Introduction

We know behaviour support plays a critical role in a student’s education. Supporting positive student behaviour requires a proactive, preventive, student-centred approach. The strategy aims to create engaging classrooms and safe and inclusive school communities.

Focus areas

The Student Behaviour Strategy is informed by the findings and recommendations of independent inquiries into student wellbeing, best practice evidence reviews and stakeholder consultation. We need a new approach to meet the needs of students and improve the support we offer teachers and school staff.

Underpinned by evidence and informed by input from our stakeholders, the Student Behaviour Strategy encompasses three key areas: practice, support and ongoing improvement and systems reform.

Practice

Teaching and behaviour management approaches and practices aimed at building positive behaviours and learning environments, while reducing the occurrence of challenging and unsafe behaviours through proactive and preventive approaches and providing better options for managing challenging behaviours when they do occur.

Support

Providing schools, teachers, students and parents with the supports and practice resources needed, including:

• professional learning;
• resource hubs;
• better-integrated support from specialist staff;
• Behaviour Specialists;
• easier and increased access to specialist professional services; and
• tools to build partnerships with parents and service providers.

Ongoing improvement and systems reform

Recognising that we need to:

• build our evidence base;
• measure outcomes;
• monitor our progress;
• establish what works best;
• continue to collaborate with stakeholders;
• update and expand tools and resources; and
• adapt our approaches.

Next steps

The new Student Behaviour Policy and Procedures supporting the Strategy were implemented at the start of Term 4, 2022, as part of the Inclusive, Engaging and Respectful Schools package.