The Reflection Room

Overview of the Reflection Room

Albany Primary School promotes a culture of high expectations where positive behaviour and learning thrives. Our expectations for behaviour are intrinsic to Albany’s Values and Key Competencies, so students become positive and responsible citizens both in and out of school. The Reflection Room is a place for all learners to reflect on their actions, unpack any challenges or causes and leave with genuine strategies to avoid repeat behaviour. Students will also leave with their mana very much intact and understanding the emotions of all stakeholders involved in their behaviour.

We understand that students may not always follow or remember their values when interacting in non-structured time. As a result, we have developed a reflection space to support students when they have shown non-aligned behaviour(s). These reflection space centres on supporting students with the following:

• Understanding why they have been asked to go to the Reflection Room

• Knowing and unpacking the behaviour that they could control

• Explaining the reasons and emotions for the behaviour

• Aligning the behaviour to the value(s) that have not been shown

• Identifying the next steps and what behaviours need to change

• Completing a restorative conversation with anyone directly involved or impacted by the negative behaviour

Once these elements have been covered fully, the student is then directed to a consequence where needed and the reflection record, incident and any additional information is recorded, then shared with all other stakeholders where needed e.g. class teacher, whānau if required. An annotated copy of our Reflection Record is below.

Using the Reflection Room

Identifying the correct next step for learners who have not displayed or used their APS REACH values can be fraught with challenge, especially if there is no exisiting relationship or knowledge of a student. For this reason, we have developed a simple overview to guide teachers, relievers and adult staff when ascertaining next steps and what to do when confronted by unacceptable behaviour during break or lunch times.

The process and steps to the left describe examples of different levels of behaviour as well as the next steps to take in order for the incident to be recorded, explored and referred to the correct people. It has been designed after a period of consultation with the teaching and support staff around what had been previously working well and what had not. Communication was quickly identified as the largest missed step.

Further policy and copies of documentation can be accessed here or via the embedded folder below.