How it works: When things go wrong for kids.

The How it Works section aims to inform parents of some of our positive practices and interventions at Farrer Primary. 

Extract from Farrer Primary Successful Participation Policy: 
"The school aims to provide an environment that supports the development of respectful and enthusiastic learning through which students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own behaviour and their engagement in learning."

Respect for the learning and social environment is central to establishing effective learning habits and strategies. To this end, the school works with parents, carers and support staff to establish an awareness of student needs and abilities. Similarly, parents/carers have an obligation to assist actively in processes that aim to determine the function of their child’s behaviours and in developing and deliver appropriate strategies. 

The school works on two fronts to reduce behaviours that are damaging to students, staff or the learning. In-class education programs as part of our Civics and Citizenship curriculum inform students of their responsibilities. The school also applies a range of interventions to improve student engagement or behaviour. Such interventions are not necessarily applied sequentially, but are applied with the aim of achieving the most effective social or behavioural learning for the individual. 

Sample Scenario: 
A student is noticed, by a teacher on playground duty, swinging branch close to several students. A student reports that he has been hurt by the swing branch.

A normal Farrer school response: 

• Playground duty teacher ensures safety of students then directs the injured student for a 1st Aid check;
• The teacher completes a White Slip that briefly documents the nature of the problem, student names etc while directing the student to the Deputy Principal;
• The Deputy Principal, or other executive staff member, investigates the incident and considers the circumstances, injuries etc and proceeds with actions that aim to keep people safe and to reduce the incidence of dangerous play or malicious actions;
• Depending upon the outcome of the investigation and the climate of the incident, the most appropriate selection of the following strategies is undertaken:
• • Student/s can be removed from normal learning programs incding playground situations until his/her there are indications that the student understand the severity and affects of his/her actions.
  • A student conference (circle) can be conducted with the aim of highlighting the affects on students. These circles are often very effective in producing changes in behaviour and empowering students.
  • Parent communication is undertaken for frequent and/or high level problems.
  • Student support plans can be put in place to assist either or both parties;
  • Parent support including their time to assist student inclusion, management of behaviours and to engender positive learning;
  • Temporary exclusion of individuals from activities or situations in which the risk of non-compliance or dangerous behaviour is obvious; and/or
  • Suspension from school is used to interrupt a cycle of behaviour; to reinforce the requirements of the school; to reinforce individual student plans; or to signal to the student the severity of their actions.