POLICY: SCS / Issued: February 2015
REVIEW: February 2016 / Approved: Sue Holmes Acting Principal

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT POLICY

The purpose of the Student Engagement Policy is to:

  • Define and teach school-wide expectations and school values for all;
  • Establish, via classroom negotiation, classroom protocol and consequences;
  • Identify school‐wide processes to identify students at risk of disengagement from learning;
  • Create a positive school culture that is fair and respectful;
  • Build a safe and supportive school environment;
  • Promote positive, supportive and respectful relationships that value diversity;
  • Promote pro-social values and behaviours;
  • Encourage student participation and student voice;
  • Encourage proactive engagement with parents/carers;
  • Implement preventative and early intervention approaches;and
  • Provide strategies to respond to individual students.

Sherbrooke Community School is a P – 12 government school, established in 1985. The school is situated on the Mount Dandenong Tourist Road, on the outskirts of the Sassafras township in the Dandenong Ranges, 40km from the CBD. Sherbrooke Community School has a student population capped to 160.

Our student population has a diverse range of abilities. We have support networks that enable all students to succeed and access the curriculum. We value our students’ strong sense of individuality and uniqueness and encourage them to express themselves in a positive manner. We have small class sizes that allows for individualised teaching and learning.

The structures developed enable all sections of the school community to be part of the decision making process. There are a variety of forums where parents, students and staff can talk together, make decisions and have a real influence on the direction of the school. In the day to day activities, visitors and parents are welcome to the school.

There is a strong community spirit within the school where students, old and young, are able to collaborate on community activities and projects.

Sherbrooke Community School is committed to building relationships through cooperation and teamwork between the students, staff, parents and the wider community. Identification of the individual learning needs, including student engagement, attendance and behaviour for each student are the priorities required to enhance teaching and learning.

Student engagement and school connectedness underpin effective student learning. Student engagement can be defined as three interrelated components: behavioural, cognitive and emotional. Staff have been analysing and acting upon student absence data, and student attendance will be continually monitored. The school will continue to heighten parent awareness by communicating the impact of a number of days of absence on student connectedness to the school, and academic and social achievement.

Alternative curriculum programmes have been developed and implemented at the school to assist students to feel connected to the wider school community, and foster individual skills include:

Well-being day, Art Olympics, Sports Carnivals, camps and excursions.

Attendance (refer to whole school attendance policy)

The School understands that full attendance is a key to engagement and maximises every student’s ability to learn and our teachers’ ability to teach effectively. (Refer to promoting school attendance policy, DEECD.)

Students are encouraged to respect the rights and property of the individual, emphasising the right to educational opportunity and the fostering of self-discipline and social responsibility. Respect and tolerance towards others is expected from every member of the school community.

Guiding principles

Every member of the school community has a right to fully participate in an educational environment that is safe, supportive and inclusive. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. At Sherbrooke Community School we foster a inclusive and safe learning environment and prohibit corporal punishment in any form.

Equal Opportunity

The Equal Opportunity Act 1995 sets out the types or grounds of discrimination that are unlawful and aims to promote community recognition and acceptance of the equality of men and women, and the equality of people of all races, regardless of their religious or political convictions, their impairments or their age.

Under the act it is unlawful to discriminate against a person on the basis of the following attributes:

  • age
  • breastfeeding
  • gender identity
  • impairment
  • industrial activity
  • lawful sexual activity
  • marital status
  • parental status or status as carer
  • physical features
  • political belief or activity
  • pregnancy
  • race
  • religious belief or activity
  • sex
  • sexual orientation
  • personal association (with a person who is identified by reference to any of the above

attributes).

The Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006

The Charter sets out a list of 20 rights that reflect the following four basic principles:

  • Freedom
  • Respect
  • Equality
  • Dignity

The charter outlines a vision of human rights for all Victorians. The charter affirms that all people are born free and equal in dignity and rights. While the charter demands equality for all, it also emphasises the value of difference. The charter requires public authorities, including government schools and their employees, to act compatibly with human rights and to consider human rights when making decisions and delivering services.

  • The right not to be discriminated against
  • The right to privacy and reputation
  • The right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief
  • Cultural Rights

It is important to understand that with human rights comes a responsibility to respect other human rights.

