Student Code of Conduct

1. Endorsement
Principal:

Wade Haynes

09/12/2020

School Council Chair:David Gillespie

09/12/2020

P&C President:

Michelle Koripas

09/12/2020

Contact: See School Website for details.
Contents
Purpose1

Learning & Behaviour Statement2

Flowchart

3

Whole School Approach to Discipline

4

Legislative Delegations

6

Disciplinary Consequences

7

School Policies

8

Restrictive Practices

8

Critical Incidences

9

Appendix 1: Temporary removal of student property
Appendix 2: The use of mobile phone and other devices at school
Appendix 3: Preventing and responding to bullying
Appendix 4: Appropriate use of social media
Appendix 5: Procedures regarding the use or possession of weapons in school
Appendix 6: Considerations for taking Incident Statements

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2. Purpose
Brisbane State High School is committed to providing a safe, respectful and disciplined learning
environment for all students, staff, parents and volunteers. We want students to have opportunities
to engage in quality learning experiences and acquire values supportive of their lifelong wellbeing.
Our Student Code of Conduct sets out the responsibilities and processes we use in our school topromote a productive, effective whole school approach to discipline. It is designed to facilitate highstandards of behaviour so that the learning and teaching in our school can be effective and students
can participate positively within our school community. We want to ensure a safe workplace forstudents and staff.
Our Student Code of Conduct outlines our system for facilitating positive behaviours and responding
to inappropriate and unacceptable behaviours. Through our school plan, shared expectations forstudent behaviour are clear to everyone. This assists us in creating and maintaining a positive andproductive learning and teaching environment where all school community members have clear andconsistent expectations and understandings of their role in the educational process.
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3. Learning and behaviour statement
Our school community has adopted the following school purpose and values which underpin our
approach to developing high standards of responsible behaviour:
PurposeAs a learning community we are committed to developing young people to achieve their potential
intellectually, personally and socially.
Intellectually, as…
Personally, as…
Socially, as…
• life-long, curious learners and • resilient, balanced individuals and• active, caring citizens and• independent, creative thinkers • confident, principled communicators • enthusiastic, contributing teammembers

ValuesLearning: we love knowledge, learning and curiosity
Brisbane State High School is all about learning. We believe that all people can learn andimprove. Each individual has special qualities, interests and character to be developed. We
provide learning experiences in all aspects of life. Young people will experience learning that is
rigorous, future-focused, enterprising and transferable to the range of situations they willencounter. We believe that young people learn best when they have structure as well as space
and time to foster creativity – time to think and grow. Our teaching is enriched through excellent
relationships between learner and teacher which often inspire us to learn more. Learning should
be inspirational, challenging and fun.
Excellence: we strive for world class standards and personal bests
We are committed to personal excellence and expect each person to strive for their best whileconsistently working hard. We believe in setting high standards and providing quality support tohelp people reach those standards and experience success. The school provides an extensive
range of high quality opportunities and experiences so our students maximise their potential.
Excellence for students and teachers means they take charge of their own learning, are selfdisciplined, work collaboratively and engage in rigorous feedback to remain at the cutting edge of
their studies/profession.
Respect: we earn respect for our integrity, humility and altruism
Each person at State High is expected to act with respect towards others, themselves and totheir school. We expect staff, parents, students and supporters to act with a high level of personal
integrity, modelling the best standards of personal behaviour. We reflect on our achievementswith both pride and humility, seeing our work in a balanced perspective. We seek to help others
unselfishly with a view that helping others is reward in itself.
Public Education: we celebrate diversity as well as the things that bind us together
Brisbane State High School proudly upholds the best of public education values; opportunities
to excel regardless of personal circumstance. Public education is about universal excellence,
access to education, being part of community and valuing diversity. We believe that partnerships,
starting with those in our local community, provide a network of support and bring richness to theschool experience. We celebrate our diversity, recognising that we have much to learn from thewide range of experiences of the people in our school community. At the same time, we recognisethat there is much that we all have in common and we harness the power of the things that bind
us together to benefit others.
These values support our pursuit of academic excellence, our commitment to leadershipdevelopment and striving for personal bests in a range of endeavours. They also provide the platform
for the development of responsible and proactive citizens.

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The success of our whole school approach to nurturing excellent behaviour is due tothe relationships and support that exist among all people in our school community.
We operate on a set of important principles and values that allow us to provide
powerful support for families and students at this important time on our students’ lives.

Build relationship

When deciding how to
respond to an incident orconcern, it is useful toconsider the four quadrantsof this graph to determine
the appropriate response.
The first quadrant – lowurgency and low level
importance means that thestudent is helped in a lowkey way when it won’t
distract from the key
activity.

Parent
The centrality of the Student/Teacher
relationshipneeds approval ofactions or advice

The relationship between teacher and student
and the teaching/learning process is central toproductive classrooms and a safe playground.
Where there is an issue or incident the teacher
helps the student solve the problem and learn
from the situation. The teacher deals withclassroom behaviour using a range of strategies
starting with the least intrusive.

needs help withstrategyorescalating issues

HOD
needs help withsubject/class issues

Dean orDP
needs help withstrategyorescalating issues

Student

needs help with
wellbeingor
playground issues

HOY

needs advice, with mental
health, personal issues oracademic planning

Student
Services

ImportantParentPrincipal
needs help withclass/home issues

UrgentBrisbane State High School
Behaviour Flowchart

Least to Most Intrusive Strategies
LEAST INTRUSIVE
Tactical Ignoring
Simple Direction
Question & Feedback
Rule restatement
Take student aside
Simple choice
Apply consequences
Follow up later
Exit
MOST INTRUSIVE

Restore working relationshipPrincipal
needs
help
with
class/homeissues.
Regularcontacttodevelop relationship

TeacherHOD

needs help withstrategyorescalating issues

needs help withsubject/class issues

needs help with
wellbeingor
playground issues

needs advice, with mental
health, personal issues oracademic planningneeds approval ofactions or advice

Dean orDP
HOY

needs help withstrategyorescalating issues

Student
Services
34. Whole School Approach to Discipline
All areas of Brisbane State High School are learning and teaching environments. We consider every
experience to be an opportunity for valuable personal and social learning. We seek active pro-social
behaviours. We want the culture and climate of the school to support rigorous, strengths-based,
holistic learning:
We believe:• student behaviour is an educational issue rather than just an issue to be managed;• parents play a primary role in supporting and nurturing their children, so our work with young
people flourishes when we can work together;• students learn best when they:o are treated with understanding, respect and politenesso feel safe and confident
o feel challenged by the tasks they are completingo feel pride in their achievementso can work in a supportive classroom environmento are emotionally and physically wello have a sense of belonging to the school community.
Consideration of Individual Circumstances
While young people seek a reliable and consistent approach to discipline, we always look to theindividual circumstances of the behaviour incident and the young person involved. In the end, weare seeking to ensure that students learn from all experiences at school. This means we treat each
person, fairly, consistently and individually.
Each individual enjoys protections of natural justice and privacy.
We consider the individual circumstances of students when applying support and consequences by:▪ promoting an environment which is responsive to the diverse needs of its students▪ establishing procedures for applying fair, equitable and non-violent consequences forinfringement of the code ranging from the least intrusive sanctions to the most stringent▪ recognising and taking into account information relevant to the students' age, gender,
disability, cultural background, socioeconomic situation, mental health and wellbeing,emotional state (such as individualised learning plan or individual education plan), and▪ recognising the rights of all students to:o express opinions in an appropriate manner and at the appropriate timeo work and learn in a safe environment regardless of their age, gender, disability,
cultural background or socio-economic situationo receive adjustments appropriate to their learning and/or impairment needs
o provide written or verbal statements that will be taken into consideration in thedecision making processes
o ensure that processes maintain the dignity, respect, privacy and confidentiality of thestudent, consistent with the rights of the rest of the community.
Differentiated and Explicit Teaching
Differentiation occurs at three levels, starting with broad, common education and becoming more
personalised as we move through the levels:
Level 1: Differentiated and explicit teaching:
Level 2: Focussed teaching:
Level 3: Intensive teaching:

for all students
for identified students
for a small number of students.

