BRIEF DESCRIPTION
Hopetown School provides special education services to students living within the Central Coast
Region . The school's purpose is to provide on-campus programs (Primary Unit K – 6 and Secondary
Unit Year 7 to 12) for students with emotional disturbance and whose special needs cannot be
adequately met in regular school settings.
Programming in all Key Learning Areas enables students to potentially achieve a credential that best
meets their learning needs and abilities.
For all students enrolled at the school, our aim is to develop skills to negotiate the world around them
and equip themselves for adult life. We aim to develop student positive self-image, gaining confidence
in their ability to operate as a self-managing individual, and to cope with difficult life circumstances.
We seek to equip young people with a diverse range of skills for meaningful and participation in the
life of the community.
The primary purpose of enrolment at Hopetown School is the development of student emotional
literacy, i.e. self awareness, self regulation, social skills, empathy and motivation. The school
has a strong emphasis on student welfare with a range of programs designed to meet the specific
learning needs of our students. The development of basic skills including literacy, numeracy and
vocational competencies are a major priority.
The development of Individual Behaviour, Education and Transition Plans assist students to attain
appropriate and achievable personal goals in conjunction with a range of innovative class / group
programs. Staff work in a team-focused environment where decision making is collaborative and
where staff support is actively implemented to ensure staff welfare is maintained.
1.2
THERAPEUTIC SUPPORT & BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT
Hopetown fosters a THERAPEUTIC ENVIRONMENT defined as a stable, supportive and coherent
social environment that teaches, models and reinforces constructive interaction.
Functional components of a Therapeutic Environment are:
 Containment – reducing the risk of physical or psychological harm in order to sustain and
promote student and staff well-being. A priority is the minimisation of the levels of student
agitation or distress.
 Support - staff are empathetic and assist students with strategies to promote resilience and with
opportunities for risk-taking in a controlled and supportive environment.
 Structure – where possible, routine and predictability are maintained; consequences are certain,
logical, natural or focused on restitution.
 Involvement – programmes are designed to engage students, to promote their sense of
belonging and their opportunities for decision-making within the school community.
 Validation – the individuality of each student’s needs, interests and abilities is recognised.
Hopetown’s Therapeutic Environment is supported by behaviour management interventions that focus
on teaching self-management skills that students may use to control their own lives and to deal
effectively with present and future challenges.
Hopetown’s behaviour management interventions usually follow the principles of Cognitive
Behaviourism, namely;
 Thinking processes can help both teachers and students control their own emotions, behaviour,
stress levels and personal effectiveness.
 Thinking influences emotions which influence behaviour.
 Consequences for behaviour can in turn influence thinking which will influence emotions which
influence behaviour and so on.
 Teachers can help students identify their own thoughts and feelings, connect them to their
behaviours and consequences and consider more positive alternatives.
 Cognitive restructuring can contribute to students’ mental health. It teaches students how to
change their thinking by challenging their inaccurate beliefs.
 People can make choices about their behaviour.
 Self-efficacy is a belief that what happens in one’s life is due to one’s own behaviour (internal
locus of control). This can be developed in students.
 Self-awareness can lead to self-regulation.
 Motivation to self-regulate is best reinforced by relevant tasks, intrinsic rewards and a gradual
reduction in extrinsic rewards.
 Students can become independent in managing their own behaviour rather than having others
managing it for them.
 It is not enough for the student to behave appropriately when the teacher is present; they must
also be able to do so when the teacher is not around.
Discipline is used to:
1. ensure the physical and emotional well-being of students and staff,
2. create order so learning can occur,
3. promote self-discipline in the form of internalised compliance and
4. encourage self-awareness and self-regulation.
A COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURIST MODEL
Effective settings, thoughts, feelings, consequences and triggers are related to observed behaviours.
Staff can assist students to become aware of this model in the context of daily events and provide
skills to increase self-awareness and self-regulation.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
TRIGGER
CONSEQUENCE,
or RESPONSE
BEHAVIOUR
EFFECTIVE SETTINGS
Impact of recent or ongoing events
Family and care issues
History of the behaviour
Skill strengths & deficits
Physical, psychological, medical status
Cognitive processing patterns
Beliefs, worldview
EFFECTIVE
SETTINGS
Impetus
Teacher
response
E
STRESS
Extinguish
behaviour/
Defuse stress
level
Effective
Settings
Reinforce
behaviour/
Escalate stress
levels
THOUGHTS
FEELING
EMOTION
MOTIVATION
VALUES & PURPOSE
We actively promote the NSW DET’s “core values” (2004) along with the Commonwealth’s
“values for Australian schooling” (2004).
These values are incorporated into Hopetown’s 3 expectations (rules):
* Be Safe
*Be Respectful
*Be Responsible
The Hopetown School community recognises that the following core values underpin school
decision making around the development of the broader curriculum:
Resilience: developing a range of coping strategies and self-management qualities
such as: recognising strengths and maximising potential; personal responsibility,
perseverance and self- discipline
Connectedness: actively developing a sense of belonging to, participating in and
caring for the school and the wider community
Achievement: pursuing and promoting individual endeavour and displaying pride
and satisfaction in personal achievement
Creativity: valuing original ideas and recognising enterprise and innovation
Responsibility: accountability for individual actions towards yourself, others and the
community
Integrity: being consistently honest and trustworthy
Equity: accepting and promoting tolerance, acknowledging diversity and respecting
differences.
HOPETOWN PROGRAM FOCUS
Hopetown School’s primary focus is to support students with emotional / social difficulties
to develop personal and social competences (emotional literacy) whilst adopting the
above core values.
Students attending Hopetown have usually exhausted other educational options and
adaptive strategies. The first stage of our role is to ensure that through the range of
programs offered students will be able to develop necessary skills and identify goals that
best suit their learning needs.
In some cases students will require other support placement options due to the
programmes and support offered not being able to meet their current specific learning
and support needs. These alternatives are from two broad categories : 1. Other
Agencies and; 2. Home Schooling.
Other students can be supported at Hopetown until they are post - compulsory age (17
years) where there is a range of more suitable community - based training options.
PROGRAM LINKAGES
Work Skills
Engaging, Activity
- Based Learning
Healthy Lifestyle
Attendance &
Engagement
Recognition &
Reward for effort
Values Education
Development of
Emotional Literacy
Literacy &
Numeracy
Social & Personal
Competencies
Problem Solving
Strategies
Living Skills
HOPETOWN SCHOOL FRAMEWORK
PURPOSE: Hopetown School has a primary purpose to provide opportunities for the Social and
Emotional Learning (SEL) of students by:
 supporting students in their development of the Emotional Literacy competences of selfawareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy & social skills.
 providing students with opportunities to experience success in academic, social,
recreational and vocational areas and to have that success acknowledged.

