School Discipline Policy
This policy was developed in consultation with students, staff and parents. It
reflects the current New South Wales Department of Education and
Community policies and procedural guidelines and the specific needs and
expectations of the Sanctuary Point Public School community.
Jeff Ward
Principal
June 2016
DRAFT SCHOOL DISCIPLINE AND WELFARE POLICY
SCHOOL VISION STATEMENT:
Sanctuary Point Public School
 Committed to sustaining a positive, caring and inclusive school culture.
 Students and staff work in a supportive quality learning and teaching environment.
 Focuses on student engagement and achieving high levels in literacy and numeracy, together with
significant experiences in all curriculum areas, using the latest technology as a tool for learning.
 Supports and caters for the needs of all students and celebrates the achievements of each child.
 In partnership with parents and the wider community, nurtures students to develop independence,
resilience as well as a desire for lifelong learning.
 Committed to building greater knowledge of and respect for local Aboriginal culture and to ensure
Aboriginal students achieve the same levels of academic success as their non-Aboriginal peers.
PREAMBLE:
At Sanctuary Point Public School we are committed to supporting our students socially, emotionally as well
as academically. Our school provides a wide range of support services and programs to assist all students in
these areas.
Socially
 Social Skills Program for identified students
 Drug Education/Child Protection programs in all classes
 We work closely with outside agencies to support students and families including Police Liaison
Officer, NSW Department of Community Services, Aboriginal Health Service, Home personnel
 Work in partnership with families to support the students
 Aboriginal Education Officer to support Aboriginal students and their families
 School Liaison Officer, NSW Department of Education and Community specialist
 School ‘Blast Off’ Program
 NSW Department of Education and Community Discipline Policies and Procedures
 Individual behaviour support programs
Emotionally
 Dedicated teachers who know and care for each student
 School Counsellor
 NSW Department of Education and Community specialist personnel
 Teacher mentors for students at risk or in need of support
Academically
 Support classes
 NSW Department of Education and Community specialist personnel
 Learning Support Team to identify, prioritise and facilitate student support services
 Reading Recovery for identified Year 1 students
 Learning Support Teachers and Officers
 Enrichment classes and special enrichment programs
THE FISH PHILOSOPHY
The FISH Philosophy is the philosophical foundation on which our school student welfare system is based.
It is called Fish philosophy because it comes from the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle Washington and can
be found across the world, not only in schools but many work places and business enterprises.
The Fish Philosophy has four simple principles:
CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE: You can’t help what happens to you, just how you react to it.
BE THERE: If you see someone who needs your help you need to focus on them and go out of your way to
help them.
MAKE THEIR DAY: Everyone in our school deserves to feel special everyday so it is everyone’s job to make
someone else feel special every day.
PLAY: There is a difference between important work and serious work and important work gets done when
you have fun.
DISCIPLINE
Sanctuary Point Public School follows the guidelines, policies and procedures mandated by the NSW
Department of Education and Community.
All students and staff have the right to be treated fairly and with dignity in an environment free from
disruption, intimidation, harassment and discrimination.
A DISCIPLINE POLCY AND ITS RELATED PROCEEDURES ARE DESIGNED TO ASSIST STUDENTS TO INTERNALISE
AND BECOME SELF DISCIPLINED. THIS POLICY AND PROCEDURES SUPPORTS THIS AIM BY ALLOWING
STUDENTS TO MAKE CHOICES THAT RESULT IN BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES.
STUDENTS AT SANCTUARY POINT PUBLIC SCHOOL HAVE 5 AREAS WHERE THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
MAKING THEIR OWN BEHAVIOURAL CHOICES:
Communication,
Learning,
Movement,
Problem Solving,
Safety
POSITIVE CONSEQUENCES
At our school we recognise and celebrate students who consistently make appropriate choices with regard
to their behaviour in the above areas.
 ‘Blast Off’ program
 In-class rewards
 Assembly Merit Certificates
 Outstanding student assembly and Morning tea
 Commitment to Learning Assembly
NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES
At our school we have a range of negative consequences we use when students make poor behaviour
choices.