The first step in facilitating standards of positive behaviour is communicating those standards to allmembers of the school community. At Brisbane State High School, we emphasise the importance of
directly teaching students the behaviours we want them to demonstrate at school. This strategy isdirected towards all students and is designed to prevent inappropriate behaviour and provide aframework for responding to unacceptable behaviour.

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School Values:
Learning

Excellence
Respect

Public Education

We expect that members of our school community will:• Learn to the best of their ability in all activities.
• Attend school every day.
• Maximise the value from classes byo Being prepared.
o Completing all classworko Being punctualo Completing all homework• Behave in a way that actively contributes to an effective learning
environment. Look after their health and encourage others to do so.
• Seek out the information required for successful operation of theschool.
• Strive for personal bests in each endeavour.
• Participate in a range of school activities.
• Uphold the values of the school.
• Support and acknowledge the achievements of others.
• Express opinions with dignity and using established protocols.
• Behave well, even when no-one is watching.
• Be honest. Behave and dress in a way that will display pride inthemselves and their school.
• Volunteer to lead and assist in a range of activities.
• Care for the school environment and property. Respect otherpeople’s property.
• Treat others with understanding and kindness.
• Treat others politely.
• Recognise, respect and value the differences of race, ethnic
background, gender, socio-economic status, ability and disability.

These expectations are communicated to students via a number of strategies, including:▪ Teaching expectations during class including ARC classes.
▪ Publication in StudentNet and the school website.
▪ Reinforcement on School and Year Level Assemblies.
▪ Reinforcement during extra-curricular activities.
We implement the following proactive and preventative processes and strategies to support thedevelopment of pro-social student behaviour:▪ Behaviour expectations are explained during student induction to the school or at the
beginning of each school year.
▪ Clearly defined policies and practices are published for the entire school community andapplied fairly.
▪ Curriculum programs are designed to be challenging and relevant.
▪ A rigorous Pedagogy Framework is used in classrooms. It starts with building positive
attitudes and perceptions and is capped by teaching dispositions towards behaving
intelligently, or habits of mind.
▪ Positive behaviours and buoyancy strategies are taught in classes and ARC lessons.
▪ Younger students are systematically mentored by older students in a structured program.
▪ Students are encouraged to participate in a wide range of extra-curricular activities and toobtain their Spirit of State High award.
▪ A structured recognition program acknowledges and reinforces positive behaviour.
▪ The first response to a low-level and/or infrequent problem behaviour, is to remind the student
of expected school behaviour, then ask them to change their behaviour so that it aligns with
our school’s expectations. Our preferred way of re-directing low-level problem behaviour is
to ask them how they might be able to act more safely, more respectfully or more responsibly.
This encourages students to reflect on their own behaviour, evaluate it against expectedschool behaviour, and plan how their behaviour could be modified so as to align with the
expectations of our school community.

5▪

Support personnel are employed to support students, including Guidance Officers, Chaplain,
School Based Youth Health Nurse, School Based Police Officer and Youth Worker guide andsupport our students.
▪ The academic and social-emotional wellbeing of all students is the work of a dedicatedStudent Team.
▪ Individual learning plans are developed with students, parents and relevant specialists(where appropriate) for students who demonstrate repeated inappropriate or unacceptablebehaviour. These plans provide a personal framework of positive behaviour expectations andactions and enable staff to provide consistent strategies or adjustments across all learning
environments.
▪ Specific policies provide clear guidance on:o the use of mobile phone and other devices at school (Appendix 2)o preventing and responding to bullying (Appendix 3)
o appropriate use of social media (Appendix 4)o procedures regarding the use or possession of weapons in school (Appendix 5).
• Targeted behavioural support is provided to a small number identified students, each year.
In most cases the inappropriate or unacceptable behaviour may not be immediately regarded
as severe, but the frequency of their behaviours may put these students’ learning and social
success at risk if not addressed in a timely manner.
• A range of strategies are employed to assist the students redirect behaviour and to develop
the skills to be successful at school.
• Comprehensive systems of support are provided, as needed, for highly complex andchallenging behaviours. These are regularly reviewed in consultation with parents/ caregivers
and other relevant specialist staff. The Student Team:▪ develops appropriate behaviour expectations & strategies with other staff members.
▪ monitors the impact of support for individuals through continuous data collection.
▪ provides consistent strategies and adjustments outlined within the Individual Learning
Plan.
▪ The Student Team has a simple and quick referral system in place. Following referral, a teammember contacts parents and any relevant staff members to form a support team and begin
the assessment and support process. In some cases the support team also includes
individuals from other agencies already working with the student and their family and otherschool staff
5. Legislative Delegations
Legislation
Legislation that links to Queensland State School Discipline procedures:
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Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld)Child Protection Act 1999 (Qld)
Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992
Commonwealth Disability Standards for Education 2005
Criminal Code Act 1899 (Qld)
Education (General Provisions) Act 2006
Education (General Provisions) Regulation 2017
Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld)
Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld)
Judicial Review Act 1991 (Qld)
Right to Information Act 2009 (Qld)
Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000 (Qld)
Workplace Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Cwth)6Delegations
Under the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006, state school principals are responsible for“controlling and regulating student discipline in the school”.
Principals are afforded a number of non-delegable powers to assist them to meet this obligation,
including the authority to suspend, exclude or cancel the enrolment of a student at the school.
The details of these responsibilities are outlined in the legislative instruments of delegation andinstruments of authorisation provided below:
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Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 Director-General’s delegations
Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 Minister’s delegations
Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 Director-General’s authorisations
Education (General Provisions) Regulation 2006 Minister’s delegations
Education (General Provisions) Regulation 2017 Director-General’s delegations

6. Disciplinary Consequences
We make systematic efforts to prevent inappropriate or unacceptable behaviour by teaching andreinforcing expected behaviours. Our students are confident and capable of meeting establishedexpectations and they generally seek to do so. When behaviour incidents occur, it is important thatconsequences are predictable. Our school seeks to ensure that responses to inappropriate or
unacceptable behaviour are consistent and proportionate to the nature of the behaviour.
Minor and major behaviours
Incident Occurs

Minor..is it?

Major

Minor behaviour incidents are handled by staff
members at the time it happens.

Major behaviour incidents are referred directly to
Heads of Department, Head of Year or Deputy
Principals because of their seriousness.

•

Minor problem behaviours are those that:• are minor breaches of the school rules.
• do not seriously harm others or cause the staff member tosuspect that• the student may be harmed.
• do not violate the rights of others in any other serious way.
• are not part of a pattern of inappropriate behaviours.
• do not require involvement of specialist support staff or seniorstaff.

Major behaviours are those that:•••significantly violate the rights of others
put others / self at risk of harm
constitute misconduct, disobedience, conduct prejudicial to the goodorder and management of the school.

When major unacceptable behaviour occurs, staff members calmly
state the behaviour and remind the student of expected school
behaviour. The staff member involves the appropriate person (HOD ofclassroom incidents, HOY for playground incidents). A report of thestudent’s behaviour is recorded on OneSchool.