All DEECD employees must act compatibly with the Charter and give proper consideration to human rights when making decisions. Everyone should:

  • Encourage compliance with the Charter
  • Support others to act compatibly with the Charter, and
  • Respect and promote human rights

Part of the monitoring of Human Rights will be to complete the Charter Compliance Checklist on the School Compliance web site. Student Engagement & Well Being Policy Footscray

Students with disabilities

The Disability Standards for Education 2005 clarify and make more explicit the obligations on schools and the rights of students under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. The standards cover enrolment, participation, curriculum development, student support services, and harassment and victimisation.

An education provider must make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to accommodate a student with a disability. An adjustment is a measure or action taken to assist a student with a disability to participate in education and training on the same basis as other students. An adjustment is reasonable if it does this while taking into account the student’s learning needs and balancing the interests of all parties affected, including those of the student with the disability, the education provider, staff and other students.

In determining whether an adjustment is reasonable, an education provider should take into account information about:

  • the nature of the student’s disability
  • his or her preferred adjustment
  • any adjustments that have been provided previously
  • any recommended or alternative adjustments.

This information might come from the student, an associate of the student, independent experts, or a combination of these people.

An education provider should ensure that the student, or an associate of the student, has timely information about the processes for determining whether the proposed adjustment would cause unjustifiable hardship to the provider. The provider should also ensure that these processes maintain the dignity, respect, privacy and confidentiality of the student and the associates of the student, consistent with the rights of the rest of the community.

The provider may consider all likely costs and benefits, both direct and indirect, for the provider, the student and any associates of the student, and any other persons in the learning or wider community, including:

  • costs associated with additional staffing, providing special resources or modifying the

curriculum

  • costs resulting from the student’s participation in the learning environment, including any

adverse impact on learning and social outcomes for the student, other students and

teachers

  • benefits of the student’s participation in the learning environment, including positive

learning and social outcomes for the student, other students and teachers, and

  • any financial incentives, such as subsidies or grants, available to the provider if the

student participates.

The DDA and the Education Standards do not require changes to be made if this would impose unjustifiable hardship to a person or organisation. Student Engagement & Well Being Policy Footscray Primary School 14

Rights and Responsibilities of the School Community

Everyone within the school community has rights and responsibilities. Everyone’s behaviour contributes to the social, emotional, physical and educational development of students.

At Sherbrooke community school we acknowledge and respect the differences amongst individuals, which is evident in our inclusive nature and culture. As our students progress through school they need to be encouraged and supported to take greater responsibility for their own learning and participation as members of the whole school community. This involves managing their own learning and growth by setting goals and using available resources to achieve these goals.

Within our learning community there are shared expectations for students, staff and parents to ensure that there is a common understanding of responsibilities and how we can meet the learning needs for all students.

Sherbrooke Community School students have developed the following non – negotiable behaviours to operate within the School:

  • We are honest, courteous and treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves.
  • We abide by School policies and take responsibility for our actions
  • We treat our environment with respect, pride and care.
  • We actively listen, care and support one another and will not tolerate bullying and racism in any form.

SCHOOL VALUES / VALUE DESCRIPTORS / SHERBROOKE STUDENTS WILL:
Community / Collaborate and share / Commit to working cooperatively with others and valuing their knowledge and expertise.
Positive Role Models / Model the Values of the School in a positive and consistent fashion and act as mentors to younger students.
Value community and proud to contribute / Have high standards of behaviour and actively contribute to the programs of the School.
Care and support for each other / Work together to create a happy, safe and caring School community.
Achievement / High Expectations / Challenge and assist each other to achieve our best.
Set goals and take risks / Act on the goals we set for our learning in a positive and constructive fashion.
Seek feedback to reflect and improve / Listen to and act in a positive manner to feedback about our learning.
Celebrate our successes / Acknowledge the achievements of other students in all walks of School life.
Respect / Listen to one another with an open mind / Listen to, and appreciate other points of view in a non - critical manner, even if we don’t necessarily agree.
Value our diversity / Work as a team in a supportive and cooperative manner.
Treat everyone with honesty and empathy / Treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves.
Take responsibility for our actions / Learn from our mistakes and are honest in accepting responsibility for our actions and behaviour.
Life Long Learning / Open minded and flexible with our learning / Be open to new ideas and ways of learning.
Inquisitive and seek out new knowledge and skills / Take an active role in our learning and are receptive to working and learning together in different ways.
Enterprise, initiative and creative abilities / Be open to exploring different ways of overcoming obstacles to our learning.
Not afraid of making mistakes and constantly seek to improve / Learn from our mistakes and setbacks and continually seek to improve.

