Wellbeing & Inclusion

School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS)

We are committed to fostering an environment where our values empower our students to excel academically and personally while becoming responsible, compassionate, and engaged members of society. Our school values are Be Safe, Be a Learner, Be Respectful & Be Kind.

These values are widely displayed and explicitly taught to all students in all classrooms – beginning in Prep, continuing across the grade levels and extending to all Specialist subjects. This ensures a consistent and predictable understanding for all members of our school community.

For more information about SWPBS, please refer to the Barton Primary School SWPBS Handbooks below:

Teaching Expected Behaviours

The ‘hidden’ social curriculum that requires students to observe and figure out what is expected creates confusion and inefficiencies leading to unexpected behaviour. Traditionally, teaching social behaviour has consisted of stating the rule, expecting students to always follow the rule and then providing negative consequences when the rule was not followed. Using this approach to teach academics – for example, teaching the maths formulas to calculate the area of a square and then isolating a student who did not remember the rule – would not be considered an effective instructional approach. Our SWPBS Matrix of Expectations can be considered our social behaviour curriculum. Changing behaviour requires time and commitment and a consistent approach. To support that, our reinforcements are school wide, our expectations are school wide, and the responsibility to uphold and reinforce these expectations is school wide. Expectations are taught simultaneously across the school to support our ‘Value of the Week’, and are linked to a higher rate of reinforcement (two Dojo points instead of the usual one).

Please refer to the Matrix of Expectations for a full list of the Barton Primary School expected behaviours.

Ready To Learn

Ready to Learn is a Tier 1 program that runs during the first two weeks of a new school year and the first week of each term, aimed at laying the foundations for learning and classroom culture. It includes collaboration and teamwork, professional relationship building between students and staff, reviewing Child Safe practices, introducing the Zones of Regulation and teaching social behaviours. For initial skill acquisition of social behaviours, lesson plans are created using the instructional model of ‘Tell, Show, Practice’. As students work towards generalising the behaviour skill to other settings, they are provided ongoing support or scaffolding with:

• Pre-corrects
• Reminders
• Active supervision
• Observational feedback.

Lesson content in Ready to Learn is primarily guided by the age of the students and their prior learning histories. Our staff use a variety of resources, scaffolds and teaching strategies to help students become fluent with procedures, routines and specific behavioural skills. Examples might include:

• Role playing and rehearsal
• Playing games that include use of the skill
• Watching videos of examples and non-examples
• Drawing images of the skills in practice at school

Positive Acknowledgement System

When a behaviour is followed by a positive consequence (i.e. reinforcement), then that behaviour is more likely to occur again in the future. At our school, students are extrinsically motivated using Class Dojo as the positive acknowledgement system. Class Dojo points are given out to students to reinforce the whole school values when expected behaviours are displayed. It refers to the Matrix of Expectations within all areas of our schools grounds and community. The use of Class Dojo extends across the school, and students are encouraged to make the link between their behaviour and the earning of points by adding on the points themselves. Once students have earned a certain amount of points they can redeem these points for rewards.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

At Barton Primary school, we acknowledge that a culture of learning stems from students having the necessary social and emotional skills to flourish in a school environment. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (pictured) explains that for students to reach their full potential, their basic needs must first be met.

Through SEL, students at our school develop resilience and emotion management, and learn how to build positive relationships while navigating challenges. This, in turn, allows them to better engage in school life and access the learning. Our SEL curriculum is supported by several programs and initiatives (Zones of Regulation, the eSmart Program and Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships) and is guided by and adapted to the needs presented within cohorts.

A core belief of the Zones of Regulation is that ‘all the Zones are okay’. People routinely experience several of the Zones across a day. We believe it’s critically important that we not convey the message that the Green Zone is the only acceptable Zone to be in. We acknowledge, accept, and support all emotions, and never make anyone feel like the Green Zone is the norm. The Zones of Regulation is not a behaviour management system or discipline model and at Barton Primary School we do not treat it as such.

The skills taught in the ZoR curriculum include:

• Vocabulary of emotional terms 
• How to recognise their own emotions 
• How to detect the emotions of others (read others’ facial expressions) 
• What may trigger certain emotions 
• How others may interpret their behaviour 
• Problem solving skills
• Self-regulation

For more information about the Zones of Regulation by Leah M. Kuypers, please view the website. 