Behaviours like but not limited to:
 Bullying behaviour: repeated harassment and/or threats
 Disobedience/Defiance
 Disruptive behaviour
 Fighting/violence: including threatening violence
 Inappropriate activities: including boyfriend/girlfriend behaviours (arranging dates, kissing, etc)
 Inappropriate language: swearing and or abusive language
 Out of bounds
 Property damage: to school or property belonging to students or staff
 Theft
 Unsafe activities: including leaving the classroom or grounds without permission
 Verbal threats
Some consequences for Inappropriate Behaviour are but not limited to:
 Verbal or written warning about behaviour
 Time out – in class
 Time out – in a buddy class
 Time out in office area
 In-class detention
 Yellow slip – possible detention at lunch
 Removal of privileges (e.g. withdrawal from excursion)
 Restricted playground
 Parent called to pick up
 In-school suspension (work and have lunch/recess in office area)
 Parent/teacher/student interview
 Suspension from school
Short Suspension (1-4 school days)
Continued disobedience
This includes but is not limited to:
 Refusal to obey staff instructions
 Defiance
 Disrupting other students
Aggressive behaviour
This includes but is not limited to:
 Hostile behaviour directed towards students, members of staff or other persons
 Damaging property of the school or students
 Bullying (including cyber bullying)
 Verbal abuse and abuse transmitted electronically such as by email, SMS text messages or by other
electronic means
Long suspension (5-20 school days)
Physical violence
 Any physical assault that results in injury or interferes with the safety or wellbeing of other staff or
students (including sexual or indecent assault)
Use or possession of a prohibited weapon, firearm or knife
When the student:
 Uses or possesses a weapon which is listed on Schedule One of the weapons Prohibition Act. Tis
includes laser pointers but does not include toys such as imitation guns that are clearly intended as
toys
 Uses a knife or possesses a knife
 Uses or possesses a firearm of any type (including live ammunition and replica firearms)
Possession, supply or use of a suspected illegal substance
 This does not include alcohol or tobacco but does include supplying other students with illegal drugs
or restricted substances such as prescription drugs.
Serious criminal behaviour
 This includes malicious damage to property (school or community) against the property of a fellow
student or staff member on, or outside of the school premises.
Use of an implement as a weapon
 When a student uses an implement as a weapon to assault or injure another person
Persistent misbehaviour
 Repeated refusal to follow the school discipline code
 Threatening to use a weapon in a way that may seriously interfere with the safety and wellbeing of
another person
 Making credible threats against students or staff
 Behaviour that deliberately and persistently interferes with the rights of other students to learn or
teachers to teach including bullying, harassment and victimisation
BULLYING
The NSW Department of Education and Community rejects all forms of bullying. No student, employee,
parent, caregiver or community member should experience bullying within the learning or working
environments of the department.
The policy applies to all student bullying behaviour, including cyber bullying, that occurs in NSW
government schools and preschools, and off school premises and outside of school hours where there is
a clear and close relationship between the school and the conduct of the student.
What is bullying?
Bullying is repeated verbal, physical, social or psychological behaviour that is harmful and involves the
misuse of power by an individual or group towards one or more persons. Cyber bullying refers to
bullying through information and communication technologies.
Bullying can involve humiliation, domination, intimidation, victimisation and all forms of harassment
including that based on sex, race, disability, homosexuality or transgender. Bullying of any form or for
any reason can have long-term effects on those involved including bystanders.
Conflict or fights between equals or single incidents are not defined as bullying.
Schools exist in a society where incidents of bullying behaviour may occur. Preventing and responding
to bullying behaviour in learning and working environments is a shared responsibility of all
departmental staff, students, parents, caregivers and members of the wider school community.
All members of the school community contribute to the preventing bullying by modelling and promoting
appropriate behaviour and respectful relationships.
