There has been some modification to the system of student behaviour management at Marryatville. Many aspects of the previous operation of detentions and the withdrawal room has been replaced by a more coordinated approach to teacher support, student welfare and management.

Most students at Marryatville are progressing effectively in their subjects, co-curricular activities and their interactions with their peers and the staff. However we have found that a small but significant minority are not realising their potential through repeated inappropriate behaviour that is increasingly interfering with the work of other students and very wasteful of staff time.

Two staff members, Joy Fletcher and Jane Whitelock are timetabled into the Focus Room to provide support for teachers and students in dealing with persistent and inappropriate low-level student behaviours. They collaborate closely with home group teachers, year level managers, counsellors, parent/caregivers and senior administration.

An outline of the Focus Room process.

In the initial stages of inappropriate and persistent low-level behaviour in the classroom or elsewhere in the school, teachers will use strategies as they do currently to help students realise the effects of their actions and the expectation that they make the most of their considerable opportunities here. These strategies will take various forms and we expect students to respond to them. These may include: use of student counsellors, diary notes to parents, parent contact, and various in class behaviour management methods and monitoring. "Duties" will be issued for minor misdemeanours and if these are not completed on the negotiated day and time, an after school 20 minute detention is issued.

If there is no response to these methods a student may be sent to the Focus Room, and a documented process is initiated. As the information from the teacher is processed, the student writes an account of the reasons for their referral, and appropriate action will then be taken. The student is expected to work quietly while in the room. Once the lesson is over the student returns to normal classes. The student will also be set an after-school detention and will book into one of the next three scheduled sessions to complete the 20 minute period involved. If a student fails to attend the detention without negotiation then the detention is doubled.

What happens next is a significant departure from previous practice. Detentions are recorded and if students reach four referrals they are expected to attend the next available Saturday School. This involves students' attendance at school, in uniform, to work quietly schoolwork for two hours from 9.00am to 11.00am on a designated Saturday. We hope that students will not get to this stage. We believe that students can make choices about their behaviour but must accept the consequences if those choices are not appropriate.

In terms of documentation of the whole process, we will issue a detention letter to the student and post a copy home to parents/caregivers. Focus room staff will communicate with the year level managers, homegroup teachers and counsellors as appropriate, as well as getting back to the referring teacher. This will ensure that everyone who can help the student to overcome problems is fully informed. If necessary, focus room staff will approach some or all of these people to organise specific intervention. The front office will receive a copy of all Saturday School letters for inclusion in the students individual file.
A further specific sequence is then followed if necessary.

One of the strengths of this system is that all of this data will be entered onto a computer straight away and will be easily and immediately accessible. This is useful for parent meetings and inter-agency referrals. Early identification of students with repeat referrals will allow quick follow up, support and intervention.

We trust that the combination of this lock-step procedure combined with negotiation, counselling, re-framing and parental contact will allow flexibility yet retain the integrity of a framework within which to work. This should not be seen as simply a "punishment" system. We do hope that the escalation of consequences and support provided will help students to avoid Saturday school and suspensions and the resulting disruption of their studies and inconvenience for their families.

We will also monitor student lateness (if students arrive after morning home group) and early departures in collaboration with student services. The room will be staffed from 8.30am to the end of the school day except for detention days when it will be open until 3.50pm