Purpose
Students at Golden Grove High School are expected to uphold our school. A Golden Grove Graduate is innovative, independent and an empowered global citizen who is driven to meet their full potential. These attributes are built upon positive connections with each other, their teachers, families and community. All are underpinned by our values of respect, equality, pride, integrity and resilience. These cornerstones underpin positive and productive relationships and are at the centre of our quality teaching and learning at Golden Grove High School.
Context
From time-to-time, some student behaviour choices do not match the school values and expectations. In order to best manage these choices and ensure that expectations align teachers, mentors, leaders and processes are in place. This is to ensure positive choices are made and result in harmonious interactions, fostering an environment where safe conditions for rigorous learning occur.
Golden Grove High School has clear expectations aligned to our values and these are upheld by classroom teachers, homegroup teachers, learning area leaders and Sub-School teams. These year level teams comprise Sub-School Leaders, Sub-School managers and an Executive member. Our expectation is that our students uphold our school values and prioritise their learning and the learning of their peers. However, adolescents are learning how to navigate these expectations and at times will need coaching to support optimum choices. On occasions, consequences may be actioned in line with our school processes to develop, refine and impress upon students the impact of poor choices.
School-based processes are considered together with context, age and circumstance of the incident. Consequences are used to clearly signal that the behaviour does not reflect the school values and must change. Every teacher outlines behaviour expectations and where appropriate corrects misunderstandings, clarifies expectations and ensures all students understand the processes in place for their teaching and learning environment.
Roles and Responsibilities
Students
- prioritise their learning and the learning of others
- partner with their teachers to achieve learning outcomes they are proud of
- embody the values of a Golden Grove High School student
- use positive and appropriate language in all interactions with others
- prioritise attendance (above 92%)
- accept responsibility for their actions and complete assigned consequences when behaviour is not aligned with our values
- participate in reconnection and restorative meetings to make better choices in the future
Parents and Caregivers
- understand and support the school’s behaviour management protocols and procedures which align with the department’s codes of conduct and policies.
- actively use GGHS communications including- Daymap, School Stream, emails etc.
- monitor progress, attendance, behaviour and contact relevant staff members when there are specific questions or concerns.
- have regular conversations with their child(ren) about attendance, achievement and progress
- use positive and appropriate language in all interactions with staff, other parents and students
- support the school’s goal of maintaining high attendance (above 92%) for their child/children
- partner with the school to ensure that young people take responsibility for their actions and choices
- support the school’s values and consequences when applied
- support their child(ren) to participate in restorative processes in reconnection and restorative meetings to support their child in making better choices in the future
- maximise all educational opportunities offered such as: SchoolTV, Student Learning Conferences (P.T interviews), information nights, subject counselling days and other school communities and events.
Behaviours and consequences
Our processes are clearly outlined to ensure consistency, clarity and will take in to account contextual factors. These consequences are inclusive of but not limited to:
- Warnings
- Yard duty
- Buddy class
- Focus room
- Lunchtime Detentions
- On Time Assessment Completion (OTAC)
- Internal Suspension
- External Suspensions
- Emergency Response & Critical Incidents
Managing behaviours: Minor
Where an issue is predominantly low-level and managed at the classroom level, the teacher will use appropriate consequences. This may occur in consultation with the relevant Learning Area Leader.
Where a behaviour is repeated across different subjects, in the yard, or is in regards to uniform, attendance or antisocial behaviour, these incidents are referred to and managed by Sub-School Leaders, Managers and where required, the relevant Executive Leader.
Teachers, mentors and leaders work through the following levels of coaching/intervention.
1. Teachers proactively manage the behaviour of students in their classes- setting class expectations, lesson materials, warnings, reminder etc.
2. Teachers apply in-class consequences- talk with the student, reallocate seating, keeping back after class for discussion, move to a Buddy Class or temporary removal outside of class.
3. Where the behaviour is more serious, persistent, wilful and/or interferes with the learning of others, the student is referred from the class to the Focus Room for the remainder of the lesson.
The subject teacher will attempt to contact home to outline the infringement- either via phone call or email. A record will also be available in Daymap. Classroom teachers, may meet with the student before the next class to resolve the issue, re-clarify expectations and rebuild the relationship.
Lunchtime Detentions
The Sub-School Team may place a student on a lunchtime detention for either:
• not completing a yard duty issued by their classroom teacher
• if they are already on a half or full day internal suspension
Where a student is placed in Lunchtime Detention, the student is still able to access their lunch and bathroom provisions before reporting to the Focus Room for supervision. The student is notified by their Sub-School team when their lunchtime is to be completed and need to arrive at the Focus Room by 1:10pm.
Students on Internal Suspensions are automatically placed on Lunchtime Detentions for their day.
Escalation
If a student chooses to repeat or escalate the behaviour or engage in any other behaviour that interferes with the learning of others, the Learning Area Leader and Sub School Leader will become involved. The leaders involved focus on:
• Clarifying what behaviour demonstrated that the student was not upholding the school’s values and expectations.
• Exploring collaboratively why the student continues to behave in a certain manner.
• Identifying the behaviours that need to change and the support needed to make this required behavioural change.
• Provide further consequences where appropriate.
• Support restorative practices and conversations to make future choices productive.
Managing Behaviours: Major
Occasionally some students will make behavioural choices resulting in physical altercations,
incidents involving abuse of a staff member, illicit substances, serious harassment, bullying and or illegal activity. These result in more serious consequences such as suspension or exclusion. Sub-School Leaders, in conjunction with their Executive Leaders manage these issues. Illegal activities are always reported to the police and any devices involved confiscated.
Golden Grove High School and the Department for Education have zero tolerance of serious breaches of the school’s values such as illegal behaviour. This includes the following which will involve suspensions and or exclusions and may include a police report:
•Possession, use or sale of inappropriate/illicit
•Distribution of inappropriate images of a person under the age of 18 with or without their
knowledge
•Threatening or actual violence or intimidation
Restorative Practices
In order to support positive relationships and equip our young people in making better choices, the school has a number of policy documents and guidelines to respond to these diverse needs. This is inclusive of:
• Discovery Centre
• Learning Centre
• FLO program
• Peer Support program
• Year 12 Mentor program
• Defence School Mentor
• Wellbeing Team
• ICE Factor Program
• Mirnu Wirra Room/ATSI Team
• One Plan
• Attendance Improvement Policy
• Middle School Work Submissions Guidelines
• On Time Assessment Completion (OTAC)
• Bootcamp (SACE subjects)
• Mobile Phone and Use of Devices Policy
• Bullying and Harassment Policy
• Restorative Practices Framework
• Students at Risk (STAR lists)
• Uniform Policy
• Department’s SEE procedures (updated 2021)
As stated, Golden Grove High School students are expected to take responsibility for their learning, and make choices and behaviours guided by our school values. Our behaviour management processes support positive choices to allow learning to be at the centre of our approach. Age, year level, context and prior choices are taken in to consideration. We would expect that by the senior years students are regulating and managing their own behaviour choices.
Where there are parent grievances, our school’s parent grievance policy should be referred to.
Revised: November 2020
