Behaviour Policy

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We believe that every child has the right to learn and that every teacher has the right to teach.

The effective education of our students requires a school environment in which students can feel safe, secure, happy and have maximum opportunity to learn. Westbrook School takes pride in creating and maintaining a school environment which contributes to academic and social growth.

We want Westbrook School to be a place where children, parents, and educators work together to create an atmosphere which encourages and promotes learning. Effective discipline comes from the belief that teaching students to take responsibility for their behaviour is as much the job of the school as is teaching literacy and numeracy, and is more important than simply enforcing the rules. In order to accomplish this, it is necessary for every student to know and follow the expectations and policies regarding discipline and supervision.

The Westbrook Way is a set of school-wide values which all staff and students are expected to follow. These values are reinforced by staff at every opportunity, including through units of work, in the daily notices, in the Options Room, and at assemblies and team gatherings. 

Students are expected to follow the WESTBROOK WAY by:

• Showing courtesy and respect toward members of the school community. 
• Ensuring that their behaviour is not disruptive to the learning of others.
• Ensuring that the school environment is kept neat, tidy and secure.
• Ensuring that they are punctual, polite, prepared and display a positive manner.
• Behaving in a way that protects the health, safety and wellbeing of others and themselves.
• Displaying respect for the property of others, the school buildings and facilities.

To encourage positive behaviour, and help children to be clearly aware of what is acceptable both in and out of the classroom, the school will have: A set of expectations that protect the rights of all the individuals.

• A clear set of consequences for pupils who do not accept their responsibilities and follow the expectations, so that they are encouraged to recognise and respect the rights of others.
• Procedures in place so that conflicts can be resolved in a positive, non-violent manner.
• A reward system to recognize and celebrate positive behaviour. We use Class Dojos to reward positive behaviours, which result in a Principal’s Treat Day at the end of each term. The photos above depict our ‘Pirates Day’ from 2024.

In The Classroom:

Classroom expectations are clearly displayed in each class. This year we have begun our journey to become a PC4L school (positive culture for school). Dojo points are awarded to students based on our Westbrook values.

PC4L (Positive Culture for Learning)

PC4L is a framework that our school uses to create a positive learning environment where all students can thrive. It focuses on teaching and reinforcing positive behaviors, rather than simply punishing negative ones. This means that we explicitly teach students what we expect from them in terms of behaviour, just like we teach them maths or reading. We also acknowledge and celebrate students when they demonstrate these positive behaviours. By working together – students, teachers, and parents – we can create a school where everyone feels safe, respected, and ready to learn. You can support PC4L at home by reinforcing the same positive expectations and acknowledging your child's positive behaviors.

Playground

Westbrook School is a 'Restorative Practice' school, rather than a punitive school. Children are expected to follow the WESTBROOK WAY and may be
rewarded with praise or a "green slip" by the teacher on duty, or other teachers for observing playground rules, assisting others, etc. Green slips are also based on our values, and go into a lucky draw. Certificates for these are awarded at school assemblies where children have the chance to choose from the prize box if their name is drawn. If a pupil fails to follow the expectations the following progression of consequences may be applied: 

• Warning and verbal redirection by the duty teacher. A restorative chat may be facilitated by the duty teacher.
• The child may be sent to our Options Room for a specific time period to reflect on behaviour. The pupil’s name, class and a brief description of the incident is recorded on our student management system (etap). The teacher on duty in the Options Room may facilitate a restorative chat or allow the child "time-out" to cool down.
• The Deputy Principal responsible for the junior/senior school will communicate with parents/caregivers if offences are repeated or are of a serious nature.

Guidelines for Setting up Individual Behaviour Plans

Individual behaviour plans may be established when a student requires additional support to meet their individual needs or manage their behaviour. Parents will be informed and engaged in this process. Individual behaviour plans will be documented to make clear the behavioural issues that are being addressed, the desired outcomes, strategies to be used and the effectiveness of the strategies and the personnel and/or agencies involved.

Stand Downs and Suspensions

Every effort will be made to support and help pupils follow the Westbrook Way. In cases of either constant or continuous misbehaviour or of serious misbehaviour (violence, abusing a teacher or placing other students in danger), the pupil may be stood down or suspended, in accordance with the guidelines as set out by the Ministry of Education. The school cannot teach this personal responsibility alone. Parents and caregivers also have an essential role to play in assisting the school to maintain high standards of behaviour. They have a duty to take responsibility for the behaviour of their child. A shared understanding of what constitutes an acceptable standard of behaviour is essential to the success of any partnership. Good communication links are also essential and parental support in our efforts will result in the best possible learning environment for all pupils. This will show children that the home and school work cooperatively.

Vaping

Vaping is not permitted at school. We are committed to providing a healthy and safe learning environment for all students. Therefore, any student caught vaping, possessing vaping paraphernalia, or otherwise involved in vaping-related activities at school will face disciplinary action, up to and including stand-down. We encourage parents to have conversations with their children about the health risks associated with vaping and the school's zero-tolerance policy.

Mobile Phones
There is now a law in place which prohibits students from bringing mobile phones to school. We enforce that law. We do recognise that, on occasion, students may have a need to bring their phone for instances where they are in a shared living arrangement. At those times, students are required to leave the phone at the office, where it will be kept securely until the end of the day. It is the child’s responsibility to collect the phone at 3pm.