APAPDC National Safe Schools Framework

Project

Aim of the project

To assist schools with no or limited systemic support to align their policies, programs and procedures with the NSSF.

Aims of the NSSF

To assist all school communities in building safe and supportive schools where:

• bullying, harassment and violence are minimised;

• students receive support on issues related to child abuse and neglect

Session 1Unpacking the Framework

The NSSF resources

• The Framework document

• The Implementation manual

• The Resource pack

• The Appendices

• The workbook

• The websitep 7

Session 1Unpacking the Framework

• Eleven guiding principles

• Six key elements

pp 8 & 9

1

Australian schools affirm the right of all school community members to feel safe at school.

2

Australian schools promote care, respect and cooperation, and value diversity.

3

Australian schools implement policies, programmes and processes to nurture a safe and supportive school environment.

4

Australian schools recognise that quality leadership is an essential element that underpins the creation of a safe and supportive school environment.

5

Australian schools develop and implement policies and programmes through processes that engage the whole school community.

6

Australian schools ensure that roles and responsibilities of all members of the school community in promoting a safe and supportive environment are explicit, clearly understood and disseminated.

7

Australian schools recognise the critical importance of pre-service and ongoing professional development in creating a safe and supportive school environment.

8

Australian schools have a responsibility to provide opportunities for students to learn through the formal curriculum the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed for positive relationships.

9

Australian schools focus on policies that are proactive and oriented towards prevention and intervention.

10

Australian schools regularly monitor and evaluate their policies and programmes so that evidence-based practice supports decisions and improvements.

11

Australian schools take action to protect children from all forms of abuse and neglect.

The six key elements of good practice need to be in place for schools to implement the guiding principles

Managing incidents of abuse/victimisation

Providing support for students

All Australian schools are

safe and supportive

environments

Provision of education/training

Establishment of agreed policies, programs, and procedures

School values, ethos, culture,

structures, student welfare

Working closely with parents

All Australian schools are safe and supportive environments

Establishment of agreed policies, programs, and procedures

Provision of education/training

Managing incidents of abuse/victimisation

Providing support for students

Working closely with parents

School values, ethos, culture,

structures, student welfare

Effective support is provided to victims of bullying, harassment, violence and maltreatment.

Roles and responsibilities of all members of the school community are explicit, clearly understood and disseminated.

Processes engage the whole community.

Regularly monitored and evaluated, so that practice is evidence based.

Proactive and oriented towards prevention and

intervention.

Cases of abuse and victimisation are identified and reported.

All school community members have the right to feel

safe at school.

Quality leadership an essential element

Schools promote care, respect and cooperation and value diversity.

School staff:Pre-service and ongoing professional development.

Students: Knowledge, skills and dispositions needed for positive relationships.

Parents:Increased knowledge of strategies, options and ideas.

p 11

Key elements’ “outcomes statements”

1. School values, ethos, culture, structures and student welfare

• Leadership is committed to a shared vision of a positive and inclusive school. Such commitment includes resourcing and endorsement of policies, programmes and procedures.

2. Policies, programmes and procedures

• Policies, programmes and procedures are developed in collaboration with staff, students and parents, and include a statement of rights and responsibilities of members of the school community, including visitors. They are accessible by all members of the school community, and regularly reviewed, and address issues of risk minimisation.

3. Provision of education/training

• Appropriate education and training is available for all members of the school community to empower students, increase safety and enhance relationship and citizenship skills.

4. Managing incidents of abuse/victimisation

• Cases of abuse/victimisation are identified and reported.

5. Providing support for students

• Effective support is provided for victims of bullying, harassment, violence and child maltreatment.

6. Working closely with parents

• Parents participate in key aspects of the programme/s to provide safe and supportive learning environments in ways which enable them to reinforce safety concepts and strategies at home.

Partnerships and services

Curriculum, teaching and learning

Ethos and environment

Student wellbeing

The Health Promoting Schools model

Organisation, ethos and environment

Curriculum, education and training

Families, partnerships and services

All Australian schools are safe and supportive environments

• School values, ethos, culture, structures and student welfare• Establishment of agreed policies, programs and procedures• Providing support for students• Managing incidents of abuse and victimisation

• Provision of education and training • Working closely with parents

p 36

• quality leadership of

• a whole school approach, that is

• proactive,

• regularly reviewed, and

• based on student wellbeing.

When the guiding principles are embedded in the key elements, it means

p 31

Session 3Working strategically

1. The auditing process

2. Using the structure provided by the six key elements to guide the process

3. Planning action

How can we find out what we need to know?

Auditing: a methodical examination or review of a condition or situation…

…it involves collecting and interpreting existing data, and collecting and interpreting new information…

p 38

Auditing tools

• Databases

• Checklists

• Surveys

• SWOT analyses

• Focus groups

Using the structure provided by the six key elements to guide the process

• Begin with the NSSF key elements and principles ‘outcome statements’

• Break these down into smaller chunks where necessary

For this to be happening in our school, what specific things would we be able to observe or know about?

Include what already exists in the school.

The ‘suggested approaches’ in the Framework document provide a useful starting point for this exercise.

p 39

If existing, what evidence do you have?

If you don’t have evidence, what is the best process to use?

Who are the best people to get the information from?

What further action is needed?

Which aspects still need to be put in place in the school?

How will you go about prioritising them, and taking action?

• Go slowly. Change must be led, but sustainable change cannot be forced

• Strong leadership is crucial to whole school change

• A whole school approach is essential to school change

• Ensure that the whole school community understand what you are doing

• Work with the school community - involve staff, students and families

• Establish a clear process for planning, implementing and evaluating change.

All children have the right to live their lives free of the threat or the reality of violence. The impact on children and young people of repeated victimisation can be devastating in the short term, and have lifelong consequences.

Increasingly, the Australian community is voicing its collective concern that bullying and abuse, in all its forms, are unacceptable aspects of human relationships.

Dr Brendan Nelson