Oak Valley Anangu School
Discipline Policy
Including – Anti-bullying
– Sexual Harassment
This document also outlines Oak Valley Anangu Schools Anti-bullying and
Sexual Harassment policies.
The School Discipline Policy has as its objective the establishment and
maintenance of positive learning communities which increases student
responsibility and student learning. Oak Valley operates within the DECS
Discipline Policy for schools.
To do this Oak Valley Anangu School will:
 Provide opportunities and support for students to experience success.
 Develop in students an acceptance of responsibility for their own
behaviour.
 Staff, parents, care-givers and students will: 1. Work together to create safe, caring, orderly and productive
learning environments which support the rights of all students to
learn and of all teachers to teach.
2. Develop behaviour codes in partnership with the community to
manage student behaviour in partnership with students and their
families.
Whole School Rules
 Listen to the Teacher/AEW and School Staff
 Be Friendly
 Do Your Work
 Look After Your School
 Be Safe
Oak Valley Anangu School – Discipline Policy
Reviewed March 2011
Have your rules clearly displayed in the class. Positively reinforce appropriate
behaviour by class or individual behaviour success charts.
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By approaching behaviour with whole school consistency there is a
greater chance for success.
There is flexibility for classes to negotiate their own class rules that fit
the whole school rules.
Rules are clear and easy to understand.
Consequences of Responsible Behaviour
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Assembly Awards under “RULES” categories
Well planned incentive systems within each individual class eg: music,
reward lessons, computer time, and special privileges.
Consequences of Irresponsible Behaviour
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In the first instance consequences should be instigated within the
Classroom including a record in the blue book. If behaviour persists
child is exited to work in the office. For higher level inappropriate
behaviour, the child is taken home.
Teacher is required to detail incident on Behaviour Incident sheet. The
incident sheet is to be filed in student file to be discussed at a later date
Following a child being exited, time is made for Principal, Teacher, AEW,
care-giver and student to discuss behaviour.
This is to happen ASAP.
For students who continue to behave inappropriately, a Student
Development Plan will be established which identifies:
Learning Goal
Behaviour Goals
Indicators of successful strategies and responsibilities
Monitoring and reviewing processes
Consequences of meeting goals
Consequences of not meeting goals
Incident Sheets – filed in the Student File and entered with the EDSAS
Behaviour Data Base
Re-entry after discussions with teacher and stakeholders
If a student is suspended 4 times in a year or the behaviour is serious, the
Interagency Student Behaviour Management Service is contacted.
DECS procedures are to be followed when a child is suspended, excluded or
expelled.
The procedures are outlined in the School Discipline Policy Implementation
Booklet. This booklet is in the school office.
Oak Valley Anangu School – Discipline Policy
Reviewed March 2011
EXPLANATION OF SUSPENSION, EXCLUSION & EXCLUSION
SUSPENSION
A student may be suspended if the Principal has reasonable grounds to
believe that he or she:
 Has threatened or perpetrated violence.
 Has acted in a way which threatens the good order of the school by
persistently refusing to accept the school’s behaviour code
 Has acted illegally
 Has acted in a manner which threatens the safety or well being of a
student or member of staff through sexual or racist harassment, verbal
abuse, bullying or any other means
 Is interfering with the rights of teachers to teach and of students to learn
 Shows persistent and wilful inattention or indifference to school work
Initially a student may be suspended for a period of up to five days to allow
teachers, parents and students to work together to enable a successful return
to school.
Example of behaviour which may result in suspension
Rock throwing at people or buildings
Abuse of teaching or learning rights
Smoking
Verbal abuse
EXCLUSION
A student will generally be excluded rather than suspended if the Principal
believes the student’s irresponsible behaviour is severe enough or frequent
enough for a stronger response to be used. A student may be excluded from
school for between four and ten weeks or for the remainder of a term or
semester (for students 15 years or older).
Before an exclusion is decided upon, a conference is held so that the student,
parents or care-givers and the school can discuss the student’s behaviour,
and so that the Principal can make a final decision about the exclusion. A
student development plan will be negotiated at this time. An Interagency
Student Behaviour Management Coordinator or another worker from the
Department’s regional services may attend the conference. The student,
parents and care-givers may invite friends or other support people to attend
this conference.
The right to appeal against the exclusion is explained at the conference.
Oak Valley Anangu School – Discipline Policy
Reviewed March 2011
At the end of a period of exclusion, a student will take part in a supervised reentry to school if the goals of the exclusion have been met. If the goals of the
exclusion have not been met, the exclusion may be extended. Appeal rights
also apply in this situation.
EXPULSION
Only students aged fifteen years or more may be expelled. A student will be
expelled if the Principal believes the student’s inappropriate behaviour is
severe enough or frequent enough for a very strong response to be used.
Expulsion from a single school.
Expulsion from a single school means that the student may not attend that
school for up to eighteen months.
Procedures are similar to those for exclusion. Any appeal is to the Chief
Executive.
When a student is expelled from a school, a placement will be arranged at
another school if possible.
Expulsion from all Government Schools and Department facilities
A student may be expelled from all government schools and Department of
Education, Training and Employment facilities, for between one and five years
if the Chief Executive accepts a Principal’s recommendation of expulsion.
