Our positive behaviour journey

2020 marks the beginning of Auburn Primary School’s journey with School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS).

SWPBS is a framework that brings together school communities to develop positive, safe, supportive learning cultures and assists schools to improve social, emotional, behavioural and academic outcomes for children and young people.

When SWPBS is implemented well, teachers and students have more time to focus on relationships and classroom instruction. Students and staff benefit from:

• increased respectful and positive behaviour
• increased time focused on instruction
• improved social-emotional wellbeing
• positive and respectful relationships among students and staff
• increased adoption of evidence-based instructional practices
• a predictable learning environment with improved perceptions of safety and increased attendance

Implementation of SWPBS requires commitment by the whole school community.

Schools implement eight essential features:

• Establish a common philosophy and purpose
• Establish leadership and school-wide support
• Clearly define a set of expected behaviours
• Establish procedures for teaching and practising expected behaviours
• Implement a continuum of procedures to encourage expected behaviours
• Develop a continuum of procedures to discourage inappropriate behaviour
• Use procedures for record-keeping, decision making and ongoing monitoring
• Support staff to use effective classroom practices

Alongside the support of a specialist coach from the Department of Education & training (DET), the Auburn staff, lead by a team of teachers from across the school, have begun working on the first couple of essential features, including reviewing our school values and beginning to define a set of expected behaviours that align with these.

The SWPBS team look forward to updating the community on our progress as we continue this work in 2021.