Behaviour Management

Waikaia School Behaviour Model

Waikaia School Behaviour Model Implementation

The following outlines the implementation of the behavioural model for Waikaia School. At Waikaia, we begin with the belief that all students are inherently good and are trying to do the right thing. Most of the time, our school will be operating within the green circle of our model—focusing on positive reinforcement, guidance, and proactive teaching of expectations.

To help everyone understand how we respond to behaviour, we use a Traffic Light Behaviour System:

🟢 Green – Students are showing our school values and are engaged in learning. This is where we spend most of our time.

🟡 Yellow – Behaviour choices are starting to cause concern. Support and reminders are given to help students reflect and reset.

🔴 Red – Serious or ongoing behaviour requires a higher level of support, and the issue is addressed with more structure and restoration.

Restorative Practice at Waikaia School

We take a restorative approach when addressing behaviour. According to the PB4L Kete (Book 1), restorative practice is:

"A relational approach to school life grounded in beliefs about fairness, dignity, mana and the potential of all people."

This means that when things go wrong, we focus on repairing relationships, understanding the impact of behaviour, and planning how to move forward positively.

We are guided by four key principles (PB4L Kete, Book 1):

Positive interpersonal relationships are a major influence on behaviour.
A culture of care supports the mana of all individuals in our school community.
Cultural responsiveness is key to creating inclusive and respectful learning communities.
A restorative approach encourages individuals to take responsibility for their behaviour.

Supporting Students and Staff

At Waikaia School, no staff member is expected to manage behaviour alone. Our model helps us recognise when additional support is needed, both for the student and the teacher.

By working together, we ensure that our responses to behaviour are fair, consistent, and restorative, always aiming to bring students back to green—where they can learn, grow, and thrive.

What PB4L Looks Like at Waikaia School

At Waikaia School, Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) is embedded into our everyday routines, relationships, and learning environment. While we adapt PB4L to suit the size and needs of our kura, we continue to build a positive, inclusive, and respectful culture across our school.

Waikaia School uses Gold Nuggets as our primary recognition system. Tamariki earn gold nuggets by showing our school values in action. These tokens are used to reward consistent positive behaviour, kindness, effort, and teamwork. They contribute toward class goals, schoolwide rewards, and help reinforce our culture of positivity.

Staff discuss behaviour support and problem solve as needed in team meetings or through informal check-ins. When challenges arise, teachers are encouraged to collaboratively problem-solve, ensuring consistency and support for tamariki.

PB4L relies on behaviour data to inform our responses and supports. At Waikaia School, we use EDGE SMS to record behavioural incidents. This data helps us:

Monitor trends
Identify students or areas needing support
Celebrate improvements
Guide team conversations and support planning

Recognition and Positive Reinforcement

Recognition is key to PB4L success. At Waikaia, we celebrate:

Gold Nuggets collected by individuals and classes
Positive Praise from staff members throughout the day
Certificates and classroom awards in assembly or class meetings
Reward days or class incentives planned by teachers