Head of Campus
Facilitating freedom needs strong boundaries
One of the common misconceptions about Preshil, or any similar community that is committed to unshackling individuals from conformity, is that fewer ‘rules’ means a more chaotic, licentious or precarious environment.
In fact, the opposite is true.
WE KNOW WHO WE ARE
To allow for the flourishing of a greater variety of individual expression and choice, each member of Preshil’s community must be fiercely attentive, protective and proactively mindful of our identity. This takes more work, not less: more awareness of what goes on, more communication and more negotiation of the tension between many and varied perspectives. We work hard to ensure that everyone who joins us knows exactly what kind of community they are being welcomed into. Once they are here, we work hard to create constant discourse around our values and ethos.
Our Student Forums, newsletters, Individual Learning Agreements, Classroom Agreements, Courage document, and year-level Essential Agreements are all designed to register, regulate and reaffirm expectations of positive behaviours.
This is the proactive way we protect our culture: to celebrate our aspirational identities and strive towards better versions of ourselves.
WE KNOW WHO WE ARE NOT
Additionally, we have systems in place to respond effectively when there has been a breach of the school values, potentially making people within the community feel unsafe.
One of the most unique and precious aspects of the Preshil community is the way we manage behaviour that doesn’t align with our culture. This is outlined in more depth in our Mutual Respect Policy, available on Compass, however our intention is to resist the idea that adults should seek to have power over students. Instead, we work with the student to explain how they would like to change from within and facilitate this through restorative practice. Ultimately, we want to see students take control of themselves, rather than be controlled in the form of punishment or retaliation.
In the rare case that a student unrepentantly or severely demonstrates through their behaviour that they do not wish to align themselves with the School values, we acknowledge that they have self-selected to move to a different community.
The process for these responsive measures is articulated in our BK Behaviour Management Flow Chart (below).
This flow chart helps students to visualise the series of conversations and strategies used to support positive and respectful behaviour throughout the School. We are dedicated to the worthy goal of supporting the development of every child, which means that we sometimes need to protect the boundaries of our School community when an individual persists in disruption or harm. This ensures the safety of the rest of the school body, however (perhaps ironically) it also serves to help the individual to take control of their own life by reinforcing that they are responsible for the outcomes of their behaviour.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW
Often, we are aware of the great things happening in our community, as well as concerns of students and parents. Sometimes we are not. Please get in touch with us if this article has raised any questions for you, or if you wish to let us know if you have something constructive to share about this issue.
We trust that you enjoy reading your child’s Progress Report on Monday, and I look forward to seeing you in the following weeks at our Three-way Conferences.
Dan Symons
Head of Campus