Positive Behaviour Support

At Barrack Heights Public School (BHPS) we implement a School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) system.

PBS is an evidence-based approach that is effective in preventing and addressing challenging behaviour in the classroom, as well as improving academic and social outcomes for students. PBS operates on the premise that as well as being learners of literacy and numeracy, students are also learners of behaviour.

Under this approach, it is the role of educators (and school community members) to explicitly teach, model and reinforce appropriate behaviours for students and to set clear and consistent behaviour expectations.

We understand that students come to school with differing levels of academic, behavioural and social skills. To support all students, a continuous system of support is implemented across the school to ensure students are receiving the instruction and adjustments needed to achieve successful academic and social outcomes. Within this approach all students are known, valued and cared for.

Our school community has identiﬁed and deﬁned three core school values:

Respectful
Safe
Engaged

We have created a matrix of expected behaviours that reﬂect these three values throughout the school. This matrix explicitly outlines behaviours that represent how students can display the three values at BHPS.

At BHPS, we use a behaviour skills training approach (instruction, modelling, practice, and feedback) to explicitly teach behaviour expectations. It is important that students are provided continual opportunity to practise and receive feedback on behavioural expectations in different environments across the school. In addition, as part of the PDH curriculum we teach a Social and Emotional Learning program named Second Step. This in-class teaching model provides students with the opportunity to develop the interpersonal and social skills required to achieve success in academic and social outcomes.

We use data and feedback to prioritise our areas of focus, and to guide the interventions and supports that are implemented throughout the school year. Annual reviews and surveys are conducted on our PBS systems and the following years action plan is based on the results of this data.

To recognise the positive choices made by students we employ a wide range of reinforcement strategies. Our educators receive ongoing training in the science of Behaviour Analysis so they are equipped with a number of preventative and response techniques to encourage appropriate behaviour and effectively manage challenging behaviour.

At Barrack Heights Public School, we believe that behaviour support:

Is a community approach…

Behaviour support is a collaborative effort. All staff must work together, striving for consensus on procedures and consistent implementation.
Behaviour support is a shared responsibility and requires a combined effort by the school community. We are all jointly committed to a student’s success.
An encouraging school community requires feedback to continue to grow and develop.

Should be supported by a school-wide system…

Successful change in behaviour support practices requires building proactive and preventative school-wide systems. Systems to support student behaviour need to be evidence-based.
Students need and want high expectations for their behaviour. Maintaining high expectations requires teaching and staff consistency.
For long term behaviour change to occur, we must use positive approaches that strengthen educator-student relationships.

Needs to be taught…

Students may not have had the opportunity to learn acceptable behaviour. We must not assume that students know the behaviours and social skills that lead to success at school and in life.
Behaviour is learned; therefore, responsible, or appropriate behaviour can be taught.
Student behaviour can be taught using the same strategies used to teach academics, such as ongoing teaching, reinforcement, and correction.

Implementation

For the successful implementation of PBS at Barrack Heights Public School, it is imperative that all staff are aware of how PBS works. This will ensure consistency of language, expectations and continued successful outcomes.

A PBS Team is formed at the beginning of each year and consists of a representative from each stage/area of the school.
The PBS Team will provide regular professional learning for the staff on our school-wide behaviour support systems and practices.
Educators complete the ‘PBS start-up’ at the beginning of the year.
School Bytes behaviour data is collated every three weeks. The PBS team will analyse this data to decide on explicit strategies, interventions and focus areas that need to be actioned and taught to improve the school climate.
Explicit lessons are taught to instil the PBS expectations.
Students are acknowledged for positive behaviours at an individual, class, and school-wide level.
Educators use the classroom and/or executive system to respond to challenging behaviour.
Educators address challenging behaviour using the principles of PBS, which includes: maintaining a calm body manner, using a neutral tone of voice, making instructions speciﬁc and keeping interactions brief.
Educators can access additional levels of support (Tier 2 and Tier 3) through the Learning and Wellbeing Team.
Students and staff will participate in surveys throughout the year to collect data and evaluate the PBS structures.

What is Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)?

PBS is a framework of support that incorporates evidence-based strategies to prevent and address challenging behaviour throughout the school. PBS places an emphasis on proactive and preventative approaches to behaviour support through producing positive learning environments that encourage appropriate behaviour.

Rather than using a patchwork of different reactive individual behaviour management plans and strategies in each classroom, a continuum of positive behaviour support for all students within a school is implemented. This continuum includes features like consistent expectations, a consistent reinforcement system, and consistent response strategies that extend across all areas of the school including all classroom and non-classroom settings (such as the playground, canteen, and ofﬁce).

PBS provides a framework to design effective school environments that link research validated practices and the settings in which teaching and learning occurs. Interventions and strategies become more individualised as student’s require a higher level of support to meet their academic and social goals.