Responsibilities and delegations
Principals
Principals must ensure that the school implements an Anti-bullying Plan that:
o is developed collaboratively with students, school staff, parents, caregivers, and the community
o includes strategies for:
o developing a shared understanding of bullying behaviour that captures all forms of bullying including
cyber bullying
o developing a statement of purpose that outlines individual and shared responsibilities of students,
parents, caregivers and teachers for preventing and responding to bullying behaviour
o maintaining a positive climate of respectful relationships where bullying is less likely to occur
o developing and implementing programs for bullying prevention
o embedding anti-bullying messages into each curriculum area and in every year
o developing and implementing early intervention support for students who are identified by the
school as being at risk of developing long-term difficulties with social relationships
o developing and implementing early intervention support for those students who are identified at or
after enrolment as having previously experienced bullying or engaged in bullying behaviour
o empowering the whole school community to recognise and respond appropriately to bullying,
harassment and victimisation and behave as responsible bystanders
o developing and publicising clear procedures for reporting incidents of bullying to the school
o responding to incidents of bullying that have been reported to the school quickly and effectively
o matching a planned combination of interventions to the particular incident of bullying
o providing support to any student who has been affected by, engaged in or witnessed bullying
behaviour
o providing regular updates, within the bounds of privacy legislation, to parents or caregivers about the
management of the incidents
o identifying patterns of bullying behaviour and responding to such patterns
o monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the Plan
o reporting annually to the school community on the effectiveness of the Plan
o includes procedures consistent with DN10/00225 – Reporting incidents involving assaults, threats,
intimidation or harassment and the Incident Reporting Policy
o includes procedures for contacting the child wellbeing unit or Community Services where
appropriate
o includes contact information for the police youth liaison officer (YLO) and school liaison police officer
(SLP)where appropriate
o includes contact information for appropriate support services such as Kids Helpline
o is reviewed with the school community at least every three years.
School staff
School staff have a responsibility to:
o respect and support students
o model and promote appropriate behaviour
o have knowledge of school and departmental policies relating to bullying behaviour
o respond in a timely manner to incidents of bullying according to the school’s Anti-bullying Plan.
In addition, teachers have a responsibility to:
o provide curriculum and pedagogy that supports students to develop an understanding of bullying
and its impact on individuals and the broader community.
Students
Students have a responsibility to:
o behave appropriately, respecting individual differences and diversity
o behave as responsible digital citizens
o follow the school Anti-bullying Plan
o behave as responsible bystanders
o report incidents of bullying according to their school Anti-bullying Plan.
Parents and caregivers
Parents and caregivers have a responsibility to:
o support their children to become responsible citizens and to develop responsible on-line behaviour
o be aware of the school Anti-bullying Plan and assist their children in understanding bullying
behaviour
o support their children in developing positive responses to incidents of bullying consistent with the
school Anti-bullying Plan
o report incidents of school related bullying behaviour to the school
o work collaboratively with the school to resolve incidents of bullying when they occur.
The school community
All members of the school community have the responsibility to:
o model and promote positive relationships that respect and accept individual differences and
diversity within the school community
o support the school’s Anti-bullying Plan through words and actions
o work collaboratively with the school to resolve incidents of bullying when they occur.
DISCIPLINE/STUDENT WELFARE TREE
CLASSROOM
PLAYGROUND
Verbal reminder
Verbal reminder
Name on Board
Walk with duty
teacher
Name on Board & X
Name on Board & XX
Time Out in another
Room
Name on Board & XXX
Sent to principal/executive.
Yellow slip issued and
detention and/or sent home
Parent contacted, in-school
suspension and/or
suspension from school
Sent to Principal/
Executive
Yellow slip issued
and detention and/or
sent home
Possible Suspension
from school
Suspension from school is a serious
matter.
Suspension is simply a timeout to put in
place a program for a return to school with
proper resources and considerations for the
learning, safety and wellbeing of all
students. It is not a “punishment” in itself.
Students may not return to school from a
suspension until a meeting has been held
and the student’s return to school program
discussed and agreed upon.
In an effort to ensure consistency across the school all classes will follow the school’s discipline
system/policy.
Teachers need to be and be seen to be, fair and consistent in response to students who are not following our
school rules and responsibilities. Reasonable adjustments need to be made for students with special needs
however incidents of inappropriate behaviour should be recorded in accordance with the whole school
procedures (yellow slip) for follow-up.
Discipline System
 Every class must follow the system.
 One verbal warning and then name on the board.
 Discipline starts at the beginning of the day and ends at the end of the day.
 Names are not to be removed until the following day…students can’t earn them off.
NB
Students who exhibit more serious behaviours can be fast racked and moved to a more serious level
at the discretion of the teacher who has investigated or witnessed and incident. These behaviours
include but are not limited to:
 aggressive/hostile behaviours
 damaging school property
 bullying (cyber, verbal abuse, physical assault)
 fighting
Students who regularly get to the discipline system point where they have been to buddy class then modify
their behaviour so they don’t go the next step…..these are pose a significant and ongoing threat to the
learning and wellbeing or their class.
