Wellbeing

Building Safe and Respectful Relationships

At Hampton Primary School, keeping children safe is at the heart of everything we do. A key part of this is helping children develop the knowledge, language and confidence they need to build healthy, respectful relationships. Through our Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR) curriculum, students engage in age-appropriate learning from Foundation to Year 6 about emotions, personal strengths, friendship, empathy, respectful communication, problem-solving, boundaries, rights and responsibilities, and seeking help. These are not simply lessons about wellbeing; they provide children with important skills for navigating relationships and recognising what safe and respectful behaviour looks and feels like.

As children progress through primary school, their learning becomes increasingly sophisticated. Our younger students develop the language to identify and express their feelings, understand kindness and inclusion, build positive friendships and identify trusted adults they can turn to for help. In the middle years, students develop strategies for managing emotions, resolving conflict, communicating respectfully and understanding how their behaviour affects others. In Years 5 and 6, students explore respectful relationships in greater depth, including boundaries, consent, stereotypes, power, recognising unhealthy or disrespectful behaviours and knowing when and how to seek support. This learning is reinforced throughout school life so that students understand that everyone has the right to feel safe, valued and respected, and that speaking to a trusted adult when something doesn't feel right is a positive and important step.

Family violence can affect children in many different ways, and concerns do not always begin with a direct disclosure. We may notice a change in behaviour, attendance, learning, friendships or emotional wellbeing, hear a comment that causes concern, notice a pattern or observe an interaction that is out of the ordinary. Our staff are supported to recognise these signs and respond appropriately, with a member of our staff specifically trained in the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management (MARAM) Framework to support our school’s response to family violence concerns. Our role is not to investigate family circumstances, but to listen, support, refer and report when necessary. We work within Victorian child safety and family violence frameworks to help ensure children and families can access the right support at the right time. Most importantly, we want every child to know that when they seek help, there will be a trusted adult who listens, takes them seriously and helps them access the support they need.

Resources for Families

If you or someone you know needs support, help is available. You do not need to wait until a situation becomes an emergency to seek assistance.

• The Orange Door – Free support for people experiencing family violence, as well as children and families needing support.
• Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre – 24-hour support and information for people experiencing family violence.
• 1800RESPECT – National counselling, information and support for people affected by domestic, family and sexual violence.
• Kids Helpline – Free, confidential counselling and support for children and young people.
• Ask Izzy – A national service directory that helps people find local support services, including family violence, housing, counselling and financial assistance.

If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 000.

At Hampton Primary School, we believe that teaching children about respectful relationships, helping them recognise when something is not okay, and ensuring they know how to seek help are important ways we can contribute to a safe and supportive community.