Minor problem behaviours may resultin the following consequences:•

Major unacceptable behaviours may
result in the following consequences:•

A minor consequence logicallyconnected to the inappropriate
behaviours, such as complete
removal from an activity or event
for a specified period of time,
partial removal (time away),
individual meeting with thestudent, temporary removal ofproperty, apology, restitution or
detention.

A re-direction process where a staff
member takes the student aside and:• names the behaviour that student isdisplaying• asks student to name expectedschool behaviour• states and explains expectedschool behaviour, if necessary• gives positive acknowledgement
for expected school behaviour.

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Detention,
Removal from activity,
Loss of privilege,
Restitution,
Warning regarding future consequence for repeated or persistent
inappropriate behaviour,
Suspension from School, Proposal/recommendation for exclusion,
Cancellation of enrolment,
Removal of invitation to school events, including graduation andformal.
•In each case, the following actions will be taken, as appropriate;▪
Parent contact (as a general rule),▪
Referral to Guidance Officer,▪
Referral to other Student Team member,▪
Referral to external specialist services,▪
Placement on monitoring processes.

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Definition of consequences*
Detention

Temporary Removalof Property
Suspension

Proposed exclusion
or recommended
exclusion

Cancellation ofenrolment

The principal or teacher may use detention as a consequence for disobedience,
misconduct, or other breaches of school expectations.
A detention can be applied during school hours, out-of-school hours or on non-school days.
Teaching staff can use detention during the school day and this does not require priornotice. Students will be provided with food and toilet breaks.
The Student Team may use out-of-school hours detention of up to 1 hour duration, with 24
hours’ notice to parents and with consent.
The principal or staff member of has the power to temporarily remove property from a
student, as per the procedure Temporary Removal of Student Property by School Staff.
The principal may suspend a student from school under the following circumstances:▪
disobedience▪
misbehaviour▪
conduct that adversely affects, or is likely to adversely affect, other students▪
conduct that adversely affects, or is likely to adversely affect, the good order andmanagement of the school▪
the student’s attendance at the school poses an unacceptable risk to the safety or
wellbeing of other students or of staff▪
the student is charged with a serious offence, refer to Suspension (charge-related)▪
the student is charged with an offence other than a serious offence and theprincipal is reasonably satisfied it would not be in the best interests of otherstudents or of staff for the student to attend the school while the charge is pending.
A student may be suspended pending a decision to exclude when the student’s behaviour is
so serious that suspension of the student from the school would be inadequate to deal withthe behaviour. A student may be suspended or excluded for the following reasons:▪
persistent disobedience▪
misbehaviour▪
conduct that adversely affects, or is likely to adversely affect, other students▪
conduct that adversely affects, or is likely to adversely affect, the good order andmanagement of the school▪
the student’s attendance at the school poses an unacceptable risk to the safety or
wellbeing of other students or of staff▪
if suspension of the student is inadequate to deal with the disobedience,misbehaviour, conduct or risk.
The enrolment of a post compulsory school age student may be cancelled if the student’s
behaviour amounts to a refusal to participate in the educational program provided at theschool.

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Examples of Inappropriate behaviours

Possible Consequence

Late to class.
Not completing classwork or homework.
Disrupting other students in class.
Not completing course requirements.
Academic Misconduct
Inappropriate use of electronic devices during class.
Accessing inappropriate content on an electronic
device.
Inappropriate use of/damage to the school network.

Make up lost timeComplete work under supervision
Detention
Cancellation of Enrolment
Work not considered for marks
Device removed
Withdrawal of network access

Use ofElectronic
Devices

Area
Classroom

The following table outlines examples of inappropriate behaviour*

Personal
Conduct

SchoolCommunity

OthersAttendSafetyCompliance

Environment& Property

Littering
Stealing

Withdrawal of network access
Suspension/Exclusion
Clean up a designated area
Return stolen item and recompense
for harm caused
Repair property/pay damages

Graffiti/damaging property.
Missing detention.

Additional detention
Suspension

Wilful disobedience.
Unsafe behaviour.
Water or food fights

Suspension
Make the situation safe
Clean up mess & Detention
Suspension
Suspension/Exclusion
Make up lost time
Monitoring of attendanceSupervised breaks

Possessing or using weapons.
Truancy
Leavingtheschoolgrounds
permission/pass.

without

Threats/Bullying in any form.
Violence/Fighting

Suspension/Exclusion
Suspension/Exclusion

Inappropriately using images or publishing images
using the school name or identifying features without
permission.
Publishing inappropriate or abusive material about
staff in any public or school domain.
Contacting media outlets without the authorisation of
the Principal.
Inappropriate language.
Failure to wear appropriate uniform.
Possessing and/or using drugs, possessing drug
implements, providing drugs or implements or being
under the influence of drugs at school.
Any sexually explicit act.

Suspension/Exclusion

Suspension/Exclusion
Suspension/Exclusion
Detention/Suspension
Change in to correct uniform
Exclusion

Suspension/Exclusion*Please note that this is not an exhaustive list, as it simply identifies examples.

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The following behaviours are considered inappropriate or unacceptable at Brisbane State HighSchool. Every case will have the particular circumstances considered before consequences areapplied. Staff will then apply appropriate consequences from the range of consequences listed (notnecessarily in the order they are written). Where there is a choice of consequences and/or
extenuating circumstances, the Principal reserves the right to make the final determination.

Classroom(see flowchart p3)

Area

Behaviours
Inappropriate classroom
behaviours

Not completing classwork or
homework
Not completing course
requirements

Academic Misconduct – seeLearning Policy for further detail(see Appendices 2 and 4)••

Late to ClassUse of Electronic Devices

Consequences•

Inappropriate use of Mobile
phones or electronic devices in
the classroom•••

All mobile phones and otherelectronic devices must be turned
off and out of sight in theclassroom and outside of the classas the student is waiting to enter,unless they have been explicitly
approved to be part of the lesson.
Permission must be sought
before any recording or
photographing takes place.
iPads are only to be used forlearning when in classrooms.

Inappropriate email use

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Students may be removed from internet access, have
limitations placed on network access, have takehome privileges revoked, be required to provide
restitution or pay for repairs, removed from thesubject, placed on detention and/or be suspended.
Parents will be notified.

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Minimum of suspension, removal of network rights
and possible withdrawal from the subject.
Students who cause serious damage to the networkor to student learning as a result of interfering with the
network/computers can expect to be excluded from
Brisbane State High School.

e.g. offensive language

Visits to inappropriate Internet
sitesor
downloadingof
inappropriate material.
e.g. pornography
Attempts to gain unauthorised accessto any part of the Network systems
e.g. Via hacking, ‘spyware’ or other“backdoor” methods OR the use of theteacher or network manager logins
OR copying and/or misuse of school
data OR damaging the network

The teacher will employ a range of strategies to reengage the student in learning.
Where the student does not respond to thesestrategies, the teacher will take steps to ensure thatthe learning of others is not disrupted and the student
is supported to choose to re-engage.
This support may include: counselling, learning
support, detention, making up time, daily monitoring,
contacting parents, individual planning, referral tosupport staff.
Teachers will discuss the absence with the student
and make up the lost time.
Students may be issued with detention.
Teachers will set new timelines for work completion,
supervise the completion of work and contact parents
as appropriate.
Teachers will supervise the completion of work.
Heads of Department supervise completion of work.
Credit for the subject may be withdrawn.
Invitations to school events may be withdrawn.
Invitations to formal/graduation may be withdrawn
Enrolment may be cancelled.
Academic integrity modules completed
Suspension
Duplicated work not marked
Students may be asked to put the device away.
Students who misuse mobile phones or any
electronic devices in the classroom may be sent, at
an appropriate time to the student counter on that
campus. They will exchange the device for a ticket
and on return to the class show this ticket to theteacher. Students may exchange the ticket for thephone from the office at the end of the day.
Where a student repeatedly misuses a mobile phone
in or outside of the classroom the matter will betreated as wilful disobedience or harassment.