Sherbrooke Community School Council have developed the following non – negotiable behaviours to operate within the School:

  • We treat others with respect, understanding, compassion, honesty and tolerance.
  • We respect the rights of others to express points of view different to our own in a non - critical or judgmental manner.
  • Through a positive attitude, we work co-operatively with the School to resolve problems, noting the responsibility of both parties to act with fairness and consistency when issues arise.

SCHOOL VALUES / VALUE DESCRIPTORS / SHERBROOKE PARENTS WILL:
Community / Collaborate and share / Commit to working cooperatively with all members of the School community.
Positive Role Models /  Commit to working cooperatively with all members of the School community.
Value community and proud to contribute / Actively seek ways to be personally involved in the life of the School.
Care and support for each other / Treat all members of the School community with empathy and compassion. We promote the positive relationship between the student, family and the school as being important to the child’s wellbeing.
Achievement / High Expectations / Challenge and support their child so they can achieve their personal best in everything they do.
Set goals and take academic risks / Focus on building a strong and supportive partnership with the School based on trust and respect.
Seek feedback to reflect and improve / Communicate with the School in a positive, timely and proactive fashion if issues arise.
Celebrate our successes / Be actively involved in the learning of their children and celebrate the successes of our School.
Respect / Listen to one another with an open mind / Listen to, and appreciate other points of view in a non - critical manner, even if we don’t necessarily agree.
Value our diversity / Interact with each other in an inclusive fashion with care, understanding, tolerance and respect.
Treat everyone with honesty and empathy / Treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves.
Take responsibility for our actions / Learn from our mistakes and accept responsibility for our behaviour.
Life Long Learning / Open minded and flexible with our learning / Be open to new ideas and different approaches to learning.
Inquisitive and seek out new knowledge and skills / Seek ways to display interest and stay engaged with the education of their children.
Enterprise, initiative and creative abilities / Explore different ways and opportunities to support the vision and goals of the School.
Not afraid of making mistakes and constantly seek to improve / Strengthen our community by acknowledging learning from our mistakes

Sherbrooke Community School staff have developed the following non – negotiable behaviours to operate within the School:

  • We treat others with care, courtesy, cooperation, honesty, tolerance and non - discriminatory behaviour.
  • We act with professionalism at all times with respect to our actions, appearance, comments and performance as reflected by VIT Standards.
  • We demonstrate enthusiasm and commitment to our teaching programs, teams and School.
  • Through a positive attitude, we instil a sense of pride, passion and fun to our work.

SCHOOL VALUES / VALUE DESCRIPTORS / SHERBROOKE STAFF WILL:
Community / Collaborate and share / Commit to working cooperatively with others and valuing their knowledge and expertise.
Positive Role Models / Model the values and implement the policies of the School in a positive and consistent fashion.
Value community and proud to contribute / Seek ways to engage the community with the School and the classroom.
Care and support for each other / Take an active interest in the wellbeing of our students and support our colleagues.
Achievement / High Expectations / Challenge and assist each other to achieve our best.
Set goals and take risks / Be willing to try new approaches in our classes to maximise student learning outcomes for all.
Seek feedback to reflect and improve / Use data to monitor and discuss the progress of our students and our teaching practices.
Celebrate our successes / Seek opportunities to acknowledge the achievements and positive work of our students and staff.
Respect / Listen to one another with an open mind / Listen to, and appreciate other points of view in a non - critical manner, even if we don’t necessarily agree.
Value our diversity / Interact with each other with empathy, understanding and tolerance.
Treat everyone with honesty and empathy / Treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves.
Take responsibility for our actions / Learn from our mistakes and accept responsibility for our behaviour.
Life Long Learning / Open minded and flexible with our learning / Be open to new ideas through professional learning opportunities.
Inquisitive and seek out new knowledge and skills / Build capacity by seeking out, and keeping abreast of best practices.
Enterprise, initiative and creative abilities / Explore working in different ways and be willing to share knowledge and expertise with others.
Not afraid of making mistakes and constantly seek to improve. / Actively use the Annual Review process and other opportunities to build capacity and improve performance.

All areas of Sherbrooke Community School are teaching and learning environments. We consider behaviour management to be an opportunity for valuable social learning as well as a means of maximising the success of academic education programs.

Our School actions and consequences plan seeks to facilitate positive behaviours, prevent problem behaviour and respond to unacceptable behaviours. Shared expectations for student behaviour are promoted and assist the learning community at Sherbrooketo create and maintain a safe and productive teaching and learning environment. ALL school community members have clear and consistent expectations and understandings of their role in the educational process.