PB4L

What is Pb4l?

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) aims to improve academic success by allowing more time for teaching because the frequency and intensity of behaviour issues are reduced. PB4L is a Ministry of Education funded initiative that is now in over 700 schools throughout New Zealand. Each school tailors PB4L for their own school environment and cultural needs.

This initiative is based on a team approach for creating and sustaining a safe and effective school. It focuses on preventing behaviour issues, developing social skills, reinforcing desired behaviour, consistent management of inappropriate behaviour and using data-based assessment and problem solving to address concerns.

Multiple studies of this approach have shown a sustained drop in behaviour issues, increased instructional time, a positive increase in the learning climate, with corresponding improvements in literacy and numeracy.

What does it look like at Fenwick School?

Our Statement of Purpose is to create an environment that enhances learning by consistently teaching and recognising positive behaviour.

This positive behaviour reflects our Fenwick School Values.

  • Be Respectful

  • Be Responsible

  • Be Your Best

Our school motto is “to provide the best, to achieve the best’. With this in mind we subscribe to the belief that opportunities for learning and achievement increase when:

  • expectations are consistently clear

  • students are consistently taught desired behaviours

  • students are consistently acknowledged (rewarded) for desired behaviours

  • undesirable behaviours are responded to in a fair and equitable way.

Student Acknowledgement

Providing specific, timely, constructive feedback about learning is a well-established feature of best teaching practice (Alton-Lee, 2003; Hattie, 2012). Such feedback promotes learning and supports engagement and motivation. It helps students to know what they are doing well, to establish their next learning steps, and to identify and select the strategies that will help them to solve problems and work towards goals.

A central feature of PB4L is that positive behaviour receives more attention than negative behaviour. PB4L recognises that, along with verbal feedback and praise, tangible acknowledgments can play an important role in teaching and learning behaviours, when used thoughtfully and purposefully.

Progression of Rewards

Every student has a Buzz Card which staff may stamp when they see students displaying our Fenwick Values.

From this point on students can either cash in Buzz Cards for a reward or bank for higher reward.

  • 3 completed Buzz cards earns a choice from shelf one, 15 minutes free time or save cards towards higher rewards

  • 5 completed Buzz cards earns a more impressive choice from shelf two or save cards towards higher rewards

  • 10 completed Buzz cards earns an ultimate reward from shelf three

Discouraging Inappropriate Behaviour

While we focus predominantly on strengthening relationships and encouraging positive behaviour, we also take a consistent approach to discouraging inappropriate student behaviour.

We believe by responding effectively to problem behaviour it helps to:

  • create a learning and social environment that is safe, predictable, and secure for staff and students

  • ensure that inappropriate behaviour is not reinforced

  • focus on teaching and reteaching what students are expected to do; this increases the probability that students will behave appropriately in the future