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10Environment and Property

LitterWhether dropped by an individual or
surrounding a group of students•

Stealing (or intent to steal)

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or

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Interfering with the property ofothers•Graffiti/damaging/destroying
property (or intent to damage
or destroy)

Compliance••

Missing Detention

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Safety•Wilful disobedience•

Unsafe behaviour••

Water or food throwing/fights•(see Appendix 5)

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Late to school••

Attendance

Possessing or using weapons•••Student/s will be requested to pick up litter.
Staff will attempt to solve the problem with student/s.
If this fails the student will be placed on detention or
given a lunchtime environmental-related duty.
Refusal to comply with request may be regarded as
disobedience.
The student will be referred to a member of theStudent Team.
The parent / caregiver will be notified, as appropriate.
The student will be required to restore property or
make restitution to the owner.
The student will undertake detention or withdrawal fora period of time.
The student may face suspension or exclusion.
Police will be contacted, if necessary.
Parent / guardian notified.
Student will repair / rectify damage in own time and at
own or parent’s / guardian’s expense.
Student may be required to undertake schoolcommunity service or detention / withdrawal for aperiod of time.
The student may be suspended or excluded.
Major damage will result in referral to police.
Where this was an oversight and the student
attempted to communicate with the staff member
concerned, the student may complete the original
detention.
An additional detention is usually added to theoriginal.
Repeated or blatant refusal to attend will result insuspension.
Continued failure to comply with a reasonable
request or instruction will result in detention,suspension or exclusion.
Students will be required to make the situation safe.
Ongoing or major incidents of unsafe behaviour may
result in detention, suspension or exclusion.
Students will clean up the mess made including any
to their clothing. The space must be left safe.
Detention
Suspension
Items that are considered unsafe may be confiscated.
Students may be suspended or recommended for
exclusion for possession of a weapon or if acting in a
way that endangers themselves or others; or has thepotential to do so.
Police will be contacted, if necessary.
The student’s name will be recorded on file at thestudent counter and a late slip will then be issued.
Students who arrive at 9:45am or later will be marked
absent for half a day.
Heads of Year will follow up with students withrepeated absences.
Parent/guardian of persistent offenders will becontacted. A meeting will take place to develop a
support strategy to address persistent lateness.
Students may face detentions, withdrawal of certain
privileges and daily monitoring.
Documentation of persistent lateness will appear onreports.

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•

Truancy

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Leaving school grounds
without permission/pass

Treatment of Others••–
Verbal,physical, sexual/gender, social, racial,
and bullying (including cyber-bullying)(see Appendix 3)
Bullying/Threats

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School Community

Violence/Fighting
Parking vehicles
grounds

inschool••••All students who drive vehicles toschool must register all appropriate
details with the school, e.g. model,
colour, registration number, name ofdriver, names of passengers, writtenconsent from both driver andpassenger parents.

Publishing inappropriate or •abusive material about staff orschool in any public or school ••domain including the internet.

Parents / guardians will be notified by the Head ofYear or Attendance Officer of extended periods of
unexplained absence from school by the student.
Parents / guardians will be notified as soon aspractical if a student is suspected of truanting.
The student will be required to make up lost time.
Students may face detention or supervised breaks.
Student may be placed on a monitoring card.
Cancellation of enrolment may occur for postcompulsory age students.
Intervention will be sought for compulsory school
aged students who are chronic truants.
The Head of Year will be informed.
Parent/caregiver will be notified.
The student may spend their breaks under thesupervision of the Head of Year.
Detention.
Persistent offences will be treated as disobedience.
Students will be made aware of school policy.
Students will be stepped through a process tochange this behaviour.
Mediation, detention, reparations can be expected.
Restorative processes
Students may be required to undertake an antibullying education program.
Students may be withdrawn from classes or breaks
for a specified number of days.
Parent/guardian will be notified.
Suspension/exclusion from school may occur.
Parents will ensure that inappropriate materials are
removed from public view or from the internet or any
electronic device.
Possible referral to Police.
Students suspended/excluded from school.
Possible referral to Police.
Students may not park their motor vehicles in school
grounds because of the limited space available. A
student who parks their vehicle in school grounds will
be asked to move it. If students continue to park theirvehicles in school grounds will lose privilege and we
may contact the police.

Students will be instructed to remove the material
from public view or the internet.
Parent/guardian will be notified.
Students can expect to be suspended or excluded.

(see Appendices 2 & 4)

Personal
Conduct

Contacting
media
outlets •without the authorisation of the
Principal
Inappropriate Language•

Incidental••

Deliberate or persistent•Students who contact or supply information to media
outlets (or facilitate this) and this results in harm tostudents/staff or negative publicity for the school can
expect to be excluded.
Attention will be drawn to the language and thestudent asked to recognise its inappropriateness.
The student will apologise to the offended party.
The student may be asked to move away, docommunity service or detention.
Students may be suspended.

12

Inappropriate behaviour / dress
on trips / camps / excursions /work experience

•
•
•

•

Failure to wear school uniform

•
•
•
•
•

•

Smokingcigarettes
and/or •vaping in / around the school•
grounds
Similar consequences will occur if
students are smoking at a school
activity, in school uniform, or easily
identified as a student of Brisbane
State High School.

Possessionofsmoking
materials (including vapes) in /around school grounds; while away
on a school organised activity; whilst
in school uniform or while easily
identifiable as a Brisbane State HighSchool student.

Supply of drugs* on / aroundschool grounds; while on a schoolorganised activity; whilst in school
uniform or while easily identifiable asa Brisbane State High School student.

••

The normal consequences for the inappropriate
behaviour / dress will be implemented where
possible.
If dress is deemed inappropriate, the student will be
asked to change.
Depending on the nature of the inappropriate
behaviour/dress the student may be sent home at theparent’s / guardian’s expense. The parent / guardian
will be notified of the action as will a member of
Executive.
Depending on the nature of the inappropriate
behaviour the student may be excluded from
attending further trips/camps/excursion for a period
determined by a member of Executive after
consultation with all parties concerned.
Students will be asked to change into the correct
uniform.
Students may receive a detention.
Where the correct uniform is unavailable, we will
negotiate a means of rectifying the uniform and asuitably safe program for the day.
Parents will be notified and arrangements made toaddress the concern.
Persistent failure to wear the correct uniform will leadto an interview between families and a member of
Executive to develop a suitable plan for adhering toschool policy.
Failure to comply with uniform requirements may betreated as disobedience.
A student is caught smoking, the suspension isusually 3 days.
If a student is caught for a second time, thesuspension is usually 5 days.
If a student continues to smoke, he/she faces a 6 –20 day suspension.
Undertake relevant health education program.

