The College has a Student Code of Conduct. All students have rights and responsibilities and where these are not followed the College’s Behaviour Management Policy and Procedures and Discipline Policy and Procedures are applied.
The College is committed to embracing a strength-based approach as the foundation for the College’s behaviour management.
Positive reinforcement of pro-social behaviour is powerful and promotes healthy and open relationships. All staff are encouraged to reinforce positive behaviour.
The College’s approach for managing student behaviour is to:
- establish clear expectations for appropriate behaviour,
- focus on positive behaviour,
- address and respond to challenging behaviour, and
- set a culture that builds positive relationships between students and other members of the College community, based on mutual rights and responsibilities.
At College, the dynamic between a teacher and students is critical in creating and sustaining a positive and successful learning environment. To achieve this, the College has established a College-wide fundamental set of Positive Learning Behaviours for classroom management that every student is expected to follow and support.
Positive Learning emphasises the importance for all students to:
- engage in learning,
- value the learning of others,
- respect and respond to teacher’s directions,
- manage distractions, and
- persist through challenges.
In most cases students behave respectfully and appropriately, but the College acknowledges that at times some students need to be reminded of expectations and appropriate behaviour. Valuing the Positive Learning Behaviours involves growth, changing mindsets and self-discipline from students.
Behaviour management is necessary to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all our students, teachers and other staff and to provide a positive learning environment.
Click here to read the College Behaviour Management Policy and Procedures.
The College Discipline Policy and Procedures provide a framework through which the College manages serious student misconduct. It also establishes the context in which the College can suspend or expel a student and the procedures observed by the College when suspending or expelling a student.
The following guiding principles are set out in the Discipline Policy and Procedures:
DISCIPLINE GUIDING PRINCIPLES
1. The safety and wellbeing of students, parents, and staff is of paramount importance to the College.
2. Behaviour management and discipline policies and procedures are necessary to provide a positive learning environment and to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all our students, staff members, and College community.
3. The seriousness of a suspension or expulsion for a student is not underestimated by the College.
4. Equally, the College recognises that each student, staff member and member of the College community has the right to undertake activities at the College in an appropriate environment, and the behaviour of a student cannot compromise the health, safety and wellbeing of other members of the College community.
5. Therefore, where a student engages in serious misconduct the College may suspend or expel a student in accordance with the Discipline Policy.
6. Decisions regarding suspensions and expulsions require the acknowledgement and consideration of the health and safety of all members of the school community, including educational, physical and emotional needs.
7. It is important to deal with all situations on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration specific circumstances, contributing factors, the student’s background, impacts of disadvantage and any disability that the student lives with.
8. The College is committed to ensuring procedural fairness.
9. The College is committed to handling allegations of serious misconduct in a timely manner and will take reasonable steps to resolve the matter as soon as practicable.
10. The use of any corporal punishment is strictly prohibited at the College. Any staff member who breaches this rule will be subject to disciplinary proceedings, which may include dismissal.
11. The College does not support or sanction the use of corporal punishment by parents to enforce discipline.
Click here to read the full College Discipline Policy and Procedures.