Mitcham Girls High School's behaviour support policy guides:

• the behaviour we expect of children and young people
• how staff, parents and carers will support positive behaviour
• the safe inclusion of children and young people.

Mitcham Girls High School's policy aligns with:

• the Department for Education behaviour support policy (PDF 165 KB)

About behaviours

Children and young people's behaviours fall along a continuum. This means behaviour can range from safe to unsafe.

Range of behaviours

• Positive, inclusive and respectful behaviours.
• Developmentally appropriate boundary testing. This behaviour can interrupt learning but can be redirected.
• Behaviours that cause concern due to their severity, frequency and duration. This behaviour significantly interrupts learning and needs consistent guidance and support.
• Complex and unsafe behaviour which can place children, their peers and others in danger.

All along the continuum, the policy and practice approach is proactive, consistent, responsive and tailored to the child or young person's needs.

How we implement the department's policy

We will support the safe inclusion of children and young people in learning with these actions.

Promote

We will promote, model and support productive and positive behaviour.

• We utilise our Responsible Behaviour Framework, aligned with school values, to outline expected behaviours and promote affirmative language that supports learning and wellbeing.
• We implement strategies from professional development in trauma-informed practices, using inclusive and non-restrictive methods across our site.

Teach

We will explicitly teach positive behaviour and expectations about behaviour.

• We create predictable structures and routines in our learning environments to position our young people to positively engage in learning.
• We teach young people self-awareness, self-management, self-regulation, social awareness and social management.

Intervene

We will intervene to prevent, reduce or redirect behaviours of concern. We will use methods that are the least exclusionary possible.

• We employ proactive strategies and predictable interventions to co-regulate and support young people, aligning our responses with trauma-informed practices to build trust
• Supervised spaces are provided for self-regulation, with support from staff such as Learner Engagement Leaders or Wellbeing Leaders, using discrete and respectful communication to help young people feel safe and return to learning promptly.

Work with others

We will work with children, their families, professionals and other key adults to understand the environmental, social and family context of a child or young person's behaviour. We will draw on these people to support positive behaviour change.

• We value young people’s perspectives and seek their ideas when developing behaviour supports, recognising that all behaviours are a form of communication.
• We engage with young people and families and caregivers to understand possible reasons for behaviour.
• We use case management and Team Around the Child approaches to coordinate, assess, plan, monitor, and review behaviour interventions.

Respond

We will respond to behaviour visibly and fairly. Responses will help grow confidence and trust.

• We inform those who raise behaviour concerns about the response process while maintaining confidentiality and investigate incidents to understand all perspectives involved.
• We apply evidence-based behaviour responses aligned with trauma-informed and Restorative Practices, tailoring approaches for students with disabilities, additional needs, children in care, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island children.
• We document planned behaviour support responses in various plans including Learner Support Plans, Behaviour Support Plans, Safety and Risk Management Plans, and Safety and Support Plans, making them available to relevant parties, and keep all parties informed.
• We consistently triage and respond to behaviours through our STAR intervention structure.

Repair and restore relationships

We will repair and restore relationships harmed by behaviours of concern.

• We utilise Restorative Practices to repair and restore relationships, supporting young people in recognising the cause and effect of their actions.
• We provide time, opportunity, and space for young people to apologise and express remorse.

Create safety and wellbeing

We will create safety and wellbeing for people involved in behaviour incidents.

• We implement strategies to minimise the risk of harm to our young people and staff in response to behavioural incidents, ensuring a safe and supportive environment.
• We consider suspension only as a last resort, always aligning with Department for Education Policy and Procedures.
• We prioritise the well-being of those affected by unsafe behaviours by facilitating access to counselling and other support services for young people, staff, and others impacted.
• We actively collaborate with departmental support services, including the Social Work Incident Support Service, to ensure an effective and informed response to serious incidents.

Behaviours of concern

Behaviours of concern:

• are challenging, complex or unsafe behaviours
• are more serious, happen more often or last a long time
• significantly interrupt learning for the child or others
• could put the child or others in danger
• need consistent guidance and support.

Behaviours that disrupt learning or safety will always receive a response that considers:

• the needs of the child or young person with behaviours of concern
• other people's rights to learning and safety.

How we respond to behaviours of concern

At we use specific responses to behaviours of concern.

Educator responses

• Provide quality differentiated teaching practice. This is a way to meet each child and young person's learning styles and needs. For example, the teacher plans ahead to clearly teach values and safe and inclusive behaviours.
• Create plans that support positive behaviour change. Partner with parents, carers and others to do this.
• We explicitly teach self-regulation skills and use co-regulation to support students, providing time and space for self-regulation with appropriate support and supervision.
• We calmly address behaviours of concern by identifying observable behaviours and explaining their impact on others to enhance students' understanding.
• We redirect students to preferred behaviours, supporting them in developing and practising the necessary skills to maintain them.
• We provide students with logical choices that support regulation and participation.

Leader responses

• Monitor behaviour. Act on any reports about behaviour of concern. This includes incidents that happen out of hours or off-site that impact relationships at ${name}.
• Consider the use of suspension and exclusion from school to support safety. This is after we consider all other options to reduce danger.
• Report criminal offences to the police.
• Work with the Education Director and Department for Education staff to plan whole of site communications about serious behavioural incidents.
• Provide leadership and / or external assistance to facilitate restorative processes (including re-entry meetings) where staff and children or young people directly involved require impartial assistance to resolve the issues.

Department level responses

• Negotiate other learning options away from school to make sure the school community is safe. This is after we consider other options to reduce danger.
• Support staff and local leadership in how they respond to a child or young person.

Responsibilities

Children and young people

• Treat others with kindness, respect and inclusiveness.
• Make sure their actions are safe, respectful and inclusive. This includes verbal, physical and online actions.
• Seek help from adults to intervene when they see behaviours of concern in person or online.
• Report behaviours of concern to their LEAP teacher or a Learning Engagement Leader.
• Support their friends and peers to seek help from trusted adults.
• Support their friends to behave in safe, respectful and inclusive ways.

Parent and carer

• Report any child or young person's concerning or unsafe behaviour to a LEAP teacher or a Learning Engagement Leader.
• If an incident happens, work collaboratively with us to resolve concerns.
• Follow the complaint resolution process to deal with concerns. A copy of the complaint resolution process is on our website or in our front office.
• Show and encourage safe, respectful and inclusive relationships with: their own children; other children and young people; other parents and carers and staff.
• Support their students in developing safe behaviours at home. Check on and supervise their student’s social interactions, including online.
• Seek support from our staff to create consistent responses to behaviours of concern. This includes at home and at our site.
• Take part in learning opportunities about safe and inclusive behaviour. Find out how we work with parents, carers, children and young people.
• Know about our behaviour support policy and procedure. Know how to identify and report behaviours that are concerning or unsafe.
• Talk to their student about safety issues, including unsafe behaviours. Help them understand what it is, why it’s harmful and how to respond. Use the same messages that promotes.
• Make sure their students keep coming to our site while a behaviour issue is being resolved. This is in a child or young person’s best interest. If you feel that your student coming to our site is not in their best interest, talk to us.
• Seek external professional support for their student when needed.
• Do not approach other students or their parents about behaviours of concern. Report this to us for follow up.
• Understand that, because of confidentiality, we cannot share information about other students.
• Support their student to stay off-site during suspension, exclusion or expulsion. A student can still come on-site if they have the leader’s written approval.