Students who are in the company of smokers can expect
similar consequences. Choose to move away!
• If a student is suspected of being in possession ofsmoking materials, the student will be escorted to astaff member to Student Services where he / she will
be requested to empty his / her bag.
• If smoking materials are found in the student’s
possession, he / she will be suspended for a periodof 3 days. Students will be asked to surrender thecigarettes and parents/ caregivers notified.
Persistent offenders will face the same consequences asa student caught smoking cigarettes for a 2nd or 3rd time.
• Parents / guardians will be informed as soon aspractical.
• Students supplying drugs or any substance they
purport to be a drug are typically excluded.
• Police will be appropriately involved.
Students who are in the company of those involved in a
drug related incident can expect similar consequences.
Brisbane State High School does not tolerate drug
supply.

13

Possession of drugs* or drug •implements in / around school
grounds
Similar consequences will result if
students are in possession while
away on a school activity, in school
uniform, or whilst easily identified as a
Brisbane State High School student.

••

If a student is suspected of being in possession ofdrugs or drug implements, the student will beescorted to the office. Parents / guardians will thenbe called. Parents will be invited to the school assoon as practical.
Students in possession of drugs or drug implements
or any substance they purport to be a drug are
typically excluded.
Police will be appropriately involved.

Students who are in the company of those involved in a
drug related incident can expect similar consequences.
Students who are attempting to acquire drugs or drug
implements can expect similar consequences.

Use of drugs* on / around school
grounds
Similar consequences will result if
students use while away on a school
activity, in school uniform, or easily
identifiable as a Brisbane State HighSchool student.

Brisbane State High School does not tolerate drug
possession.
If a student is suspected of using a drug or being under
the influence of a drug while at school the following will
occur:• The student will be brought to Student Services.
• Parents / guardians will be notified as soon aspracticable.
• The student will be kept at separate from otherstudents at school until parents arrive. They will betaken home by parents/guardians.
• Where necessary, medical attention will be sought.
• The Executive will conduct an investigation.
• Police will be appropriately involved.
• Students who are under the influence of drugs at
school or have used drugs at school are typically
excluded.

*Drugs may include prescription
drugs, alcohol, inhalants, illicit orprohibited
substancesandsubstances purported to be a drug.

Students who are in the company of those involved in a
drug related incident can expect similar consequences.

Any sexually explicit act•

Brisbane State High School does not tolerate drug use.

•••

Students will be counselled about socially acceptablebehaviour.
Parents will be informed.
Students may be suspended or excluded.
A report will be made to the Police.

Ensuring consistent responses to inappropriate or unacceptable behaviour
Staff members authorised to issue consequences for behaviour incidents are provided withappropriate professional development and/or training. Through training activities, we work to ensure
consistent responses to behaviour incidents across the school.
Students also receive training about how to respond when other students display inappropriate or
unacceptable behaviour. The courteous way to respond when a staff member redirects a student’s
behaviour is taught and rehearsed to reduce the impact of peer engagement in the behaviour
incident.
Student disciplinary absences (suspension and exclusion) may be considered:▪ in the event of a serious, one-off behaviour incident or▪ after consideration has been given to all other responses.

14

7. School Policies
School Policies can be found on the school website at: https://brisbaneshs.eq.edu.au/ourschool/policies.
To assist with some specific process, the school has the following policies. These can be found in
the appendices:
•
•
•
•
•

temporary removal of student property (Appendix 1)
the use of mobile phone and other devices at school (Appendix 2)preventing and responding to bullying (Appendix 3)
appropriate use of social media (Appendix 4)
procedures regarding the use or possession of weapons in school (Appendix 5).

8. Restrictive Practices
School staff at may need to respond to student behaviour that presents a risk of physical harm to
the student themselves or others. It is anticipated that most instances of risky behaviour can be deescalated and resolved quickly. On some rarer occasions, a student’s behaviour may continue toescalate and staff need to engage immediately with positive and proactive strategies aimed at
supporting the student to manage their emotional arousal and behaviour.
In some very rare situations, where there is immediate risk of physical harm to the student or otherpeople, and when all other alternative strategies have failed to reduce the risk, it may be necessary
for staff to use restrictive practices.
The use of restrictive practices will always be as a last resort, when there is no other available option
for reducing immediate risk to the student, staff or other people. Restrictive practices are not used
for punishment or as a disciplinary measure.
The department’s Restrictive practices procedure is written with consideration for the protection of
everyone’s human rights, health, safety and welfare. There are six fundamental principles:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Regard to the human rights of those students
Safeguards students, staff and others from harm
Ensures transparency and accountability
Places importance on communication and consultation with parents and carers
Maximises the opportunity for positive outcomes, andAims to reduce or eliminate the use of restrictive practices.

There may be some rare occasions where restrictive practices will be planned and staff will employ,
when necessary, pre-arranged strategies and methods (of physical restraint/ mechanical restraint/
clinical holding) which are based upon behaviour risk assessment or clinical health need and arerecorded in advance. The use of planned strategies will only be where there is foreseeable
immediate risk consistent with the Restrictive Practices procedure.
Seclusion will not be used as a planned response and will only be used in serious circumstances for
managing an unforeseeable situation in an emergency. It will be used for the shortest time possible
and in a safe area that presents no additional foreseeable risk to the student. In such emergencies,a staff member will observe the student at all times and seclusion will cease as soon as possible.
Following the use of any restrictive practice, a focused review will help staff to understand how they
responded to the risk in any incident that involved the use of a restrictive practice. Staff will consider
whether there are other options for managing a similar situation in the future. This strategy works
well for reducing the use of restrictive practices.
All incidents of restrictive practices will be recorded and reported in line with departmental
procedures.

15

9. Critical Incidents
It is important that all school staff have a consistent understanding of how to respond in emergencies
involving student behaviour that seriously endangers the student or others. This consistency ensuresthat appropriate actions are taken to ensure that both students and staff are kept safe.
A critical incident is defined as an occurrence that is sudden, urgent, and usually unexpected, or an
occasion requiring immediate action (e.g. in the community, on the road). The aim in these situations
is to bring the behaviour of the student under rapid and safe control. It is not a time to try and topunish or discipline the student; it is a crisis management period only.
Staff should follow the documented plan for any student involved in regular critical incidents, whichshould be saved and available for staff to review in OneSchool.
For unexpected critical incidents, staff should use basic defusing techniques:
1.

Avoid escalating the problem behaviour: Avoid shouting, cornering the student, moving into
the student’s space, touching or grabbing the student, sudden responses, sarcasm, becoming
defensive, communicating anger and frustration through body language.

2.

Maintain calmness, respect and detachment: Model the behaviour you want students to adopt,
stay calm and controlled, use a serious measured tone, choose your language carefully, avoid
humiliating the student, be matter of fact and avoid responding emotionally.

3.

Approach the student in a non-threatening manner: Move slowly and deliberately toward the
problem situation, speak privately to the student/s where possible, speak calmly andrespectfully, minimise body language, keep a reasonable distance, establish eye level position,
be brief, stay with the agenda, acknowledge cooperation, withdraw if the situation escalates.

2.

Follow through: If the student starts displaying the appropriate behaviour briefly acknowledge
their choice and re-direct other students’ attention towards their usual work/activity. If thestudent continues with the problem behaviour, then remind them of the expected school
behaviour and identify consequences of continued unacceptable behaviour.

6.

Debrief: At an appropriate time when there is low risk of re-escalation, help the student to
identify the sequence of events that led to the unacceptable behaviour, pinpoint decision
moments during the sequence of events, evaluate decisions made, and identify acceptable
decision options for future situations.

