Information and policies
2024 roadmap
The department's endorsed approaches to behaviour
Student Behaviour policy resources
- Student Behaviour Policy - Direction and guidance on supporting and managing safe, responsible and respectful student behaviour in NSW public schools. This page also includes:
- Behaviour Code for Students
- Detention and Time-out procedures
- Suspension and Expulsion procedures
- School Behaviour Support and Management Plan (SBSMP), including optional template, SBSMP guided expanded with steps and visual. Schools must have their SBSMP ready for implementation by Term 1 2025.
- Guidelines for behaviour management decisions made under the previous policy and procedures
- Easy read versions of the Behaviour Code for Students, Student Behaviour policy and Suspension and Expulsion procedures are being developed. These will include visuals. Easy read is a way to present information for people who are not familiar with English, or who have low literacy or learning disability. The easy read versions will be available for schools to use by the end of Term 1 2024.
- Staff only resources can be filtered using the catalogue on the left-hand side of the page:
- Suspension and expulsion checklists (filter by 'checklist')
- Care continuum guide (filter by 'guides')
- Care continuum webinars (filter by 'professional learning')
- Resolving a suspension guide (filter by 'guides')
- Parent/carer letter templates (filter by 'letters')
- DEL / ED appeal resource (filter by 'DEL/ED resources')
- SBSMP resources, including examples (filter by 'guides')
- SBSMP webinars (filter by 'professional learning')
- Translated parent/carer letters to accompany the English letters are available in 35 languages, on the Translated documents webpage (search by 'suspension and expulsion'). Please contact the Telephone Interpreting Service on 131 450 if you need more support with translation. You can access more information on the Interpreting and translations page.
- Parent/carer information - The following translated parent factsheets are available to download in 35 languages:
- Parent/carer appeal form - suspension and expulsion
- Wellbeing tip sheet
- Behaviour support toolkit
- Behaviour professional learning
- Anti-bullying resources
More information
For DELs/EDs managing any suspension or expulsion appeals related to the 2023 Student Behaviour Policy, please access these historical resources (Sharepoint for staff only).
These resources are not for appeals lodged on incidents during 2024. Please refer to current resources in section above.
- Information and resources for educators, parents/carers and students are available on the Anti-bullying page.
- Schools can continue to use their existing school anti-bullying plan until they develop their School Behaviour Support and Management Plan (SBSMP) which will replace it by Term 1 2025.
- The Bullying of Students - Prevention and Response policy has been removed as preventing and responding to student bullying behaviour is now included in the Student Behaviour policy.
Most student behaviour that requires intervention is managed using school policies and processes. If the behaviour presents a potential risk to the safety of students, staff, visitors or school property, further assessment and management may be required.
The Department's Health, Safety and Staff Wellbeing Directorate Risk management page (internal staff only) houses risk management resources and tools. Specific resources to assist with the management of students with challenging behaviours are available on their Student behaviour page (internal staff only).
Beyond school-based staff and support, schools can draw on the expertise of their local Team Around a School, who facilitate access to specialist staff and specialist behaviour settings across NSW. School leaders and staff can locate their local contacts through the School supports contact page (staff only).
Specialist settings provide additional support for students with severely disruptive behaviour.
- Behaviour schools provide a range of specialist programs for students with in Years 5-10 with the aim of returning the students to regular schools or supporting their transition to other education or employment opportunities. There are 35 behaviour schools across NSW.
- Tutorial centres and programs provide an age appropriate short-term intervention for students in Years 5 to 10 who require intensive levels of intervention that cannot be provided within a mainstream or support class setting. There are 42 tutorial centres and programs across NSW.
- Suspension centres provide an intervention for students who are on a suspension of over five days from school and have been identified by their school as likely to benefit from a structured program to assist their successful return to school as soon as possible. There are 22 suspension centres across NSW.
For more information and advice related to local supports for students with severely disruptive behaviour, please contact your local Delivery Support team.