SWPBS stands for ‘School Wide Positive Behaviour Scheme’ It is a whole school approach designed to promote and maintain a safe and orderly learning environment for all students and staff. It focuses on everyone and all settings within the school and promotes a positive focus on academic and behavioural outcomes across the school. It clearly defines our core expected behaviours, which are:
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Resilience
What is SWPBS?
Essential elements of SWPBS include: (1) building a culture within the whole school that will serve as a foundation for both social and academic success, (2) emphasising early identification and prevention of problem behaviour, (3) directly teaching appropriate social skills to all students, and modifying or rearranging the school context when necessary to prevent problem behaviour, (4) using a three-tiered continuum of behaviour support practices in order to prevent problem behaviour, and (5) actively using data for decision-making. Charlton College in 2019 commenced the journey to implement SWPBS and in 2020 the College is implementing the program.
Why do we explicitly teach our Expected Behaviours?
Introducing, modelling and reinforcing positive social behaviour is an important step of a student’s educational experience. Explicitly teaching our behavioural expectations and acknowledging students for demonstrating them is key to our success.
- They are necessary skills for success in life.
- Many students arrive at school without these important skills.
- They are the basis for a positive and safe climate.
- Doing so increases opportunities to teach other skills.
When do we teach our Expected Behaviours?
- At the beginning of school year.
- Often enough to achieve and maintain fluency.
- Before times when problem behaviours tend to increase.
- Ongoing throughout the year (refresher lessons).
- At teachable moments.
How do we teach Social Behaviours?
Tell – Introduce the expected behaviours and discuss why it is important.
Show – Demonstrate and model.
Practice – Role play expected behaviours in the relevant contexts.
Monitor – Pre-correct, supervise and provide positive feedback.
Reteach – Practice throughout the day.
Where do we teach our Expected Behaviours?
- In every classroom throughout the school.
- Everywhere in the school.
- It is embedded in other school activities.