Positive school community

Acknowledgement of Country

I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land and pay my respects to Elders past, present and future, for they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

Professional learning goals

■ To better understand the KidsMatter Primary framework. ■ To build our understanding of what helps create a positive school community.

■ To identify the practices your school uses to create a positive school community. ■ To determine what works well, and what could be improved.

Carousel Introductory activity: Option A

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Form two circles



Three questions to come…

Introductory activity: Option A Carousel Where would you rather be just now?

Introductory activity: Option A Carousel Can you think of a recent time when…

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Everything felt ‘just right’?



Time flew past and everything ‘flowed’ for you?



Maybe a school moment, maybe another time?

Introductory activity: Option A Carousel Think of a person who shows resilience or motivates you or is particularly positive…



What makes them that way?

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Is this a quality you have or aspire to have?

Carousel Introductory activity: Option A



Form two circles



Three questions to come…

Carousel Introductory activity: Option A

What makes your school a positive school community?

Carousel Introductory activity: Option A

What is your favourite sport/pastime and why?

Carousel Introductory activity: Option A

What would you like to get from today?

Introductory activity: Option B How well do we know each other?

What is KidsMatter Primary?

A national whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing that aims to contribute to:

KidsMatter Primary professional learning

Increase awareness and understanding of each of the four components Encourage ALL staff to have a voice in contributing to planning for each component

The KidsMatter Primary framework

The guiding principles

 The best interests of children are paramount.

 Respectful relationships are foundational.

 Diversity is respected and valued.

 Parents and carers are recognised as the most important people in children’s lives.

 Parents and teachers support children best by working together.

 Students need to be active participants.

 Schools, health and community agencies work together with families.

The four components of KidsMatter Primary

KidsMatter model for mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention (PPEI) in schools

Whole-school community, staff, students, parents and carers, health and community agencies Works with the whole community and provides support and information to staff, parents and carers All students (and their parents and carers) Through the curriculum, creates opportunities to practise skills and engages parents and carers Students experiencing mental health difficulties (20-30% of students) and the 3-12% of students with mental health disorders, and their parents and carers Supports children in school and develops clear processes and referral pathways (by working with parents and carers and health and community agencies)

Adapted from World Health Organization (1994)

Socio ecological influences on children’s mental health

Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological Model of Human Development adapted for ARACY (The ARACY report card on the wellbeing of young Australians: Technical report 2008)

Activity What is mental health?

A state of wellbeing in which an individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.

“There is no health without mental health.”

WHO (2007)

Mental health (in the context of childhood)

“The capacity to enjoy and benefit from satisfying family life, relationships, and educational opportunities, and to contribute to society in a number of age-appropriate ways. It also includes freedom from problems with emotions, behaviours or social relationships that are sufficiently marked or prolonged to lead to suffering or risk to optimal development in the child, or to distress or disturbance in the family.”

RAPHAEL (2000)

Why is mental health important?

 Mental health is vital for learning and life.

 Children who are mentally healthy: — are better learners and achieve more — are motivated and committed — have positive relationships — are better able to meet life’s challenges — contribute to their families, friends and society in ways that are appropriate for their age — manage the transition to adolescence and adulthood more successfully.

What may help and hinder children’s learning?

Consider the following categories…

Activity

Risk and protective factors for children’s mental health



Risk factors

– increase the chances of children developing mental health difficulties (

for example, childhood adversities).



Protective factors

– are associated with good outcomes for children and can protect them in circumstances where they are exposed to risk.

Risk and protective factors for children’s mental health

(adapted from Commonwealth Dept of Health and Aged Care, 2000 and Spence, 1996)

An outline of what’s to come Session 1:

Positive school community Belonging and connectedness

Session 2:

Inclusion

Session 3:

Collaborative involvement

Session 1 Positive school community

Positive school community

 What comes to mind when you think of a positive community?

 What are three positive memories from your time at school?

 What would have helped school to be more positive?

Activity

Why is a positive school community important?

 It is a protective factor for children’s mental health.

 It affects student’s liking of school, learning motivations and school-appropriate behaviours.

 It fosters a supportive environment for staff, which promotes their wellbeing.

 It encourages families and the community to participate in and contribute to school life.

Positive school community

Protective factors for children’s mental health that schools can impact on include:

These are also important for families and staff.

Session 1

(continued)

Belonging and connectedness

Belonging and connectedness are…

fundamental human needs that relate to feelings of

being valued, accepted, respected

and

cared

about by others.

Activity

Diversity Walk

Think about the student profile you have.

Answer a series of questions.

Significant relationships

 Think about the student you had in the Diversity Walk.

 What significant relationships is this student likely to have with: — School staff?

— Other students?

Relationships (or lack of them) have a strong impact on our sense of belonging and connectedness.

A sense of belonging and connectedness...

 Is about building relationships with (and between) staff, students, families and the community.  Is essential for building a positive school community for all.

 Allows school members to perform well and contribute to their school community.

Benefits of a positive school community

Belonging for students, staff and parents/carers What might it look like?

 Being positive.

 Being able to perform well.

 Feeling safe.

 Being engaged in school activities.

 Coping well with life’s ups and downs.

 Feeling strongly connected to the school.

Of course the opposite may be true if people feel like they don’t belong.

What do we do well?

Give examples of what belonging and connectedness looks like in your school community for:  students  families  staff.

Discussion

Looking outward

What are others doing well?

