School Policies


1.  Homework
2.  Mobile Phones
3.  Dress Code
4.  Health and Well Being
5.  Before School Procedure
6.  Behaviour
7.  Internet
8.  Bullying
9. Inclusivity



1.  Homework
Homework is set on a class basis. Parents are expected to support their children in completing homework requirements. It is suggested that students read each night, in addition to homework set by the class teacher in accordance with the school's Homework Policy.
Recommended homework times for each year level:

  • Kindergarten/Pre-primary          10-15 minutes each night
  • Year One to Three                     15-20 minutes each night
  • Year Four and Five                    20-30 minutes each night
  • Year Six                                     30-40 minutes each night
 

2.  Mobile Phones
In line with Education Department policy, students are not to bring mobile phones to school. If a student does bring one to school, it is to be brought to the Admin Office, where it will be kept until the end of the day.
 
3.  Dress Code
The Wattle Grove Primary School Community has established a dress code for all students attending the school.
We believe that a dress code:

  • Fosters and enhances public image
  • Assists in building school and team spirit
  • Ensures that students are safely dressed for specific school activities
  • Encourages equity among the students and
  • Prepares students for work, as many workplaces have specific dress and safety codes

 
4.  Health and Well Being

At all times the well being of the student is be our ultimate priority. The office staff administer basic first aid to all students. If the child is beyond basic first aid (injured or ill) every attempt is made to contact the parents to advise them of the problem. If we are unable to contact the parent, the Principal is to be advised of the situation and a decision will be made as to the best course of action and what medical treatment the student requires.


School Health Nurse
The School Health Nurse visits our school on a regular basis. The main role of the Health Nurse in the school is routine screening for general health, hearing, vision, certain infectious diseases and scoliosis. Staff will be advised as much as possible about any anticipated interruptions to scheduled classes for medical purposes.

Sick or Injured Children
Parents are advised that they will be contacted at home or work if it is felt that their child is too sick to remain at school, or if some form of medical attention is needed. The school has very limited first aid facilities and only minor care can be given by school staff.

School Health Checks
On enrolling their children parents are required to fill in a medical card, or if transferring from another West Australian State School, have it sent on. From time to time members of the School Health Services carry out checks and examinations of children. A nurse visits the school on request and parents who feel they should contact her about a medical matter can do so through the school.

Routine Screening  
This is done for all children at these Year levels:

  • Kindergarten - Pre Primary: vision, hearing and general health
  • Year 1: vision and hearing for those who didn't get this done in PrePrimary

Immunisation Policy
Upon enrolment all parents are requested to provide a photocopy of their child's immunisation records. It is Health Department policy to exclude children who are incompletely immunised from attending school during outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases.

Communicable and Infectious Diseases
There are a number of illnesses which require that the child be excluded from school for a period of time. Some of the more common ones are Chicken Pox, Measles, Mumps, Ringworm and School Sores but there are many others. If you have a sick child and are in doubt about whether or not they should attend school please contact the Health Nurse or school to discuss the matter.
 
Chicken Pox: Infected by - contact with infected persons and indirectly through articles freshly soiled by discharges from an infected person. Incubation Period: 13-17 days (usually 12 days). Period of Communicability - from 2 days before rash to 6 days after onset of last crop of blisters. Exclude from school until feeling well and all lesions are crusted (no blisters).
Impetigo-School Sores: Caused by - contact with infected person. Incubation Period: 1-3 days. Period of Communicability - Until sores are treated. Exclude from school until effective treatment (including the proper use of occlusive dressings) has been instituted.
Measles: Infected by - Spray or droplets from infected person, or indirectly through articles freshly soiled by discharges from nose or throat of infected person. Incubation Period: 8-14 days (usually 10 days). Period of Communicability - from 4-5 days before rash to 4 days after.
Conjunctivitis: Caused by - direct or indirect contact with secretion from infected eyes or insect carriers. Period of Communicability - while eye discharge is present. Exclude from school until discharge from eyes has ceased.
Head Lice: Head Lice are now resistant to most chemical treatments. Any use of pesticide treatment must be diligently followed by manual removal of all eggs and adult lice for a 21 day cycle. Detailed plans to do this are available from office staff and the school nurse. Weekly checks, tying long hair back and frequent brushing are good preventative measures. If live head lice are found in a child's hair they should be sent to the front office and parents will then be contacted and requested to collect their child and commence treatment.

