Doncaster Gardens Primary School is committed to providing a safe, secure and stimulating learning environment for all students. We understand that students reach their full potential only when they are happy, healthy and safe, and that a positive school culture helps to engage students and support them in their learning. Our school acknowledges that student wellbeing and student learning outcomes are closely linked.

Doncaster Gardens Primary School has established shared values and a common language that sets out expectations for each student’s involvement in the school.

Our values are:

• Compassion - displaying empathy for others and a desire to help.
• Courage - the ability to face difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear or being deflected from a chosen course of action.
• Curiosity - a desire to know or learn something.
• Creativity - the ability to use the imagination to develop new and original ideas or things.

Doncaster Gardens Primary School has developed a range of strategies to promote engagement, an inclusive and safe environment, positive behaviour, and respectful relationships for all students in our school. We recognise the importance of student friendships and peer support in helping children and students feel safe and less isolated. We acknowledge that some students may need extra social, emotional or educational support at school, and that the needs of students will change over time as they grow and learn.

Doncaster Gardens Primary School implements a range of strategies that support and promote individual engagement.

These can include:

• building constructive relationships with students at risk or students who are vulnerable due to complex individual circumstances

• meeting with student and their parent/carer to talk about how best to help the student engage with school

• developing an Individual Learning Plan and/or a Behaviour Support Plan

• considering if any environmental changes need to be made, for example changing the classroom set up

• referring the student to:

·       school-based wellbeing supports

·       Student Support Services

·       Appropriate external supports such as council based youth and family services, other allied health professionals, headspace, child and adolescent mental health services or ChildFirst

Where necessary the school will support the student’s family to engage by:

• being responsive and sensitive to changes in the student’s circumstances and health and wellbeing

• collaborating, where appropriate and with the support of the student and their family, with any external allied health professionals, services or agencies that are supporting the student.

The following is a list of programs/activities which promote positive behaviours and high student engagement at Doncaster Gardens PS:

• Start Up program (beginning of the year)
• Circle Time
• Restorative Practices
• Year level Assemblies
• Buddies (Year 5)
• Resilience Project
• Respectful Relationships
• Encouragement Awards
• Aussie of the Month
• Lunchtime clubs
• Wellbeing Webs
• Yard buddies and Peer mediators (students)
• Student Counsellor on site five days per week
• Wellbeing support and small groups to target skill building