Behaviour & Restorative Practices Policy

How St Mary's College promotes positive behaviour, uses restorative practices to repair harm, and applies a fair and consistent ladder of consequences from Prep to Year 12.

Updated 18 August 2026

Children learn best in calm, respectful classrooms where relationships are strong and expectations are clear. Our approach to behaviour is grounded in the dignity of every person and in restorative practices, which focus on repairing harm and restoring relationships. This policy explains our expectations, how we recognise positive behaviour, and what happens when things go wrong.

Purpose

To describe the College's approach to promoting positive behaviour and responding to inappropriate behaviour in a way that is fair, consistent, educative and consistent with Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) procedures.

Scope

Applies to all students from Prep to Year 12 at school, travelling to and from school, on College buses, at camps, excursions and co-curricular activities, and online where behaviour affects the College community.

Policy statement

Every student has the right to learn and every teacher has the right to teach in a safe, orderly environment.
The College uses a Positive Behaviour framework with three tiers: whole-school expectations taught to all students (Tier 1), targeted support for small groups (Tier 2), and individualised plans for students needing intensive support (Tier 3).
We use restorative practices as our primary response to conflict and wrongdoing.
Consequences are proportionate, related to the behaviour and applied consistently.
Corporal punishment is prohibited in any form and will never be used.
Suspension and expulsion are last resorts, used only in accordance with MACS procedures.

Procedures

Our expectations

Our four College expectations — Respect, Responsibility, Compassion and Learning — are displayed in every classroom and explicitly taught in Homeroom and Wellbeing lessons each term. Junior classes co-create a class charter in the first fortnight of the year.

Recognising positive behaviour

Junior School: class recognition systems, House points, Principal's Awards at Friday assembly (2:30pm, Mary MacKillop Hall).
Senior School: House points, Commendations recorded on the Learning Hub and visible to parents, Semester Awards at Senior assembly.

The restorative conversation

When harm has occurred, the staff member works through the restorative questions with those involved:

What happened?
What were you thinking and feeling at the time?
Who has been affected, and how?
What needs to happen to make things right?
What will you do differently next time?

Restorative conversations may be informal (in the moment), a mediated conversation between students, or a formal restorative conference involving parents, which the Year Level Coordinator arranges within 5 school days of a serious incident.

Ladder of consequences

Step	Response	Who
1	Reminder and restorative conversation	Classroom/Homeroom teacher
2	Reflection time (Junior: with teacher at recess; Senior: lunchtime reflection room) and incident logged on the Learning Hub	Teacher; Year Level Coordinator informed
3	Parent contact by phone or Portal within 1 school day; restorative meeting	Year Level Coordinator
4	Behaviour Support Plan developed with student, parents, coordinator and, where helpful, the school counsellor or Learning Diversity Leader (Mr Sam Devlin); reviewed every 4 weeks	Year Level Coordinator and Head of School
5	Suspension (in-school or external, 1–5 days) following MACS procedures, with a re-entry meeting before the student returns	Head of School and Principal
6	Expulsion — only by the Principal, Dr Helen Carmody, following the full MACS process including the right of review	Principal

Serious incidents — violence, weapons, drugs, serious harassment — may move directly to Step 5 after investigation. Parents are always notified the same day of any serious incident involving their child.

Record keeping

All incidents from Step 2 onward are recorded on the Learning Hub within 24 hours. Parents can view Senior School behaviour notes and Commendations through the Parent Portal.

Responsibilities

Parents and carers

Reinforce the College expectations at home and support restorative processes.
Contact your child's teacher or Year Level Coordinator early if something is affecting their behaviour.

Students

Follow the College expectations and take responsibility for your actions.
Take part honestly in restorative conversations and follow through on agreements.

Staff

Teach expectations explicitly, model respectful relationships and manage behaviour calmly.
Apply the ladder consistently, record incidents and communicate with families promptly.

Review

Policy owner: Deputy Principal – Wellbeing & Mission. Approved by the College Leadership Team March 2026; ratified by the College Advisory Council; next review March 2028.

Frequently asked questions

What does "restorative" actually mean? Are there still consequences?

Yes. Restorative practice is about accountability — students face the people they have affected and agree on how to put things right. Consequences such as reflection time, parent meetings and suspension still apply; the difference is that they are paired with repairing the relationship.

Will I be told if my child is in trouble?

You will be contacted within 1 school day for anything at Step 3 or above, and the same day for any serious incident. Senior School incident notes are visible on the Parent Portal.

My child says they were treated unfairly. What can I do?

Start with the teacher or Year Level Coordinator involved, then the Head of Junior or Senior School. The Complaints & Grievances Policy sets out the full process.

Does the College ever use detention?

We use "reflection time" — a short, supervised period at recess or lunchtime for students to complete a reflection and have a restorative conversation. We do not hold students after 3:25pm without notifying parents in advance.