Dental Therapy 
The Dental Therapy Centre is situated on the school site and provides a dental service to the children at our school and other local schools.  They are accessed directly via Thorogood Avenue.  For more information, you can contact the Dental Therapy Centre directly on 9453 6969, or via HealthDirect.

 
5. Before School Procedure
Children are encouraged not to be at school before 8:30am because there is no one on duty. If they are at school earlier than 8.30am then they are to sit in the Undercover Area where the  Principal or Deputy Principal's will be out on duty.
All year students can then go into class at 8:30am when the siren sounds and organise and prepare themselves for the day. This requires them to get out their chair, pencil case, sharpen pencils and other necessary tasks as directed by the teacher.
There is to be no playing before school to ensure the safety of everyone.
For safety reasons, children are not to play on the play equipment before or after school either. Children are to walk their bikes, scooters and skateboards on and off the school grounds and keep them secured in the bicycle enclosure.
 
 

6. Behaviour
The Behaviour Management Policy was formulated by a committee consisting of parents and teachers. The school has a Code of Conduct and expects this code to be followed by all students without exception. This enables students to have a clear understanding of the expectations regarding their behaviour.
Discipline is rated highly by parents as a characteristic of a good school. At Wattle Grove Primary School, we reward children for their efforts to do the œright thing. However, if children choose to disobey the Code of Conduct, there are consequences.
 
SCHOOL CODE OF CONDUCT
As a member of the Wattle Grove Primary School community,
 

1.  I will be a responsible and respectful.
2.  I will be cooperative.
3.  I will look after property (personal, school, other).
4.  I will play and work in a safe manner.
5.  I will speak appropriately and politely.

 
7.  Internet

Wattle Grove Primary School offers its students and staff access to the Internet in all of its classrooms and wet areas. While the Internet offers great opportunities for educational use, it also contains the possibility of misuse.  It is our mission to assist our students, parents and staff in making correct and informed decisions regarding its usage and the value of the information they discover.
Our Beliefs

  • At Wattle Grove Primary School, access to the Internet is a privilege provided to enhance education, not a right.
  • Access to the Internet carries responsibilities that should be observed at all times.
  • With responsible use of the Internet, equal access to information is assured for all students.
  • Wattle Grove Primary School endorses the use of the Internet as an educational tool.
  • All uses of the Internet will be consistent with existing policies of the Department of Education (DoE).
  • While working on the Internet, students and staff are expected to follow general "Netiquette"- basically good manners on the Internet.
  • The school Internet service provides access to educational and curriculum related information.
  • The Internet should be used for educational purposes through classroom related activities and guided activities.
  • Images showing pornographic, explicit, violent or illegal activities are not permitted to be accessed or shown on computers at Wattle Grove Primary School.
  • Children should be made aware that not all information on the Internet is necessarily correct or accurate and be encouraged to be discerning and critical in their usage and evaluation of material viewed.
  • All users should be aware of the laws of copyright and our policy regarding these and abide by them. Plagiarism is unacceptable.
  • Bullying, harassment, swearing, and other offensive behaviours are not acceptable behaviours and use of the Internet. 


Code Of Conduct for Use of the School's Internet/E-Mail Facilities
The Internet Code of Conduct applies at all times, in and out of school hours, whilst using school equipment. Internet and e-mail access will be provided to students if they have returned the signed (parent and student) Internet Code of Conduct agreement form. This policy is intended as a general outline of our school's approach. It is not intended to be an authoritative guide to every aspect of Learning Technology usage.
 
8.  Bullying

Wattle Grove Primary School has a commitment to providing a safe and supportive learning environment. This includes having a no tolerance approach to bullying within our school and behaviour management procedures. In conjunction with these procedures, we also endeavour to foster resilience, by teaching appropriate strategies for handling bullying situations and developing a stronger sense of self-esteem and confidence.

