Over recent months, we have been continuing an important piece of school culture work focused on strengthening a shared and consistent approach to student wellbeing, behaviour, and belonging across the school.

As many families will know, we introduced our four shared expectations in 2025:

Be Kind
Be Safe
Be Responsible
Be Ready to Learn

These expectations give children and young people clear, simple language that can be understood across the school and help create consistency in classrooms, playgrounds, transitions, and shared spaces. We are also delighted to now have a magnificent visual representation of the Four Expectations, created by Raphaela Mazonne, which beautifully brings this shared language to life for our students.

This year, our work is being deepened through our implementation of Kim John Payne’s ISS (Integrative Student Support), a framework that helps us understand student needs more fully and respond in ways that are thoughtful, proportionate, and collaborative.

At its heart, ISS recognises that behaviour is a form of communication. Alongside clear expectations and boundaries, we are asking not only “What happened?” but also “What might this child need?”

This means staff are considering the whole child through three connected lenses:

• Learning – engagement, access, and support needs
• Social and Behavioural – friendships, emotional and behavioural regulation, and belonging
• Emotional Wellbeing - providing tools and the supports that may support being well at school.

We are also strengthening our internal support pathways so that responses are clear, consistent, and collaborative. Many concerns are resolved through strong classroom practice, relational support, and clear expectations. Where needs are more complex, teachers work alongside learning support, wellbeing staff, and leadership so that no teacher is holding these challenges alone.

In the High School, this work is also taking shape through the development of a Student Action Committee , creating meaningful opportunities for student voice and active contribution to school culture and community life.

We are consciously creating warm, clear boundaries, supporting children and young people well, and building a culture where expectations are understood, shared, and lived.

Families are important partners in this work. In Term 3, we will host a parent education evening to share more about our approach to student wellbeing, behaviour support, and ISS, and to continue the conversation together.

We know that meaningful culture work takes time. We grow culture together through shared language, shared understanding, and steady practice and we are encouraged by the progress being made and look forward to continuing this work together.