Any appeal is to the Minister for Education, Children’s Services and Training.
Oak Valley Anangu School – Discipline Policy
Reviewed March 2011
SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ANTI-BULLYING
Oak Valley Anangu School uses the National Safe Schools Framework
(NSSF) in our Anti-Bullying Policy. The National Safe Schools Framework
identifies nine key elements to assist schools in planning, implementing and
maintaining a safe, supportive and protective learning community that
promotes student safety and wellbeing. These are:
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Leadership commitment to a safe school
A supportive and connected school culture
Policies and procedures
Professional learning
Positive behaviour management
Engagement, skill development and safe school curriculum
A focus on student wellbeing and student ownership
Early intervention and targeted support
Partnerships with families and community.
Definitions
The following definitions of terms were agreed by the Safe and Supportive
Schools Communities Management Group, which is a national committee
supported by the Ministerial Council for Education,
Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEEDYA) with
representatives from all Australian
education jurisdictions.
Bullying
Bullying is repeated verbal, physical or social 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. Conflict or fights between equals and single
incidents are not regarded as bullying. Bullying in any form or for any reason
can have long-term effects on those involved, including bystanders.
Discrimination
Discrimination occurs when people are treated less favourably than others
because of their race, culture or ethnic origin; religion; physical characteristics;
gender; sexual orientation; marital, parenting or economic status; age; and/or
ability or disability. Discrimination is often ongoing and commonly involves
exclusion or rejection.
Oak Valley Anangu School – Discipline Policy
Reviewed March 2011
Harassment
Harassment is behaviour that targets an individual or group due to their
identity, race, culture or ethnic origin; religion; physical characteristics; gender;
sexual orientation; marital, parenting or economic status; age; and/or ability or
disability, and that offends, humiliates, intimidates or creates a hostile
environment. Harassment may be an ongoing pattern of behaviour, or it may
be a single act.
Violence
Violence is the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual,
against another person/s that results in psychological harm, injury or in some
cases death. Violence may involve provoked or unprovoked acts and can be a
single incident, a random act or can occur over time.
Cyber-bullying
Cyber-bullying is bullying which uses e-technology as a means of victimising
others. It is the use of an internet service or mobile technologies—such as email, chat room discussion groups, instant messaging, web pages or SMS
(text messaging)—with the intention of harming another person. examples
include communications that seek to intimidate, control, manipulate, put down
or humiliate the recipient.
DECD sexual harassment definition
Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual conduct which makes a person
(male or female, of the same or opposite gender, same-sex attracted, bisexual
or transgender) feel offended, humiliated and/or intimidated, where that
reaction to the conduct is reasonable in the circumstances. Sexual
harassment can be a single incident, repeated or continuous, direct or
indirect, and take various forms.
Sexual harassment is a legally recognised form of sex discrimination.
Behaviour of a sexual nature based on mutual attraction, friendship and
respect, which is welcome or invited, consensual and reciprocal, does not
constitute sexual harassment.
Discussion regarding definitions
The terms harassment and bullying are often used interchangeably.
Harassment however, involves the
targeting of an individual due to him/her belonging to a particular social group.
DECD recommends that both terms are included in an anti-bullying policy,
using the nationally-agreed definitions. Gaining agreement about a definition
is often difficult to achieve. This is why it is recommended that schools use the
definitions above. The following examples could be added to the schools antibullying policy in order to clarify the types of behaviour that the school will not
accept.
Oak Valley Anangu School – Discipline Policy
Reviewed March 2011
Examples of bullying
Physical: hitting, pushing, touching, grabbing, looks,
expressions, gestures, spitting, taking or damaging property
stares,
facial
Verbal or written: spoken or written insults, threats, suggestive comments,
name-calling, unfair criticism, spreading rumours
Cyber: using e-mail, voice and text messaging, social networking sites,
photographic and video images
Graffiti: using pictures, tags or words
Social: forming groups to leave out, ignore and disrespect; influencing,
encouraging or organising someone else to be involved in any type of bullying
or harassment.
Examples of sexual harassment
Unwelcome touching, hugging, kissing, brushing up against a person, staring
or leering
Suggestive comments or jokes; sexually explicit pictures, screen savers,
posters, graffiti, letters,
messages, magazines or any other visual or written medium
Unwelcome invitations to go out on dates
Requests for sex
Inappropriate and intrusive personal questions about a person’s private life or
his/her body
Insults, taunts, teasing or name calling of a sexual nature; or sexually explicit
conversation
Accessing sexually explicit internet sites
Offensive telephone calls, letters, e-mails or mobile phone text messages
Posting filmed or photographed images or comments on social networking
sites
Behaviour that may constitute a criminal offence under criminal law and
reportable to the police,
such as physical or indecent assault, stalking, obscene communications, and
sexual assault.
Oak Valley Anangu School – Discipline Policy
Reviewed March 2011
Contacts:
Oak Valley Anangu School: 08 8670 4205
Anangu Education Services: 08 8359 4626
Port Augusta District Education Office: 08 8641 6877
Oak Valley Anangu School – Discipline Policy
Reviewed March 2011