16Appendix 1

Temporary removal of student property
The removal of any property in a student’s possession may be necessary to promote the caring, safe
and supportive learning environment of the school, to maintain and foster mutual respect between
all state school staff and students.
In determining what constitutes a reasonable time to retain student property, the Principal or Staff
will consider:••••

the condition, nature or value of the property
the circumstances in which the property was removed
the safety of the student from whom the property was removed, other students or staff
good management, administration and control of the school.

The Principal or Staff determine when the temporarily removed student property can be returned,
unless the property has been handed to the Queensland Police Service.
The following items are explicitly prohibited at Brisbane State High School and will be removed if
found in a student’s possession:•illegal items or weapons (e.g. guns, knives, throwing stars, brass knuckles, chains)•
imitation guns or weapons•
potentially dangerous items (e.g. blades, rope)•
drugs** (including tobacco, vapes or utensils, and alcohol)•
aerosol deodorants or cans (including spray paint)•
explosives (e.g. fireworks, flares, sparklers)•
flammable solids or liquids (e.g. fire starters, mothballs, lighters)•poisons (e.g. weed killer, insecticides)•
inappropriate or offensive material (e.g. pornography, racist or extremist literature).

** The administration of medications to students by school staff is only considered when a prescribing
health practitioner has determined that it is necessary or when there is no other alternative in relation
to the treatment of a specific health need. Schools require medical authorisation to administer any
medication to students (including over-the-counter medications such as paracetamol oralternative medicines).
Responsibilities
Staff:• do not require the student’s consent to search school property such as lockers, desks orlaptops that are supplied to the student through the school;• may seize a student’s bag where there is suspicion that the student has a dangerous item
(for example, a knife) in their school bag, prior to seeking consent to search from a parent or
calling the police;• consent from the student or parent is required to examine or otherwise deal with thetemporarily removed student property. For example, staff who temporarily remove a mobile
phone from a student are not authorised to unlock the phone or to read, copy or delete
messages stored on the phone;• there may, however, be emergency circumstances where it is necessary to search a student’s
property without the student’s consent or the consent of the student’s parents (e.g. to accessan EpiPen for an anaphylactic emergency);• consent from the student or parent is required to search the person of a student (e.g. pockets
or shoes). If consent is not provided and a search is considered necessary, the police andthe student’s parents should be called to make such a determination.

17

Parents:• ensure your children do not bring property onto school’s grounds or other settings used by
the school (e.g. camp, sporting venues) that:o is prohibited according to the Student Code of Conduct
o is illegalo puts the safety or wellbeing of others at risko does not preserve a caring, safe, supportive or productive learning environmento does not maintain and foster mutual respect;• collect temporarily removed student property as soon as possible after they have been
notified by the Principal or state school staff that the property is available for collection.
Students:• do not bring property onto school grounds or other settings used by the school (e.g. camp,
sporting venues) that:o is prohibited according to the Code of Conduct
o is illegalo puts the safety or wellbeing of others at risko does not preserve a caring, safe, supportive or productive learning environmento does not maintain and foster mutual respect;• collect their property as soon as possible when advised by the Principal or state school staff
it is available for collection.

18

Appendix 2

The use of mobile phone and other devices at school
This policy reflects the importance the school places on students displaying courtesy, consideration
and respect for others whenever they are using personal technology devices.
Students are encouraged to use technology to assist and extend their learning. The school
encourages responsible and sensible use of technology, including encouraging students to take abreak from using technology regularly.
We think that the explicit teaching of responsible use of mobile phones and other devices is a criticalcomponent of digital literacy. The knowledge and confidence to navigate and use these technologies
safely while developing digital literacy is a responsibility shared between parents, school staff andstudents.
While students may bring personal devices to school, they must be used in accordance to school
policy. The school discourages students from bringing valuable items that may be damaged orstolen and only permits students to do so on the understanding that students are taking full
responsibility for the device.
Student should be aware of the agreement they make for the BYOD program network user policy
with its clear expectations and consequences:https://brisbaneshs.eq.edu.au/supportandresources/formsanddocuments/documents/supportandresources/st
udentresources/byod-program-network-user-policy.pdf

Responsibilities
The responsibilities for students using mobile phones or other devices at school or during school
activities, are outlined below.
It is acceptable for students to:
•

•
•
•

use mobile phones or other devices foro assigned class work and assignments set by teacherso developing appropriate literacy, communication and information skills
o authoring text, artwork, audio and visual material for publication on the intranet or internet for
educational purposes as supervised and approved by the schoolo conducting general research for school activities and projects
o communicating or collaborating with other students, teachers, parents or experts in relation
to school worko accessing online references such as dictionaries, encyclopaedias, etc.
o researching and learning through the department's eLearning environment
be courteous, considerate and respectful of others when using a mobile device
switch off and place the mobile device out of sight during classes, before and after school, andduring lunch breaks unless the device is being used in a teacher directed activity to enhancelearning
seek teacher's approval where they wish to use a mobile device under special circumstances.

It is unacceptable for students to:
•
•
•
•
•

use a mobile phone or other devices in an unlawful manner
download, distribute or publish offensive messages or images
use obscene, inflammatory, racist, discriminatory or derogatory language
use language and/or threats of violence that may amount to bullying and/or harassment, or evenstalking
insult, harass or attack others or use obscene or abusive language

19

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

deliberately waste printing and internet resources
damage computers, printers or network equipment
commit plagiarism or violate copyright laws
ignore teacher directions for the use of social media, online email and internet chatsend chain letters or spam email (junk mail)knowingly download viruses or any other programs capable of breaching the department's
network security
use in-phone cameras anywhere a normal camera would be considered inappropriate, such as
in change rooms or toilets
invade someone's privacy by recording personal conversations or daily activities and/or thefurther distribution (e.g. forwarding, texting, uploading, Bluetooth use etc.) of such material
use a mobile phone (including those with Bluetooth functionality) to cheat during exams orassessments
take into or use mobile devices at exams or during class assessment unless expressly permitted
by school staff.

At all times students, while using ICT facilities and devices supplied by the school, will be required
to act in line with the requirements of the Student Code of Conduct. In addition students and theirparents should:• understand the responsibility and behaviour requirements that come with accessing thedepartment’s ICT network facilities• ensure they report and discontinue access to harmful information if presented via the internet or
email• be aware that:o access to ICT facilities and devices provides valuable learning experiences for students andsupports the school's teaching and learning programso the school is not responsible for safeguarding information stored by students on
departmentally-owned student computers or mobile devices
o schools may remotely access departmentally-owned student computers or mobile devices
for management purposeso students who use a school's ICT facilities and devices in a manner that is not appropriate
may be subject to disciplinary action by the school, which could include restricting network
accesso despite internal departmental controls to manage content on the internet, illegal, dangerous
or offensive information may be accessed or accidentally displayedo teachers will always exercise their duty of care, but avoiding or reducing access to harmful
information also requires responsible use by the student.
Confiscation
Permitted personal technology devices used contrary to this policy on school premises will be
confiscated by school staff. They will be made available for collection from the school office at theend of the school day unless required to be kept for purposes of disciplinary investigation, when it
will only be returned in the presence of a parent.
Devices potentially containing evidence of criminal offences may be reported to the police. In suchcases police may take possession of such devices for investigation purposes and students andparents will be advised to contact Queensland Police Service (QPS) directly.
Students who have a personal technology device confiscated more than once will not be permitted
to have a personal technology device at school for a, or longer if deemed necessary by the Principal.
Personal Technology Device Etiquette
Devices must be turned off and out of sight during assemblies or classes unless they are explicitly
required as part of the lesson. Personal technology devices may be used at morning tea and lunch
breaks and before and after school.

