We are a PB4L school

Plateau School is taking part in a national initiative for schools called “Positive Behaviour for Learning” or PB4L for short. 

This webpage provides information about why we are taking part in PB4L, what is involved and how you can contribute. It includes a short summary, followed by more detailed information.

PB4L: the short story

PB4L is about building a school-wide culture of positive behaviour and learning.  It uses a three tiered process and takes 3-5 years to put in place.  We started Tier 1 in 2018 and will be continuing to work on it in 2019.  Tier 1 focuses on having a consistent school-wide approach to managing behaviour.  When we have Tier 1 in place:

All students, staff, and whanau will know the behaviour that is expected at Plateau School

Staff will teach, demonstrate and reinforce positive behaviour

Undesirable behaviours will be responded to in a fair and equitable way

The same expectations will apply across the entire school and in all school activities

We will have good data about behavioural incidents that we can use to identify our current situation, make changes, and assess whether what we are doing is working.

PB4L is based in international evidence which shows that it works. By taking part in PB4L we should see improved behaviour and learning across our school.

We will be asking for community input at throughout the process.  We will use this website and other channels such as the newsletter and Facebook to keep you up to date on progress.

PB4L: the details

Why are we taking part in PB4L?

To create a safe, secure and positive school environment through a consistent approach to managing behaviour. 

We all want a safe, secure and positive school environment for our children, staff and families.   While we have a lot of good things in place, and Plateau school is generally a safe and happy place to learn, we can always do better. We want to be clearer about the behaviour we would like to see and what we will do if that behaviour is not happening.   This is important for students, their whanau, and for staff.  We also want our students to be able to manage their own behaviour, resolve conflict and work constructively with others.  PB4L can help us achieve these aims.

What is PB4L?

PB4L is about building a school-wide culture of positive behaviour and learning.

PB4L is about changing the environment, systems and practices we have in place to support students to make positive behaviour choices. PB4L takes the approach that opportunities for learning and achievement increase if:

the school environment is positive and supportive

expectations are consistently clear

students are consistently taught desired behaviours

students are consistently acknowledged for desired behaviours and undesirable behaviours are responded to in a fair and equitable way.

How do we know PB4L will work for us?

PB4L is based on international evidence and can be tailored to our school’s environment and needs.

PB4L is based on the Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework developed at the University of Oregon in the 1990s. PBIS is now in thousands of schools across the United States and there are over 800 schools involved in New Zealand.  We receive training, support and funding from the Ministry of Education to implement PB4L at our school.

PB4L can be adapted to match our school’s needs.  It will complement our current approaches to managing behaviour and learning, such as restorative practice.  It will not replace these.  Rather it will help us use these practices consistently and effectively across the entire school.

What does PB4L involve?

PB4L involves gathering data, establishing systems, and selecting practices that support students to achieve desired outcomes.

Gathering data to support decision making

We collect data on inappropriate behaviour at school.  This includes what happened, who was involved, where did it happen, when did it happen, and why did it happen?

We use this information to identify patterns of behaviour so that we can respond.  For example, if we noticed that there was a lot of problem behaviour happening on the field in the last 15 minutes of lunchtime then we could put something in place to deal with that specific problem.

Our data helps us to identify our current situation, make changes, and assess whether what we are doing is working.

Establishing systems to support staff to implement PB4L

We need systems in place if PB4L is going to work.  For example we have a PB4L team which has regular meetings, considers the data, and leads the rollout of PB4L across the school.

Selecting practices that work to support students to achieve desired outcomes

Practices are what the school does to encourage expected behaviour and respond to inappropriate behaviour e.g. restorative practices.  These practices should be chosen based on evidence of what works.

What is the process for putting PB4L in place?

PB4L takes schools through a three tiered process.

Tier 1 is the foundation on which the other two tiers are built. It looks at the support systems and processes across the whole school – things that impact on all students and adults.  

Tier 2 looks at interventions for students who require additional behaviour and learning support.

Tier 3 looks at more individualised and intensive support for students who experience chronic, severe and challenging behaviour.

PB4L takes at least 3-5 years to put in place. We started Tier 1 in 2018 and will continue to work on it in 2019.  We will only move on to Tier 2 once we have Tier 1 fully in place.

What has Plateau school done so far?

Tier 1 has seven essential steps.  Here is our progress towards putting Tier 1 in place:

Sustaining principal commitment

Principal, staff, and Board of Trustees commitment has been established

Initial meetings and training with the Ministry of Education have been completed

Setting up for success

A PB4L team has been set up and has:

Developed an action plan to put PB4L in place

Reviewed current behaviour management and rewards systems to see if they fit with PB4L

Reviewed systems for collecting data on behavioural incidents

Consulted with students, staff and whanau on school values

The PB4L team is currently:

Looking at feedback on school values

Developing draft values which will go back to the school community for comment

Identifying positive expectations

In Term 4 2018, the PB4L team plans to:

Identify expected behaviours across the school (this will define specific behaviours

expected across all school contexts such as playground, classroom, assembly etc.)

Get feedback from the school community on expected behaviours.

Confirm expected behaviours

Set out how expected behaviours will be acknowledged consistently across the school.

Teaching expected behaviour

From Term 1, 2019:

Teachers will start teaching expected behaviour

Acknowledging expected behaviour

In 2019, the team will continue to work on;

Providing the school community with clear information on  how expected behaviours will be acknowledged consistently across the school

Discouraging inappropriate behaviour

In 2019, the team will continue to work on;

Staff will acknowledge expected behaviour consistently across the school

Defining major and minor inappropriate behaviour

Setting out the consequences of major and minor inappropriate behaviour

Clarifying how inappropriate behaviour will be dealt with (processes)

Monitoring and evaluation

Data gathering, monitoring and evaluation will be happening throughout the process.

What should we expect to see as a result of taking part in PB4L?

We should see improved behaviour and learning.

PB4L takes at least 3-5 years to put in place. Over this time, we should see:

incidents of problem behaviour decline

the behaviour of students improve

teachers spending more time teaching

students more engaged and achieving.

How you can be involved?

The PB4L team will be asking for your input as we go through the process over the next 3-5 years.

We will be asking for community input at different points throughout the process.  We will use this website and other school communications such as the newsletter and Facebook to keep everyone up to date on progress.

Where can I get more information?

You can read more about PB4L on the Ministry of Education website:

pb4l.tki.org.nz/PB4L-School-Wide. 

Or speak to one of the members of the Plateau PB4L team.

The PB4L team

The Plateau PB4L team members are:

Nigel Frater - Principal

Elizabeth Morris – Deputy Principal, Paua

Laura Collins – Tuatara

Mel Freemantle – Pukeko

Pip Thompson – Teacher Aide

Haylee Partridge – Kea/SENCO

Sarah Byrne – Parent and BOT representative

Victoria Owen - parent