School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support
Creating a safe, inclusive and predictable school environment in which every student is supported to learn, belong and succeed.
Supporting every student to thrive
At Bellaire Primary School, we want every student to feel safe, included, supported and ready to learn. School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support—commonly known as SWPBS—provides a consistent, evidence-based framework for helping us achieve this.
We are now multiple years into our SWPBS implementation journey. During this time, we have developed clear school-wide expectations, strengthened consistent teaching practices and established systems for teaching, acknowledging and responding to student behaviour.
Be Respectful
We listen, value others, care for our environment and treat all members of our community with dignity.
Be Resilient
We keep trying, respond positively to challenges and seek help when we need it.
Be Kind
We include others, show care, make helpful choices and contribute positively to our school community.
What it is—and what it is not
SWPBS is a whole-school framework that brings students, staff and families together around a shared approach to behaviour, wellbeing and learning.
A framework for teaching successful behaviour
SWPBS is based on the understanding that behavioural and social skills can be explicitly taught, practised and strengthened in the same way as academic skills.
- A consistent, whole-school approach
- Explicit teaching of expected behaviours
- Positive and specific acknowledgement
- Calm, fair and predictable responses
- Data-informed planning and decision-making
- Additional support matched to student need
Simply a rewards or consequences program
Acknowledgement is one element of SWPBS, but it sits within a much broader framework of teaching, relationships, routines, support and ongoing improvement.
- Ignoring inappropriate or unsafe behaviour
- Giving every student exactly the same response
- Assuming students automatically know expectations
- A stand-alone behaviour chart or rewards shop
- A short-term program that is eventually completed
- A replacement for individualised student support
The key elements of SWPBS at Bellaire
Our approach is embedded across classrooms, playgrounds, specialist areas, transitions, excursions and every other part of school life.
Clear expectations
Our behaviour matrix explains what being respectful, resilient and kind looks and sounds like in different school settings.
Explicit teaching
Expected behaviours are modelled, discussed, practised and revisited through regular classroom and whole-school learning.
Positive acknowledgement
Staff provide specific feedback and acknowledgements, including Bellaire Bites and Leadership Awards, when expectations are demonstrated.
Consistent responses
Behaviour is responded to calmly and predictably, with a focus on safety, learning, responsibility and repairing relationships.
Data-informed decisions
We review behaviour information to identify patterns, strengthen supervision and determine future teaching and support priorities.
Staff collaboration
Staff use shared language, participate in professional learning and regularly review the effectiveness of our practices and systems.
Different support for different needs
SWPBS recognises that students require different levels of support at different times. Support is increased and individualised according to each student's strengths and needs.
Universal support
The expectations, routines, teaching, acknowledgements and responses provided consistently for all students across the school.
Targeted support
Additional teaching, structure, check-ins or small-group support for students who require more assistance to experience success.
Individualised support
Intensive, personalised and collaborative planning for students with more complex, significant or ongoing support needs.
Positive environments make learning possible
Students learn best when their environment feels safe, calm, inclusive and predictable. Clear expectations reduce uncertainty, consistent routines build confidence and explicit teaching develops the skills students need to participate successfully.
Learning from behaviour
What happens when a student makes a mistake?
Mistakes are treated as opportunities for learning. Depending on the situation, students may be supported to reflect, understand the impact of their actions, practise the expected behaviour, make amends and repair relationships.
Does SWPBS mean there are no consequences?
No. Unsafe, harmful or inappropriate behaviour continues to be addressed through clear and appropriate responses. SWPBS helps ensure these responses are calm, fair, predictable and connected to learning rather than simply being punitive.
Does every student receive the same response?
Consistency does not mean treating every student identically. It means decisions are guided by shared expectations and processes, while also considering the student's age, circumstances, disability, individual needs and the nature of the behaviour.
What role do families play?
Families help reinforce shared language and expectations and provide valuable information about their child's strengths and needs. Strong partnerships between home and school support consistency and positive outcomes for students.
Respectful, resilient and kind—every day
Receiving the Department of Education's Silver Award was an important recognition of the work undertaken by Bellaire staff, students and families. However, SWPBS is not something that is ever simply finished.
We will continue to review our data, listen to student and community feedback, strengthen staff practice and refine our systems so every student is explicitly taught, positively supported and given genuine opportunities to experience success.