20

Recording voice and images
Every member of the school community should feel confident about participating fully and frankly in
all aspects of school life without concern that their personal privacy is being invaded by them being
recorded without their knowledge or consent.
We uphold the value of trust and the right to privacy at Brisbane State High School. Students using
personal technology devices to record inappropriate behaviours or incidents (such as vandalism,
fighting, bullying, staged fighting or pranks etc) to disseminate to others (including distribution byphone or internet posting) build a culture of distrust and disharmony.
Recording of events in class is not permitted unless express consent is provided by the class teacher.
A school student who uses a personal technology device to record private conversations, ordinary
school activities (apart from social functions like graduation ceremonies) or violent, illegal orembarrassing matter capable of bringing the school into public disrepute is considered to be inbreach of this policy.
Even where consent is obtained for such recording, the school will not tolerate images or soundcaptured by personal technology devices on the school premises or elsewhere being disseminatedto others, if it is done for the purpose of causing embarrassment to individuals or the school, for the
purpose of bullying 1 , including racial and sexual harassment, or where without such intent a
reasonable person would conclude that such outcomes may have or will occur.
Students involved in:▪ recording; and/or▪ disseminating material (through text messaging, display, internet uploading etc); and/or,▪ knowingly being a subject of a recording
Breach of this policy may be subject to discipline (including suspension and exclusion).
Students should note that the recording or dissemination of images that are considered indecent(such as nudity or sexual acts involving children), is against the law and if detected by the school will
result in a referral to the Queensland Police Service.
Recording Private Conversations and the Invasion of Privacy Act 1971
It is important that all members of the school community understand that under the Invasion ofPrivacy Act 1971, ‘a person is guilty of an offence against this Act if the person uses a listening
device to overhear, record, monitor or listen to a private conversation’. It is also an offence under the
Act for a person who has overheard, recorded, monitored or listened to a conversation to which s/heis not a party to publish or communicate the substance or meaning of the conversation to others.
Students need to understand that some conversations are private and therefore to overhear, record,monitor or listen to such private conversations may be in breach of this Act, unless consent to therecording is appropriately obtained.
Inappropriate behaviour outside of school hours
Students may receive disciplinary consequences for bullying or cyberbullying or other inappropriate
online behaviour that occurs out of school hours, and affects the good order and management of theschool.

21

Appendix 3

Preventing and responding to bullying
Purpose
1. Brisbane State High School strives to create positive, predictable environments for all students
at all times of the day. The disciplined teaching environment that we are creating is essential to:▪ achieving overall school improvement, including the effectiveness and efficiency of ourstudent support procedures▪ raising achievement and attendance▪ promoting equality and diversity and▪ ensuring the safety and well-being of all members of the school community.
2.

The agreed national definition for Australian schools describes bullying as• ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeatedverbal, physical and/or social behaviour that intends to cause physical, social
and/or psychological harm;• involving an individual or a group misusing their power, or perceived power,
over one or more persons who feel unable to stop it from happening;• happening in person or online, via various digital platforms and devices and it
can be obvious (overt) or hidden (covert). Bullying behaviour is repeated, or
has the potential to be repeated, over time (for example, through sharing ofdigital records);• having immediate, medium and long-term effects on those involved, including
bystanders. Single incidents and conflict or fights between equals, whether inperson or online, are not defined as bullying.
Behaviours that do not constitute bullying include:• mutual arguments and disagreements (where there is no power imbalance)• not liking someone or a single act of social rejection• one-off acts of meanness or spite• isolated incidents of aggression, intimidation or violence.
However, these conflicts are still considered serious and need to be addressed and resolved.
Our staff will work to quickly respond to any matters raised of this nature in collaboration withstudents and parents.

3. There is no place for bullying in Brisbane State High School. Research indicates that both thosebeing bullied and those who bully are at risk for behavioural, emotional and academic problems.
These outcomes are in direct contradiction to our school community’s goals and efforts forsupporting all students.
4. Bullying behaviours that will not be tolerated here include name-calling, taunting, mocking,making offensive comments, kicking, hitting, pushing, taking belongings, inappropriate text
messaging, sending offensive or degrading images by phone or internet, producing offensive
graffiti, gossiping, excluding people from groups, and spreading hurtful and untruthful rumours.
5. Bullying may be related to:▪ race, religion or culture▪ disability▪ appearance or health conditions▪ sexual orientation▪ sexist or sexual language▪ young carers or children in care.
6. There is broad agreement among students, staff and parents that bullying is observable andmeasurable behaviour. When considering whether or not bullying has occurred, we will therefore
avoid speculation on the intent of the behaviour, the power of individuals involved, or the22frequency of its occurrence. Whether bullying behaviour is observed between students of equal
or unequal power, whether it occurs once or several times, and whether or not the persons
involved cite intimidation, revenge, or self-defence as a motive, the behaviour will be responded
to in similar fashion, that is, as categorically unacceptable in the school community.
Rationale
7. Research indicates that many problem behaviours are peer-maintained. That is, peers react tobullying in ways that may increase the likelihood of it occurring again in the future. Reactions
include joining in, laughing, or simply standing and watching, rather than intervening to help the
person being bullied. Whilst our school would never encourage students to place themselves atrisk, our anti-bullying procedures involve teaching the entire school a set of safe and effective
response to all problem behaviour, including bullying, in such a way that those who bully are notsocially reinforced for demonstrating it.
8. All students are being explicitly taught the expected school behaviours and receiving high levelsof social acknowledgement for doing so. Adding lessons on bullying and how to prevent andrespond to it is a subset of procedures that our students are already accustomed to.
Prevention
9. Bullying is managed in the context of general conduct that is deliberately kept at high levels. Thismeans that specific problem behaviours can be dealt with more effectively. This will ensure that:▪ Our behaviour support processes will always remain the primary strategy for preventing
problem behaviour, including preventing the subset of bullying behaviour▪ All students have been taught the expected behaviours.
▪ All students are receiving high levels of positive reinforcement for demonstrating
expected behaviours, including those associated with following our routines, from all staff
in the non-classroom areas of the school▪ A high level of quality active supervision is a permanent staff routine in the non-classroom
areas. This means that duty staff members are easily identifiable and are constantly
moving, scanning and positively interacting as they move through the designatedsupervision sectors of the non-classroom areas.
10. Cyberbullying often does not occur at school. Students are explicitly taught Cybersafety. For
example, they are taught how to safely conduct and internet search, what cyberbullying is andwhat they should do if they receive unwanted messages. We tell students:▪ Not to respond to messages but keep them to report to parents and/or teachers
immediately▪ Report any instances they see as a bystander of cyberbullying to parents and/or teachers
immediately.
We will then investigate and respond to any incident of cyberbullying that impacts on school.
11. We take part in the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence. This is to highlight theimportance of bullying issues within our school community and what our school is doing toprevent bullying.

23

The following flowchart explains the actions our teachers will take when they receive a report about
student bullying, including bullying which may have occurred online or outside of the school setting.
Please note that the indicative timeframes will vary depending on the professional judgment ofteachers who receive the bullying complaint and their assessment of immediate risk to student/s.
Timeframes should be clearly discussed and agreed with student and family.