developing in students the foundations of success and happiness, namely, confidence,
persistence, organisation, getting along and resilience. (You Can Do It!)
VALUES: The Hopetown School community identifies values that closely align with the NSW DoE’s “core
values” and the Commonwealth’s “shared values”. Hopetown School believes that the following two
conditions are required for these values to be taught:
Connectedness - developing a sense of community and belonging. Positive involvement in
programs at Hopetown
Resilience
- developing sel- management, self-confidence & self-respect and nurturing
optimism, perseverance & well-being.
EXPECTATIONS:
* BE SAFE
* BE RESPECTFUL
* BE RESPONSIBLE
THE NSW DoE CORE RULES
Core Values in NSW Public
Schools
Integrity
Excellence
Respect
Responsibility
Cooperation
Participation
Care
Fairness
Democracy
All students in NSW government
schools are expected to:
• Attend every school day and be in
class on time and prepared to learn.
• Maintain a neat appearance.
• Behave safely, considerately and
responsibly
• Show respect at all times for
teachers, other school staff and
helpers
• Treat one another with dignity and
respect.
• Care for property
Behaviour that infringes on the safety
of others will not be tolerated.
LEARNING & TEACHING

Learning Environment

Student Learning

Teacher Learning

Programme Planning
& Implementation

Assessment &
Reporting
SCHOOL CULTURE
Expectations:
*BE SAFE *BE RESPECTFUL
*BE RESPONSIBLE


Developing Emotional
Literacy
Building Positive
Relationships

Positive Expectations

Safe and Supportive
Environment

Celebrating Effort and
Achievement
Commonwealth Values
Care and Compassion
Doing your best
Fair Go
Freedom
Honesty &
Trustworthiness
Integrity
Respect
Responsibility
Understanding, Tolerance
and Inclusion
MANAGEMENT, PLANNING
& LEADERSHIP

