Schools discipline system
Hunters Hill High School has a ‘step system' which has a number of sequential levels to offer a moderated response to disciplinary issues. Prior to any use of the ‘step system', teachers would use their normal repertoire of disciplinary strategies, including, but not limited to:
- positive encouragement
- rewarding constructive behaviours
- appropriate warnings of breaches of the school's code of conduct
- counselling by the teacher
- other imposed consequences
- moving students within the classroom
- isolating the student within another teacher's class.
Step 1 involves the classroom teacher counselling the student and making contact with the family.
Step 2 is managed by the relevant head teacher and involves student counselling and contact with the family.
Step 3 is managed by the deputy principal and involves student counselling and contact with the family.
The school has a range of monitoring books to assist students with improving their behaviour. The monitoring responsibility for these books is shared between the school and the parents on a day-by-day check of each lesson.
- Yellow book – monitors one subject area only (behaviour concerns in that course) at school, this is supervised by the teacher or head teacher.
- Green book – monitors all subjects (frequently at the student's or a parent's request) at school, it is checked daily by the year advisor.
- Blue book – monitors all subjects (usually after moderate misbehaviour) at school, it is checked daily by the deputy principal.
- Red book – monitors all subjects (usually after suspension or serious misbehaviour) at school, it is checked daily by the deputy principal.
The most extreme behaviours including theft, violence, aggressive behaviour and continued disobedience may invoke the use of the Department of Education's guidelines for suspension and expulsion.