Supporting our students

All NSW public school students have a right to an inclusive learning environment and to feel happy and safe at school.

Aboriginal student support

We are committed to closing the achievement gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. We know that we need to learn about, nurture and value the cultural identity of our Aboriginal students to help them be successful learners.

We welcome Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family members, parents and carers, as well as community members to our school so that we can get to know each other, learn about the local Aboriginal community and develop shared goals and plans for Aboriginal students.

The Aboriginal Education Policy confirms the NSW Department of Education’s commitment to improvement in educational outcomes and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Hastings Secondary College is committed to engaging our Aboriginal students in learning and working with community, industry,business and educators to ensure student learning outcomes for our students.

Hastings Secondary College is supported by two programs, The Clontarf Academy for our Aboriginal boys and Sista Connections for our Aboriginal girls.

The following links provide more information on both programs.

Multicultural education

Our school welcomes students, families and community members from all cultural backgrounds. We appreciate difference and diversity and aim to provide a culturally inclusive and responsive environment that benefits all students.

Our teaching and learning programs develop intercultural understanding, promote positive relationships and enable all students to participate as active Australian and global citizens. Our school fosters student wellbeing and community harmony by implementing anti-racism and anti-discrimination strategies that encourage engagement by parents and carers from all backgrounds.

The Multicultural Education Policy outlines the NSW Department of Education’s commitment to providing opportunities that enable all students to achieve equitable education and social outcomes and participate successfully in our culturally diverse society.

The Anti-Racism Policy confirms the department’s commitment to rejecting all forms of racial discrimination in NSW public schools and eliminating expressions of racism in its learning and working environments.

For more information refer to:

• Multicultural education
• Anti-racism education
• Interpreting and translations
• Translated documents.

Supporting English language learners

Learning English is essential for success at school and effective participation in Australian society. We can provide specialist support to help students learning English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D).

For more information refer to: EAL/D education.

Supporting refugee students

Schools offer safety, support and security to help refugee students adjust to life in Australia and participate successfully in education. Targeted support strategies are provided to assist refugee students in NSW public schools.

For more information refer to: Supporting refugee students.

Learning support

The school’s learning and support team plays a key role in ensuring we meet the specific needs of students with additional learning and support needs, including disability.

The team:

• supports teachers in identifying and responding to the additional learning needs of students
• facilitates and coordinates a whole-school approach to improving the learning outcomes of every student
• coordinates planning processes and resourcing for students with additional learning and support needs
• designs and implements the support required to build teacher capacity so that all students access quality learning
• develops collaborative partnerships with the school, parents and carers, as well as other professionals and the wider school community.

For more information on programs and services to help students with additional learning and support needs visit Disability, learning and support. 

Anti-bullying

Bullying of any kind is not acceptable in NSW schools.

The NSW anti-bullying website brings together information and resources for teachers, students, parents and carers. It helps to identify, prevent and respond effectively to student bullying, including online bullying. It provides information about online safety and what you can do if your child has been bullied, witnessed bullying or been involved in bullying.

For more information on anti-bullying strategies for NSW public schools refer to the department’s Bullying of Students – Prevention and Response Policy.

For information on racial bullying and anti-racism education for NSW public schools refer to:

• Anti-Racism Policy
• Anti-racism education
• Racism. No way.

Policy

Campus Principals must ensure that their campus implements an anti-bullying plan that is developed collaboratively with students, school staff, parents, caregivers, and the community, and is reviewed every three years. The current anti-bullying plan was developed in 2017 and expires in 2020.

The anti-bullying plan is to include strategies for:

• developing a shared understanding of bullying behaviour that captures all forms of bullying including cyberbullying
  
• developing a statement of purpose that outlines individual and shared responsibilities of students, parents, caregivers and teachers for preventing and responding to bullying behaviour
• maintaining a positive climate of respectful relationships where bullying is less likely to occur
• developing and implementing programs for bullying prevention
• embedding anti-bullying messages into each curriculum area and in every year
• developing and implementing early intervention support for students who are identified by the school as being at risk of developing long-term difficulties with social relationships
• empowering the whole school community to recognise and respond appropriately to bullying, harassment and victimisation and behave as responsible bystanders
• developing and publicising clear procedures for reporting incidents of bullying to the school
• responding to incidents of bullying that have been reported to the school quickly and effectively
• matching a planned combination of interventions to the particular incident of bullying
• providing support for any student who has been affected by, engaged in or witnessed bullying behaviour
• providing regular updates, within the bounds of privacy legislation, to parents or caregivers about the management of the incidents
• identifying patterns of bullying behaviour and responding to such patterns
• monitoring and evaluating of the effectiveness of the plan
• reporting annual to the school community on the effectiveness of the plan.

Campuses are currently reviewing this policy and seek your feedback on the plan.

Please read the plan and provide feedback on the below form. This information will go directly to the campus deputy principal who will integrate feedback into the plan.

Our teachers use a variety of strategies to assess student learning.

Student leadership

Student leadership helps young people find their voices, participate in decision-making, and understand their rights and responsibilities as active citizens. It helps students have a real impact on their learning and school environment and prepares them to participate meaningfully in their community.

Students can be leaders in the classroom, through their actions in the playground, through their support for others, or their involvement in academic, sporting, cultural or local community events or projects.

For more information about opportunities in NSW public schools visit Student voice and leadership.