Wellbeing

At our school, student wellbeing and learning go hand in hand. We want every student to feel safe, included and ready to learn. Whether your child needs help with their mental, emotional, social or physical wellbeing, we are here to help them thrive at school and in daily life.

How we support student wellbeing

Supporting each student’s mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing is part of everyday school life.

We do this through:

teachers who help students feel welcome and included
access to school counsellors, school psychologists and specialist staff
programs that support health, social skills, attendance and positive behaviour
help for students who are new or changing year levels
clear expectations for behaviour and respectful relationships
staff who get to know each child and work closely with families
developing health care plans for students
open communication about wellbeing and support.

Restorative practice and student wellbeing

Restorative Practices form the relational basis for Quality Teaching and Learning at Riverbank Public School. Our Restorative practice framework, because of its explicit nature, offers a common language and practice capable of fostering healthy relationships.

Student achievement is enhanced through Restorative values being embedded as a way of being and learning together. Our approach fosters individual responsibility and helps develop empathy. Inappropriate behaviour or choices and mistakes can be viewed as an opportunity for insight, learning and development in both the academic and social domains.

The explicit Restorative framework is inextricably linked to the Quality Teaching Framework and includes the following sets of questions to be asked by children, teachers and parents.

Wellbeing Policy and Student Behaviour Support and Management Plan - Wellbeing Policy

When things go wrong

What happened?
What were you thinking of at the time?
What have you thought about since?
Who has been affected by what you have done? In what way?
What do you think you may do to make things right?

When someone has been hurt

What did you think when you realised what happened?
What impact has this incident had on you and others?
What has been the hardest thing for you?
What do think needs to happen to make things right?

The process is empowering as it takes people from the past to the present and gives them hope for the future. It empowers them to make things right and heal any harm that has been done.

A restorative classroom setting is one that values dialogue through an inclusive approach where everyone expects to be heard and through this participatory process students develop the capacity to learn that emotions are an important and legitimate expression of healthy dialogue.

This process helps students to deal with conflict, tensions and difference in respectful ways that engender trust and foster healthy relationships