   KidsMatter Primary school stories Photos, DVD snippets Best practice, for example, literature, websites  KidsMatter Primary resources: – Component 1 information sheets – Implementation Tools – www.kidsmatter.edu.au

Discussion

Discussion Moving forward

 Return to your small groups and focus on either students, families or staff.

 Consider what you would like to see happen for them - set goals, raise any concerns.

The Action Team will incorporate your work into the Component 1 planning.

Next steps

   What can I do as an individual?

What can we do?

What are our next steps (Action Team)?

Activity

Summary

 Three aims: — To promote student mental health.

— To reduce mental health difficulties.

— To increase support and assistance.

 Risk and protective factors.

 Four components.

 Belonging and connectedness are important protective factors for mental health.

 Relationships are key to building belonging and connectedness.

Session 2 Inclusion

Key messages from last session

 Three aims: — To promote student mental health.

— To reduce mental health difficulties.

— To increase support and assistance.

 Risk and protective factors.

 Four components.

 Belonging and connectedness are important protective factors for mental health.

 Relationships are key to building belonging and connectedness.

Inclusion is…

about respecting diversity

If you…

Activity

Planning together

Activity

Positive school community

Protective factors for children’s mental health that schools can impact on include:

These are also important for families and staff.

Inclusion What messages do we send about inclusion to our school community?

 Physical environment  Communication methods  Social involvement  School activities  Curriculum content  Relationships

Walk in my shoes

Activity

Walk in my shoes: My school community

 Who are they?

 Who would feel

most

included?

 Who would feel

least

included?

 What would help everyone feel included?

Checking out our school environment

 Take a journey (real or imagined).

 What are the key messages you get from: — The physical environment?

— The personal environment?

Activity

How inclusive are our practices?

 Start as pairs, then form groups.

 How might your practices impact on feelings of inclusion at school?

 Use the handout and the prompt questions.

 Discuss the questions and record responses.

The Action Team will incorporate your work into the Component 1 planning around inclusion.

Activity

Inclusion…

 Is a protective factor for good mental health.

 Contributes to a positive school community as well as people’s feelings of belonging and connectedness.

 Reduces issues of isolation and discrimination.

 Meets people’s needs and concerns more effectively, enabling them to function better.

Inclusive school policies and practices…

 Are sensitive to diverse cultures, languages, abilities and family circumstances.

 Ensure that: — communications and activities are accessible — different skills and talents are embraced — school stories, music, art, etc are representative — beliefs are known, respected and celebrated.

KidsMatter Primary supporting resources

 Component 1 information sheets, including topics: — About KidsMatter Primary — Cultural diversity and children’s wellbeing — Helping children with additional needs and their mental health  School stories  Implementation Tools  Enewsletters  www.kidsmatter.edu.au

Next steps

  Set a personal goal.

Record it in your workbook.

Activity

Summary

 Inclusion is an important protective factor for mental health.

 Inclusive practices promote a sense of inclusion.

Session 3 Collaborative involvement

Key messages from last session

  Inclusion is an important protective factor for mental health.

Inclusive practices promote a sense of inclusion.

Collaborative involvement in schools is...

a dynamic

process of consultation, participation

and

decision making

for members of the school community.

Working together

Activity

Positive school community

Protective factors for children’s mental health that schools can impact on include:

These are also important for families and staff.

Perspective-taking

 Divide into two groups.

 Each member receives a character card and a school activity or event.

 Introduce your character.

 Describe collaborative involvement from your character’s perspective.

Activity

Collaborative involvement...

 Is closely linked to belonging and connectedness and (therefore) respectful relationships.

 Builds on inclusive practices and policies.

 Provides opportunities to contribute, creating feelings of value and empowerment.

 Provides opportunities to foster support and connections.

 Enriches school decisions and practices.

Optional Activity

A school story about collaboration

Collaborative involvement includes...

 Listening: — understanding the needs and concerns of the diverse groups — consulting appropriately — including those not usually heard — making involvement easy — considering power imbalances.

 Remembering to think about the perspective of others.

Collaborative involvement

 Form groups and focus on either students, families or staff.

 Work through the questions in the workbook.

 Record your key findings to share.

Activity

Moving forward

 Think about the group you focused on – students, families or staff.

 Discuss the questions in the workbook and record your responses.

 Set a personal goal.

Activity

Positive school community

Protective factors for children’s mental health that schools can impact on include:

These are also important for families and staff.

A quick review Component 1 professional learning

    KidsMatter Primary framework — Overview of risk and protective framework.

— Four components of KidsMatter Primary.

Belonging and Connectedness — ‘Positive school community’ activity.

— ‘Diversity Walk’ activity.

— The importance of relationships.

Inclusion — Inclusive practices.

Collaborative Involvement — ‘Perspective-taking’ activity.

— Listening to and including other perspectives.

Evaluation outcomes

 Improvements to student mental health: — Increased positive mental health.

— Reduced mental health difficulties.

— Students experiencing mental health difficulties showed significant improvements in their mental health.

 14% more teachers strongly agreed that KidsMatter Primary led to improvements in students’ schoolwork.

Component 1: Evaluation outcomes

 Initial staff survey ratings high - schools indicated they were already doing a good job.

 Improvements in teacher self-efficacy for developing a sense of belonging in the school community.

 Parents reported that they were more involved in the school because of KidsMatter Primary.  Parents’ connection to schools strengthened or invigorated.