What is Bullying?

Despite varied definitions, it is generally agreed that three core elements exist in any bullying behaviour.  These include:

  • A deliberate intent to harm
  • A power imbalance between the perpetrator and the victim
  • Often repeated behaviour

Factors Contributing to Bullying

  • Friendship breakdown
  • High achievement (academic or other)
  • Differences in physical appearance
  • Ethnicity
  • Sexual orientation
  • Being new to an area or group

School bullying is a type of bullying that occurs in connection with education, either inside or outside of school. Bullying can be physical, verbal, or emotional and is usually repeated over a period of time.

Tips for Parents

  • Ask your child what he or she thinks should be done. What's already been tried? What worked and what didn't?
  • Seek help from your child's teacher or the school Administration.
  • Don't encourage your child to fight back. Instead, suggest that he or she try walking away to avoid the bully, or that they seek help from a teacher or other adult.
  • Help your child practice what to say to the bully so he or she will be prepared the next time.
  • Help your child practice being assertive. The simple act of insisting that the bully leave him/her alone may have a surprising effect. Explain to your child that the bully's true goal is to get a response.
  • Encourage your child to be with friends when travelling back and forth from school or on other outings. Bullies are less likely to pick on a child in a group.

Additional References

Please refer to these websites for a œchild friendly way to discuss these issues with your child.
www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/natsafeschools_file.pdf

www.kidsmatter.edu.au/primary/programs/friendly-schools-and-families/
raisingchildren.net.au/articles/bullying_helping_your_child.html
Cyberbullying | eSafety Commissioner
 

9. Inclusivity
Building an Inclusive School
At Wattle Grove Primary School we aim to be inclusive of the diverse range of student's interests, ability and cultural background. To accommodate this range and support student's individual needs we provide specialised programs for students at educational risk (SAER), gifted and talented (GATE) and those who come from a language background other than English (LBOTE), which is also referred to as English as a second language/dialect (ESL/ESD).

To ensure students reach their full potential we monitor and track student's progress with a range of assessment tools. This enables us to identify areas of concern and develop appropriate intervention strategies. Early intervention is particularly important in the early grades as it is essential to access the curriculum in all learning areas. For instance, given that oral language is the precursor to all other language skills we regularly screen student's speech to ensure it is age appropriate. If necessary, this may result in a referral to a government or private speech pathologist.
Communication to parents about students who access extra support is an essential component of our processes. For instance, in Term 1 each year, parents are informed if their child is deemed at educational risk. This is followed up by a meeting with the teacher to discuss the level of risk and possible intervention strategies. If further intervention is required, a case conference is arranged to discuss issues with parents before proceeding with more in-depth assessment and alternative intervention methods.
Students at mild educational risk (SAER) are typically catered for by the teacher with either an individual education plan (IEP), group education plan (GEP) or individual behaviour management (IBMP). If teachers need extra support to develop these programs, we have a SAER and Learning Support Co-ordinator based at the school. For those students who have more complex issues we have access to the Student Service Team. This includes psychologists, social workers, visiting teachers for the learning difficulties and the disabilities.
For those students who are gifted and talented (GATE), the district PEAC (Primary Extension and Challenge) centre offers three types of programs. A PEAC program for Year 56 students, JETS (Junior Extension for Talented Students) for Year 1-4 and an Arts and Drama program for Year 5-6. Typically, the students start with an introductory unit followed by a selection of courses to choose from over the year. Assessment and feedback is provided through the centre and forwarded to teachers and parents. Transport is a parental responsibility.
Students with a language background other that English may require a specialised program which accounts for typical stages of development as defined by the ESL/ESD Progress Maps. This program is delivered by the classroom teacher, ESL teacher and education assistants. Students who have limited English are withdrawn for intensive literacy support.
At Wattle Grove Primary School we have a large body of students from other cultures and as a school, we embrace cultural diversity and aim to provide an inclusive learning program that caters for individual needs.

 

NEWS & INFORMATION
Home Learning Packages
Telephone: 08 9237 6600 Address: 73 St John Road, Wattle Grove WA 6107