Measurable student
outcome targets

Focus on continued
school improvement

Restorative management
& support

Staff management and
support using
collaborative decision
making

Accountability and
positive connections with
the school community
Hopetown School’s Social Emotional Learning Framework
Purpose: To develop student Emotional Literacy in 5 domains :
SELF AWARNESS, SELF REGULATION, MOTIVATION, EMPATHY AND SOCIAL SKILLS
 Emotional well-being
 Success in school life
 Positive relationships and social responsibility
3 POSITIVE GOALS
▲
GETTING
ALONG
ORGANISATION PERSISTENCE CONFIDENCE
RESILIENCE
5 FOUNDATIONS
▲
ACCEPTING
MYSELF
TAKING RISKS
BEING
INDEPENDENT
I CAN DO IT
WORKING TOUGH
GIVING EFFORT
SETTING GOALS
PLANNING MY
TIME
BEING TOLERANT
OF OTHERS
THINKING FIRST
PLAYING
BY THE RULES
SOCIAL
RERPONSIBILITY
9 Values: Care & Compassion, Doing your Best, Fair Go, Honesty & Trustworthiness,
Freedom, Integrity, Responsibility, Respect & Understanding, Tolerance & Inclusion.
12 POSITIVE HABITS OF THE MIND
Promotes
Hopetown
Discourages
SELF DOWNING
NEEDING TO BE
PERFECT
NEEDINDG
APPORVAL
I CAN’T DO IT
I CAN ‘T BE BOTHERED
GIVING UP
HAVING NO GOALS
PLANNING TIME
POORLY
BEING INTOLERANT
OF OTHERS
ACTING WITHOUT
THINKING
BEING INTOLERANT
OF LIMITS
SOCIAL
IRRESPONSIBILITY
12 NEGATIVE HABITS OF THE MIND
▼
5 BLOCKERS
ANGER,
POOR FOCUS, PROCRASTINATION,
ANXIETY,
DEPRESSION,
MISBEHAVING DISTURBING
HELPLESSNESS
LACKING
POOR COPING
OTHERS
CONFIDENCE
SKILLS
▼
3 Negative outcomes
 Poor mental health
 Under-achievement
 Poor relationships
Reference: You Can Do It!
You Can Do It! and Emotional Literacy
EMOTIONAL
LITERACY
DIMENSIONS
SELF
AWARENESS
SELF
REGULATION
EMPATHY
MOTIVATION
GETTING
ALONG
GETTING
ALONG
YOU CAN DO IT
ORGANISATION
ORGANISATION
FOUNDATIONS
PERSISTENCE
PERSISTENCE
CONFIDENCE
CONFIDENCE
RESILIENCE
Being tolerant of
others
CONFIDENCE
RESILIENCE
RESILIENCE
Being tolerant of
others
SOCIAL
SKILLS
**Social
responsibility
**Social
responsibility
Playing by the
rules
Playing by the
rules
Thinking first
Thinking first
Being tolerant of
others
Being tolerant of
others
Being tolerant of
others
Planning my time
Planning my time
Setting goals
Setting goals
Giving effort
Giving effort
Working tough
Working tough
Working tough
I can do it
I can do it
I can do it
I can do it
Being independent
Being independent
Being independent
Being independent
Taking risks
Taking risks
Taking risks
Taking risks
Accepting myself
Accepting myself
Accepting myself
Accepting myself
YOU CAN DO IT
POSITIVE
HABITS OF
MIND
**Nine values of Good Character:
*Care & Compassion,
*Honesty & Trustworthiness,
*Responsibility,
*Tolerance & Inclusion.
*Doing your Best,
*Fair Go,
*Freedom,
*Integrity,
*Respect & Understanding,
HOPETOWN STUDENT PATHWAYS
Student with social / emotional difficulties enrols at Hopetown School - the primary
purpose of enrolment is the development of student emotional literacy, i.e. selfawareness, self-regulation, social skills, empathy & motivation.
Goals Identified: ongoing monitoring & review
P
R
O
G
R
A
M
S
Literacy & Numeracy
Work & Social Skills
Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Personal Development,
Health & Physical Education Including Sport & Leisure
Science & TechnologyLiteracy
/ Environmental Education
Creative Arts
Human Society & its Environment inc.Civics & Citizenship
Languages / Aboriginal Education
DEVELOP STUDENT’S
EMOTIONAL LITERACY
Individual Education Plans (and PLP’s)
Individual Behaviour Support Plans
Individual Transition Plans
Risk Management Plans
P
L
A
N
S
Home
Schooling
/ Other
Agencies
Re-integrate
to a
Mainstream
School
Continue at
Hopetown
School
Employment
or pre –
employment
training
Enrol at
another
Specialised
Setting
After completing Year 10:
1. Leave school for employment or vocational training (min. 25 hours/week) or
2. Continue at school – (leaving age, 17 years old)
Re-integrate
to a
Mainstream
School
HSC Life
Skills &
VET
Studies
Employment
or pre –
employment
training
Employment or and/or vocational training