues impacting young people today: bullying. As highlighted in the attached article by Dr Zach Greig, bullying is not (and should never be) a 'rite of passage' but a profound social challenge that demands a coordinated, research based and community wide response. At GWPS, we know that lasting change begins when students are empowered to lead, teachers are supported to teach and families are engaged as partners.

Through our Whole School Approach to Wellbeing, we embed evidence-based practices that nurture Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness, Emotional Literacy and Connections — the five pillars of The Resilience Project. These themes are woven into daily school life, strengthening our students' social and emotional development and building a school culture grounded in kindness, safety, and respect.

It is within this framework that we are proud to introduce The Stand Up Project (SUP). Launching on Tuesday 6th May, SUP is a peer-led, whole-school initiative that empowers students to take active leadership roles in promoting a respectful and inclusive environment.

All Year 6 students will participate in foundational workshops focused on developing Upstander skills — learning how to intervene safely and respectfully when they encounter poor behaviour. Following these sessions, approximately a group of students will be selected to become SUP Student Leaders. These leaders will:

• Teach younger students evidence-based strategies for recognising and responding to poor behaviour using the Four D’s (Direct, Delay, Delegate, Distract).
• Deliver professional learning sessions for our staff, helping to strengthen the whole-school culture of Upstanding from a student voice perspective.
• Co-facilitate a Parent Information Session on Thursday 29th May, sharing their knowledge, insights and leadership journey with our broader school community.

The Stand Up Project directly supports our commitment to placing students at the centre, growing staff capacity and embedding a research-driven, whole-school approach to wellbeing.

We encourage all families to engage with the article below, written by Dr Zach Greig, Founder and Director of The Stand Up Project. It offers valuable insights into the real impacts of bullying and the critical role that young people, when empowered and supported, can play in leading meaningful change.

Together, we can continue to build a school where every student feels safe, connected, and empowered to thrive.

Before You Read: As part of our launch of The Stand Up Project at GWPS, we invite you to read this article by Dr Zach Greig, academic and founder of SUP.

It explores the lasting impacts of bullying, the importance of community-wide responses, and the incredible potential for student-led leadership in building safer, stronger school communities.