Equity for all

Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities. Equity recognises that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.

Wollert is committed to ensuring every student has access to what they need to support them in growing and building their learning story. This will look different for every student because every student requires different supports.

Our ultimate goal is to make sure every child believes they are capable of learning and progressing and can see this each and every day. We also embed and understanding of equity through our daily approach to learning across the school. This is articulated very simply with our students by using the term 'your plan'. Every child has their own individual , unique learning plan that aligns to their own individual, unique learning needs. 

In our school you will hear staff talking to students about these plans:

'What's in your plan today?', 'Is that in your plan?', 'Move back on your plan', 'Whose plan should you be focused on?'.

Our students are learning that everyone's plans are different and because of this, learning looks different from one student to another - and that is not only ok but needed. The  saying, 'it's not fair, why do they get to do that?' is met with, 'it's in their plan'. Our students are used to this, accepting that we all work differently and to get the best out of each other, respecting this individuality is key. 

RELATIONSHIPS RULE at Wollert

The most important part of our work at Wollert is in building strong, authentic relationships that will support all our our community members through the good times but also the turbulence that life brings.

Respectful relationships that come from a place of connection, understanding and empathy drives our daily intent. 

We expect every member of our school to make poor choices. It's in our human DNA, and every adult understands this. Importantly, we want every child to understand this and accept that is a critical element of how we learn and grow.

Children are challenged daily by the choices they make, as they try to navigate the world of school and the developmental stages they move through physically, cognitively and socially. Every poor choice is an opportunity to grow.

Our approach is not punitive when poor choices occur. Instead we seek to understand the behaviours underneath the poor action, working with your child to learn to approach situations in a different way. Every child moves along a developmental continuum but they all move at their own pace. Some children are more challenged in making 'good choices' in some situations compared to their peers. We often refer to these as lagging skills - skills that are a little slower to develop.  We are responsible for supporting students in acquiring the tools required to problem solve situations in acceptable ways.  

Immersing children in environments that model good choices and socially acceptable behaviours is our preferred approach, rather than punishment and isolation, which leads to disconnect and fear. We focus on establishing respectful relationships that are solution focused in our quest to grow problem solvers and independent, respectful citizens.

Be CURIOUS at Wollert strengthens how we work

Our Be CURIOUS value is seen in our actions everyday. This value is directly linked to growing our knowledge and our understanding of the world around us. Children are born naturally curious, with the question 'Why?' often a repeated statement for toddlers and preschool children. Unfortunately, as children grow, this wonderful word begins to disappear, unless we actively encourage its use. 

At Wollert we actively encourage and seek curiosity in the following ways:

• Asking questions and sharing wonderings
• Seeking answers
• Searching and investigating possibilities
• Approaching problems in new ways
• Playing and exploring the world around us

We believe in celebrating and acknowledging growth in the actions we value in authentic ways. 'Wally Wollert' is our values detective who is curious to find students and staff who are stretching their thinking and understanding of the world around them while demonstrating the values we live each day.