PBL
At Ipswich West State Special School (IWSSS), we implement Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) as our whole-school framework for creating safe, positive and supportive learning environments where every student can thrive. PBL is underpinned by a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), ensuring all students receive the level of behavioural, academic, social and emotional support they need to be successful.
School Expectations
Safe, Respectful and Learner are the three whole-school expectations that all students are explicitly taught and expected to follow at Ipswich West State Special School. These expectations are the foundation of everything we do and provide a common language for promoting positive behaviour. They also apply to staff and the wider school community, guiding how we learn, work and interact with one another each day. Staff are expected to consistently model these behaviours, reinforcing the positive culture we strive to create for every member of our school community.
Gotcha' Reward System
Students at Ipswich West State Special School are recognised for demonstrating our whole-school expectations through the Gotcha Rewards System. Gotcha cards provide positive reinforcement and encourage students to consistently demonstrate our Safe, Respectful and Learner expectations.
Green Gotchas
Green Gotcha cards are awarded to students who are working towards demonstrating our school expectations. These students are making positive choices and displaying Safe, Respectful and Learner behaviours but may still require reminders, prompting or guidance from staff.
When a student collects five Green Gotcha cards, they can exchange them for one Orange Gotcha card. This acknowledges their progress and encourages them to continue developing positive behaviours.
Orange Gotchas
Orange Gotcha cards are awarded to students who consistently demonstrate our school expectations independently across a range of school settings. These students are recognised for:
- Following staff directions.
- Treating others with kindness and respect.
- Caring for school property.
- Demonstrating positive Safe, Respectful and Learner behaviours throughout the day.
When a student earns five Orange Gotcha cards, they visit the Leadership Team or Deputy Principals to have their cards stamped. They also:
- Receive a Safe, Respectful Learner sticker.
- Cast a vote towards the End of Term PBL Celebration, giving students a voice in selecting the celebration activity.
The Gotcha Rewards System promotes a positive school culture by recognising effort, celebrating success and encouraging all students to continue developing the behaviours that support learning and wellbeing.
Gotchas Prizes
Students can choose a Gotcha Prize to work towards throughout the school year. Prizes vary in value, allowing students to select a reward that is meaningful and motivating to them.
Students earn one Orange Gotcha card for every one dollar the prize is worth. For example:
- A $5 prize requires 5 Orange Gotcha cards.
- A $20 prize requires 20 Orange Gotcha cards.
- A $50 prize requires 50 Orange Gotcha cards.
Once students have collected the required number of Orange Gotcha cards, they can redeem them for their chosen prize through the Head of Department - Student Engagement & PBL. The Gotcha Prize system encourages students to set goals, demonstrate perseverance, and consistently display the Safe, Respectful and Learner behaviours expected at Ipswich West State Special School.
End of Term PBL celebrations
At the end of each term, students have the opportunity to participate in a Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) End of Term Celebration. These celebrations recognise and reward students who have consistently demonstrated our Safe, Respectful and Learner expectations throughout the term.
Students play an active role in selecting the End of Term PBL Celebration. During Week 1 of each term, each sector conducts a Student Council Meeting facilitated by the Sector Leader Teachers. During these meetings, Student Councillors discuss and suggest ideas for future celebration activities. The Student Councillors then present these ideas to the Student Leaders, who develop and coordinate a whole-school student vote.
Throughout the term, every time a student earns five Orange Gotcha cards, they visit the Deputy Principal's office to have their Gotchas stamped, receive a sticker, and cast a vote for their preferred End of Term PBL Celebration. This provides students with multiple opportunities to contribute to the voting process while reinforcing positive behaviour.
At the end of the voting period, the celebration option receiving the highest number of votes is selected for each school phase—Primary School and High School. Students who have met the school's PBL celebration criteria are then invited to participate in the chosen celebration.
This process ensures students have a genuine voice in choosing their end-of-term reward while promoting student leadership, participation, ownership and engagement within our Positive Behaviour for Learning framework.
PBL Focus
As a whole school, we explicitly teach a Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) focus that rotates every three weeks. Each focus is directly linked to the Ipswich West State Special School (IWSSS) PBL Expectations Matrix, ensuring consistent teaching of expected behaviours across all learning environments.
Teachers explicitly teach the identified behaviour expectations through planned lessons, modelling, role-play, discussions and everyday learning opportunities. Students are encouraged to use their voice by discussing strategies to manage different situations, solve problems, regulate their emotions and make positive behavioural choices. These learning experiences help students develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to demonstrate safe, respectful and learner behaviours across the school.
The three-week rotating focus provides regular opportunities for students to revisit, practise and strengthen expected behaviours, promoting consistency, independence and success for all learners.