BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT AND BUILDING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS

At Our Lady Star of the Sea, teachers recognise the importance of a unified and consistent approach to the management of student’s behaviour through Restorative Practices.  The Restorative Practices Strategies used at our school include: Circle Time, Affective Questioning, Restorative Circles and Conflict Resolution.

Our Pastoral Care Policy states that … discipline practices at Our Lady Star of the Sea school are based on Restorative Practices. 

Restorative Practices

Restorative Practices involve the building of positive relationships and establishing a supportive environment that is fair, consistent and democratic. The underlying principle is that relationships are important, and when a harmful or disruptive incident occurs, the focus is on the harm caused to the relationship and the subsequent repairing of that harm; rather than what rule has been broken and therefore what consequences will be imposed. Restorative Practices gives the school a unified and consistent approach to the management of children's behaviour. The school also aims to develop responsible self-discipline amongst students. The school believes that the school community is responsible for an effective policy, therefore communication and support between staff, students and parents is essential.

Positive Behaviours for Learning

Our Lady Star of the Sea School is committed to creating the values of safety, responsibility and respect throughout our learning community.  Teachers are currently working collaboratively with students to begin to explicitly explore expected behaviours throughout a range of learning experience using our drafted Whole School Behaviour Matrix. This matrix identifies the behaviour expectations at Our Lady Star of the Sea, based on  our three core values statements:

• We are respectful.
• We are responsible.
• We are safe.

These values are supported by our overarching Positive Behaviours for Learning statement: 

“We reach for the Stars!”

In turn this fits nicely with our school motto, “Setting the Right Course”

Whole School Positive Behaviour for Learning Matrix

The purpose of implementing Positive Behaviour for Learning at Our Lady Star of the Sea  is to:

• Enhance the sense of community in our school
• Promote being respectful, responsible and safe
• Increase positive behaviours and therefore reduce problem behaviours
• Create consistent language, expectations and consequences

More information regarding Behaviour Management can be found in our Student Wellbeing Handbook which is available on our school website.

Paul Anderson

Student Wellbeing Leader