First hour
ListenSame Day
Document

Day twoCollect••••

Provide a safe, quiet space to talk
Reassure the student that you will listen to them
Let them share their experience and feelings without interruption
If you hold immediate concerns for the student's safety, let the student know how you willaddress these. Immediate in this circumstance is where the staff member believes thestudent is likely to experience harm (from others or self) within the next 24 hours

•
•
•
•
•
•

Ask the student for examples they have of the alleged bullying (e.g. hand written notes orscreenshots)
Write a record of your communication with the student
Check back with the student to ensure you have the facts correct
Provide immediate strategies for the student to apply so they can return to classEnter the record in OneSchool and notify parents
Notify parent/s that the issue of concern is being investigated

•
•
•
•

Gather additional information from other students, staff or family
Review any previous reports or records for students involved
Include who, what, where, when and how
Clarify information with student and check on their wellbeing•

Day three
Discuss•••••

Evaluate the information to determine if bullying has occurred or if another disciplinary
matter is at issue
Make a time to meet with the student to discuss next steps
Ask the student what they believe will help address the situation
Engage the student as part of the solution
Provide the student and parent with information about student support network
Agree to a plan of action and timeline for the student, parent and yourself

Day four
Implement••••

Document the plan of action in OneSchool
Complete all actions agreed with student and parent within agreed timeframes
Monitor student and check in regularly on their wellbeing
Seek assistance from student support network if needed

Day five
Review•••••

Meet with the student to review situation
Discuss what has changed, improved or worsened
Explore other options for strengthening student wellbeing or safety
Report back to parent
Record outcomes in OneSchool

Ongoing
Follow up••••

Continue to check in with student on regular basis until concerns have been mitigated
Record notes of follow-up meetings in OneSchool
Refer matter to specialist staff within 48 hours if problems escalate
Look for opportunities to improve school wellbeing for all students

24

25

Appendix 4

Appropriate use of social media
The internet, mobile phones and social media provide wonderful opportunities for students to
network and socialise online. While these technologies provide positive platforms for sharing ideas,
they also have the potential to cause pain and suffering to individuals, groups or even wholecommunities.
It’s important to remember that sometimes negative comments posted about the school community
have a greater impact than expected. This guide offers some information about how to use social
media in relation to comments or posts about the school community. Reputations of students,
teachers, schools, principals and even parents can be permanently damaged — and in some cases,
serious instances of inappropriate online behaviour are dealt with by police and the court system.
Being aware of a few simple strategies can help keep the use of social media positive andconstructive:• Before you post something online, ask yourself if the community or individual really need to know.
Is it relevant, positive and helpful?
• Remember that what you post online is a direct reflection of who you are. People will potentiallyform lasting opinions of you based on what you post online.
• Be a good role model. If things get heated online consider logging out and taking a few moments
to relax and think. Hasty, emotive responses could inflame situations unnecessarily.
• Be mindful when commenting, try to keep general and avoid posting anything that could identify
individuals.
• Today with the use of social media, online discussions between you and your close friends canvery quickly be shared with a much wider audience, potentially far larger than intended.
• Taking a few moments to think about the content you are about to post could save upset,embarrassment, and possible legal action.
• Parents have a role in supervising and regulating your child’s online activities at home and its
impact on the reputation and privacy of others. Parents are their child’s first teachers — so they
will learn online behaviours from you.
Is it appropriate to comment or post about schools, staff or students?
Parental and community feedback is important for schools and the department. If you have acompliment, complaint or enquiry about an issue at school, the best approach is to speak directly tothe school about the matter, rather than discussing it in a public forum.
While many schools use social media to update parents of school notices, the department prefers
that parents contact schools directly with a compliment, complaint or enquiry due to privacy
considerations. Imagine if your doctor, accountant or banking institution tried to contact you to
discuss important matters via Facebook.
If you have raised an issue with a school or know that another person has, consider refraining fromdiscussing those details on social media, particularly the names of anyone involved.
Keep comments calm and polite, just as you would over the telephone or by email. If you encounter
negative or derogatory content online which involves the school, hinders a child’s learning and/or
affects the school community at large, contact the school principal.

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Possible civil or criminal ramifications of online commentary
A serious instance of inappropriate online behaviour may constitute a criminal offence and becomea police matter. For example, online content may substantiate the offence of ‘using a carriage service
to menace, harass or cause offence’ (Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) s. 474.17). School staff may
contact their union or obtain personal legal advice if they feel that online content seriously impacts
their reputation. Defamatory online content may give rise to litigation under the Defamation Act 2005
(Qld).
What about other people’s privacy?
If you upload photos of your children, be mindful of who might be in the background. You might behappy to share your child’s successes with your friends and family via social media, but some parents
are not. If you are tagging or naming students, consider that other parents may not want their child’sname attached to images online.
What if I encounter problem content?
Taking the following steps may help resolve the issue in a constructive way:
• refrain from responding• take a screen capture or print a copy of the concerning online content• if you consider problem content to be explicit, pornographic or exploitative of minors, you should
keep a record of the URL of the page containing that content but NOT print or share it. The URL
can be provided to the school principal, or police, as needed for escalation of serious concerns• block the offending user
• seek assistance from school staff• report the content to the social media provider.

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Appendix 5

Procedures regarding the use or possession of weapons in school
We can work together to keep knives out of school. At Brisbane State High School every student
has the right to feel safe and be safe at school. As a result no knives are allowed to be taken toschool by students. There is no reason for a student to have a knife at school, and it is against thelaw for a student to have a knife at school.
If a student has a knife a school, they can expect serious consequences, such as fines and possibly
jail. Longer jail sentences can be given to young people if someone is injured with a knife during anassault.
What kinds of knife are banned?
▪ No knives of any type are allowed at school, including flick knives, ballistic knives, sheathknives, push daggers, trench knives, butterfly knives, star knives, butter knives, fruit knives
or craft knives, or any item that can be used as a weapon, for example a chisel.
▪ Knives needed for school activities will be provided by the school, and the use of them will
be supervised by school staff.
▪ In circumstances where students are required to have their own knives or sharp tools forparticular subjects or vocational courses, the school will provide information about theprocedures for carrying and storing these items at school.
The Principal can take action against a student who brings a knife to school.
▪
▪
▪
▪

If a student has a knife at school, the principal can inform the police.
Possessing a knife at school may result suspension or exclusion.
Police can search a student and their property at school if they suspect a student has a knife.
A student may be charged with a criminal offence and may face serious consequences ifconvicted, including a fine or jail.

▪

School property such as desks or lockers may be searched if the principal suspects that a
student has a knife on or in school property.
If the principal suspects the student has a knife in their bag, the bag may be temporarily
confiscated until police arrive.
If the student does have a knife at school, it can be confiscated by the principal and given to
the police.

▪
▪

How can parents help to keep our school safe?
▪ Make sure your child knows what the laws and rules about knives.
▪ Check that your child does not carry a knife on their person or in their bag.
▪ Contact your school principal if you believe your child is being bullied or threatened at school.

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Appendix 6
Considerations for taking Incident Statements
Name: ………………………………………………… Date: ………………………
Person Completing Form: ……………………………………………………………..
PROBLEM BEHAVIOUR
Date of incident

Time incident started

Time incident ended

Where was the student when the incident occurred?

Who was working with the student when the incident occurred?

Where was staff member when the incident occurred?

Who was next to the student when the incident occurred?

Who else was in the immediate area when the incident occurred?

What was the general atmosphere like at the time of the incident?

What was the student doing at the time of the incident?

What occurred immediately before the incident? Describe the activity, task, event.

Describe what the student did during the incident.

Describe the level of severity of the incident. (e.g. damage, injury to self/others)

Describe who or what the incident was directed at.

What action was taken to de-escalate or re-direct the problem?

Briefly give your impression of why the student engaged in the above-described incident. (e.g. wasangry because I asked him/her to stop teasing).

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