On the third visit to buddy class the student gets a detention yellow slip for repeatedly not following
school/class rules.
Students return from suspension following a resolution meeting and with return to school plan and earn
privileges. At this point a student who is suspended in week 1 term 1 cannot represent the school of go on
an excursion in November even if there has been no other incident recorded against them. There is no way
to redeem your way back.
Any student who is formally suspended either in-school or from school must be referred to the Learning
Support Team at the time of each suspension.
Following the return from suspension a student cannot represent the school for a probationary period of
five (5) weeks from the date of their return. At the end of that 5 week period the student’s behaviour will
be assessed and the probation lifted and representation privileges restored or a further probation period
be imposed. There can be no more than two (2) probation periods without parent meeting with class
teacher, principal and/or support staff.
If a student has not demonstrated appropriate behaviour after a second probation following suspension a
special meeting will develop an individual behaviour plan and risk assessment that will set out special and
specific conditions and adjustments for that individual student. At this time specialist staff may be involved
and/or referrals made to specialist agencies and or paediatric services.
Students who have demonstrated the potential adversely affect the safety and wellbeing of themselves or
others may be excluded from that specific excursion or camp. All students who are not on probation
and/or on special behaviour support plans should be considered for attendance of any excursion however.
POSITIVE DISCIPLINE/REWARD SYSTEM
At Sanctuary Point Public School we attempt to reward and recognise appropriate behaviour. This is
done in numerous ways at individual, class and whole school levels.
We use a variety of strategies to reward and recognise students at individual and class level whose
behaviour, engagement in learning or achievement reaches the high expectations held at this
school. These include but are not limited to:
 verbal praise
 written feedback
 phone call or postcard home
 class merit card
 stamps or stickers
 prize box draws
 visit to other class, executive or principal
 class based ‘marbles in the jar’
 Outstanding Student certificates, assembly and morning tea
Whole School ‘BLAST OFF’ Reward Program
Rational
The purpose of this whole school reward system, is to acknowledge and promote
the existing student responsibilities under one positive reinforcement program.
Structure
There are three levels within the program:
 bronze
 silver
 gold
There are five bands within each level.
Rocket Chart
 It is not optional
 It needs to be consistent and following the guidelines below:
1. If the child is at school on time every day for the week they get one star.
2. If the child has not had their name on the board in the week..i.e.
consistently followed class rules and behaved, they get one star.
3. If the child has completed their classwork for the week they get one star.
 If a student gets a detention they lose 3 stars (ie. 1 week’s worth) and if they
get a yellow slip and it is just a warning they should lose 1 star from their
chart.
THESE ARE THE ONLY CRITERIA FOR STARS ON THE CHART. IN-CLASS REWARDS ARE
ENCOURAGED.
Communication
* Speaking
respectfully to
others.
* Listening to
and valuing
other people’s
ideas and
opinions.
* Treating
others equitably
and fairly.
* Contributing
meaningfully to
class
discussions.
Learning
* Being
responsible
learners and
making the
most of each
learning
experience.
* Working to
the best of
their ability.
* Actively
participating.
* Being
considerate of
the learning of
others.
* Accepting
that mistakes
are part of
learning.
* Helps others
without
needing to be
asked.
Problem
Solving
* Makes use of
these
strategies to
solve
problems.
Stop Is able to
stop from
reacting in a
negative
manner.
Think Is able to
reflect
rationally on
what the
problem was.
Talk Is able to
talk calmly to a
teacher / adult
about what has
happened.
Listen Is able
to see the
other persons
point of view.
Think Is able
to think of
appropriate
solutions to put
things right.
Safety
* Participates
and interacts
safely.
* Considers
own safety and
the safety of
others.
* Controls
impulsive
reactions
(thinking before
acting /
reacting).
* Understands
and respects
boundaries.
* Respects
personal space.
Movement
* Walking
sensibly and
quietly
between
different
locations.
* Is prompt
to assembly
after the
bell.
* Waits
quietly.
* Remains
in bounds.
* Is in the
right place
at the right
time.
* Knows, obeys
and
understands the
rules.
* Identifies
appropriate
children to play
with.
We are rewarding the behavioural choice to work to the best of their ability; this is not an academic
reward system.