School Rules

Overview

Kelmscott Senior High School takes particular pride in our high expectations of our students. Our school rules are based on the concepts of COURTESY, CONSIDERATION and COOPERATION. If followed, a happy, efficient and safe school life will be maintained for all students allowing them to achieve to their best ability.

Discipline

Lower School:

We have introduced a program designed to give students more responsibility for their own actions and at the same time give teachers the opportunity to teach without disruption.

Students are encouraged to be active participants in the group learning situation. However, any student who chooses to be continually disruptive to the learning of others, refusing to change his/her behaviour, will be removed from the class group. Such students will be supervised elsewhere in the school: by senior teachers in other classrooms, in faculty isolation and, in extreme cases, in the Time-Out Room. Parents are informed by letter immediately a student is sent to the Time-Out Room.

To resume normal classes, a student must negotiate with the teacher concerned.

Students who disrupt the Time-Out Room may be suspended from school.

Students returning from suspension must go to the Time-Out Room to complete a satisfactory contract for the Deputy Principal before being readmitted to their regular classes.

In cases of severe disruptive behaviour and recurring suspension from school, parents will be required to attend an interview with a deputy principal before the child is readmitted.

Upper School:

Upper school students are entering the most important facet of their education. At the end of Year 12 they are in statewide competition for limited places in University, TAFE or employment. Accordingly students must be given every opportunity to succeed. It is the schools intention to provide in every classroom an opportunity where:

Put simply, every time there is a disruption in the classroom the performance of every student suffers. Every time a student disrupts a class, the teaching-learning program stops and student performance will suffer. None of us can afford these disruptions. So if a student is jeopardising the future of his peers the following steps will be taken:

  1. An opportunity will be given to the student to take responsibility for his/her own behaviour and correct any misbehaviour.
  2. If the student does not accept this responsibility, behavioural reports will be sent to the Head of Department.
  3. On receipt of two of these reports, the student will be placed on a behavioural contract by the affected department.
  4. If this contract is broken, the incidents will be referred to the Deputy who, with the Year Co-ordinator, will commission a school-wide report on the student.
  5. On the basis of this evidence, a panel will be formed consisting of a Deputy, Year Co-ordinator, Teacher and Head of Department representative. Parents will be invited to attend this interview. At the interview, the student will need to justify to the panel reasons for his/her continuing enrolment and commit to a school-wide behavioural contract.
  6. Breaches of this contract will result in the student being asked to leave school.

Of course if there are any serious breaches of conduct, eg such as verbal abuse, physical assault or substance abuse, the student will receive an automatic suspension and step 4 will be initiated. It is hoped these measures will minimise the disruption in classes and ensure that those students who are jeopardising the educational program will be dealt with appropriately.

Other Offences

Any behaviour which interferes with the learning or rights of other students is dealt with through the Managing Student Behaviour system. However, there are a number of serious misdemeanours which lead to immediate serious sanctions.

Drugs
Possession of drugs involves immediate suspension and police intervention.

Anti-Bullying
The school has a strong anti-bullying and harassment policy. Students are encouraged to report any incidents of bullying. The school treats incidents of bullying seriously and acts promptly to address any problems. The school Bullying Policy is central to school rules and the ethos of the school.

Fights
The school treats assault particularly seriously and accordingly automatically suspends students involved in fights. Incidents of fighting within the school are relatively rare occasions due to the pro-active policies of the school.

Smoking
Smoking is not permitted at school. Smoking results in after school detention (30 minutes) for two days. During detention the students work through drug education exercises.