Wellbeing

Supporting Student Behaviour Expectations

Skye Primary School adopted the School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) approach in 2019. This is an evidence-based strategy, based on the work of George Sugai and Rob Horner from the University of Oregon,which helps to improve student behavioural, wellbeing, and academic outcomes. It emphasises prevention-focused activities to enable students to act positively, consistently following our agreed expectations. Implementation of SWPBS requires commitment by the whole school community. Through SWPBS, teachers and students have more time to focus on relationships and classroom instruction. Students and staff benefit from:

• increased respectful and positive behaviour
• increased time focused on instruction
• improved social-emotional wellbeing
• positive and respectful relationships among students and staff
• increased adoption of evidence-based instructional practices
• a predictable learning environment with improved perceptions of safety and increased attendance

To ensure all our staff are familiar with this initiative, we have recently provided a series of professional development sessions to staff new to SWPBS. All staff have been actively using our acknowledgment system, and we have recently reviewed our response to minor behaviours, so we have consistency in our approach throughout the school. It's so lovely to see many of our students being acknowledged for their consistent positive behaviour in our weekly assemblies. Our classroom expectations, which reflect our four values are: 

We have recently reviewed our expectations for other spaces in the school, such as Community Gatherings and Toilets, so keep your eyes peeled for posters in various areas over the coming weeks as they are finalised. 

We greatly appreciate families working with their children to encourage them to understand the need for expectations to ensure a safe and orderly learning environment which is respectful of the needs of everyone. Students respond particularly well when they know that their teachers and their families are working together to support them with consistent behaviour expectations.