BSEM in action: Eastern Fleurieu R-12 School - increasing capacity for student engagement and learning

The BSEM team is excited to share stories of schools in action as they work collaboratively towards meeting the learning needs of their students. This month, we feature South Australia and our ongoing support of the SA Department for Education Trauma Aware Schools initiative (TASi).

You can feel the vibe! Eastern Fleurieu R-12 School (EFS) is located south-east of Adelaide in an area rich in agriculture and tourism. This multi-campus school strives to offer a safe and enjoyable learning environment where every child can achieve at the highest level. EFS welcomes visitors into a calm, friendly, productive environment. It is evident that students enjoy comfortable connections with supportive adults. Staff relate to each other with respectful camaraderie and collaborate effectively. Decision making structures across the multi-campus site are clear and support a whole school approach to BSEM. Leaders are trusted and prepared to take risks to bring about positive change for their students and community. This palpable commitment to lifting outcomes had us curious to find out more.

One of the strategic goals of EFS is to increase student achievement in literacy and numeracy, and to improve South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) results.

To achieve these school improvement goals the Principal, Ian Kent, identified the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM). He recognised that the approach encouraged self-awareness and self-regulation in students and believed this would increase focus on learning and achievement. The EFS staff loved that BSEM offered them practical strategies to strengthen relationships and provided a wide range of effective, evidence-based classroom strategies for them to integrate into curriculum practice.

Building staff capacity

The 4-day BSEM training initiative provided EFS a structured, universal approach for change. The school began the journey when 21 members of the cross-campus leadership team attended the training. Over the next 2 years all staff and school support officers completed the program and gained an understanding of trauma and wellbeing science. Now all campuses share a common language to support reflection and growth.

Leading change

The EFS Trauma Informed Practice Implementation (TIPI) Team is responsible for steering the BSEM initiative. Led by the Assistant Principal, Merryn Gomez, the team is made up of leaders from all campuses who report to the Executive Team on progress and challenges. The TIPI team’s work is guided by Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model. Their vision is to build the capacity of educators to be trauma-informed and able to create conditions for learning and growth.

The team work closely with mentor teachers, school support officers and the TIPI champions who have been identified in each site. The BSEM champions lead and model new ways of working with students to shape behaviour and enhance achievement. Their experience and achievements encourage others to trial new approaches and implement BSEM strategies in their classrooms. Overall progress of the initiative is monitored through the EI Pulse, Wellbeing and Engagement Collection (WEC) and behaviour data. Leaders are closely tracking improvements and celebrating the data shifts.

Capitalising on relationships

The EFS staff have always valued positive relationships with students and BSEM allowed them to capitalise on this strength. Through the BSEM training they gained a greater understanding of brain-based learning and committed to use the BSEM strategies to improve educational outcomes across the school. They took time to explore, experiment and reflect and identified the strategies they considered to have the highest impact at EFS.

Through discussion and collaboration, the staff then agreed to implement five BSEM strategies in ‘every class in every site across their multi-campus R-12 school’. This commitment was communicated to the school community in the document below.

Helpful resources from BSEM, for example Brain Breaks book 1 and Brain Breaks 2, were provided to all staff to support implementation. This helped overcome barriers relating to educator time and capacity for additional preparation.

Setting goals for improved performance

The TIPI Team is working flexibly across the school to embed the BSEM. The new model of practice is evolving and educators are constantly reflecting and refining their work. As part of the school’s Performance Development Planning (PDP) process each staff member now has an individual goal relating to trauma-informed practice. Attainment of this goal is monitored by Line Managers who will oversee staff growth. Through cycles of continuous improvement, EFS will strengthen staff capacity in BSEM and embed whole school change.

Meeting student needs

The BSEM training has given leaders and staff a new understanding of the complex needs of the students. They are now exploring different ways to repair and restore ruptured relationships. Each student has developed a Ready to Learn Plan and the plans are recorded on the school’s online daily management system for easy access by all teachers. Learning support SSOs have also benefited from the training. Key staff co-regulate students in The Nook, a safe space that identified students can use to de-escalate.

Embedding Berry Street Education Model

The EFS staff are working consistently to create the conditions for learning that support improved literacy, numeracy and high achievement towards the South Australian Certificate of Education. The happy hum is tangible as we enter the learning spaces. Through the Berry Street Education initiative, EFS has seen an improvement in school culture and an increase in inclusive practice. A reduction in suspensions has been directly linked with the adoption of the self-regulatory model and an increase in self-awareness in students.