Resilience, Rights & Respectful Relationships (RRRR)

At Barton Primary School, we are committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environment for all students. As part of this commitment, we deliver the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR) curriculum, a Victorian Government initiative designed to support students’ social emotional learning and development of positive relationship skills. RRRR is a government-mandated curriculum that focuses on:

• Emotional literacy – recognising and understanding our own and others’ emotions

• Personal & cultural strengths – identifying character strengths to promote wellbeing

• Positive coping – developing practical strategies to manage challenges

• Problem-solving – building skills to resolve personal and social issues

• Stress management – recognising stress and learning strategies to manage it

• Help-seeking – knowing when and how to ask for help

• Gender and identity – promoting respect and equality for all individuals

• Positive gender relations – encouraging fairness and mutual respect

This curriculum is age-appropriate, evidence-based, and supports children’s wellbeing by equipping them with the tools to form respectful relationships, understand themselves and others, and contribute positively to their communities.

We understand that families may have questions. For further information from the Victorian Government, please visit:

• What Respectful Relationships Looks Like in a Primary School

• Evidence for Respectful Relationships Education

• RRRR Curriculum – Addressing Common Myths

If you have further questions or would like to discuss how the RRRR curriculum is implemented at Barton Primary, please contact our office.

For examples of the lessons being taught in the classroom, please use the following links to access the RRRR lesson plans:

• Prep: Foundation Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships
• Grades 1 & 2: Level 1-2 Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships
• Grades 3 & 4: Level 3-4 Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships
• Grades 5 & 6: Level 5-6 Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships

Inclusion

Inclusion at Barton Primary School is a collective responsibility that goes beyond simply addressing disabilities; it involves meeting the diverse needs of all students, parents and the wider community. The approach emphasises celebrating differences while finding ways to foster connections among everyone. Clear adjustments are made to ensure that each student has the opportunity to engage and succeed. The underlying belief is that, with appropriate support and sufficient time, every student can grow.

Disability Inclusion

Disability Inclusion is rolling out to Victorian government schools between 2021 – 2025. In 2024, Barton Primary School moved to the Disability Inclusion model – a new approach to school based funding to help us improve support for our students and build a more inclusive school. Inclusive schools have better outcomes in learning, engagement and wellbeing for all students.

Adjustments in the School Environment

At Barton Primary School, all possible actions are taken to enable all students to access and participate in school life. Adjustments reflect the assessed individual needs of the student. They can be whole school level, in the classroom or at an individual student level. Our school Inclusion Team ensures that materials and resources that support teaching and learning activities are always available. Examples of these adjustments include;

• Manipulatives
• Modified work
• Visuals
• Technology
• Sensory tools
• Extra breaks
• Calm spaces
• Additional adult support

By providing adjustments, Barton Primary School accesses and meets the functional needs of the student. This includes the impact of Communication, Mobility, Learning and Applying Knowledge, Self Care, General Tasks and Demands and Interpersonal Interactions, which link to the Disability Inclusion Profile process.

Community Hub

Welcome to the Barton Primary School Community Hub: A Place to Connect, Share, and Learn. Our Community Hub serves as a welcoming gateway for families to build connections both within our school and with the wider community while also accessing valuable support services. As part of the National Community Hubs Program, the Barton Primary School Community Hub is dedicated to supporting families, particularly mothers with pre-school children, by providing a space to connect, share experiences, and enhance their learning.

Our Focus Areas

At the heart of the Barton Primary School Community Hub are four key pillars:

• Early Childhood: We offer FREE playgroup and connect families to local early-years activities to support the growth and development of preschool children. These programs focus on enhancing children’s social skills, preparing them for school, and fostering a love of learning.

• Engagement: Our hub plays an essential role in helping families engage with both the school and the broader community, providing opportunities to build strong, supportive networks through a range of programs such as our Women’s Connection Circle.

• English: We offer migrants and refugees the opportunities to learn and practice English through both formal and informal programs. To support parents in their language learning journey, we provide free childminding, allowing parents to focus on acquiring new skills.

• Vocational Pathways: The hub provides opportunities for adults to explore vocational education and training, as well as volunteer opportunities, which help open pathways to employment. These programs empower families to enhance their skills and improve their career prospects.

Families participating in our hub can engage in a variety of activities, from playgroups and social “Coffee and Chat” sessions to language and vocational skill-building sessions. These activities are designed to improve participants’ confidence, strengthen social connections, and contribute to better educational outcomes. At Barton Primary School, we believe that a thriving partnership between families, the school, and the broader community is essential for helping children reach their fullest potential. Our Community Hub supports this partnership through innovative programs, social connections, and active parent involvement in their children’s learning.

For more information about the National Community Hubs Program, click here.