Positive student behaviour through parent and carer engagement
By building strong partnerships and understanding and engaging with families, we can create a supportive environment for positive change and improved student outcomes.
Warwick Farm Public School
Understanding the whole family’s situation has helped Warwick Farm Public School reduce behavioural problems and improve learning outcomes.
School Snapshot
Warwick Farm Public School is in the Liverpool area of western Sydney. It has 211 students, of which three quarters come from a language background other than English, and 54% are from a low socio-economic background.
Understanding the whole family
Understanding the whole family’s situation has helped Warwick Farm Public School reduce behavioural problems and improve learning outcomes.
Some families of the school are highly mobile or have a range of urgent needs. This includes refugee, temporary visa holders through to families finding themselves in difficult circumstances.
“For children to thrive, it’s crucial to ensure the school is a place where they feel safe and can learn,” said Relieving Principal Karen Mulder.
As such, the school has provided a range of support programs, from English language, Parent and Carer Interactional Therapy, financial literacy, cyber security and wellbeing programs.
It also connects with the Liverpool neighbourhood centre, which runs the school canteen as well as providing employment skills programs to those parents who need them.
A further connection is with the local police in order to create new perceptions that they are there to help, given that many students have not have positive experiences with police.
“We make sure students feel safe and have good wrap around support. The school needs to be a place they can learn, feel safe and use strategies to enhance their wellbeing” said Ms Mulder.
“We try to provide the support that we feel our families need,” she said, noting that support can include a general conversation out in the playground or a food hamper supplied by Dignity.
Results
As a result, parents are more willing to engage in open communication with the school, from admin staff to teachers, with the end result being students who are a lot more settled.
This ‘whole-of-school’ approach means teachers can address the academic needs of their students rather than behaviour.
“At the end of the day, a happy family equates to a happy student – and happy students learn better,” said Ms Mulder.
Originally published: 26-Sep-2022