Our behaviour support policy (PDF 165 KB) :

• applies to all South Australian public schools
• takes a positive behaviour support approach
• helps schools to be safe and positive learning places for everyone
• explains how everyone can work together to support safe and positive behaviour.

The policy makes sure that behaviour support:

• is fair
• reflects students’ needs.

All South Australian public schools must:

• follow our behaviour support policy (PDF 165 KB)
• develop their own behaviour support policy or school behaviour code.

A school’s behaviour support policy or school behaviour code must be available on their website.

Schools need to:

• promote safe and positive student behaviour
• support the participation of all students
• respond to all behaviours of concern in line with the department’s behaviour support policy and other relevant policies and procedures
• refer students to external or department services when they need extra support.

Schools will respond to all behaviours of concern. This includes behaviour that takes place outside school hours or off school grounds when there’s a reasonable connection between the student’s behaviour, the school community and school relationships. This may include behaviour:

• that happens on the way to or from school
• when the student is wearing the school uniform or representing the school, for example school camps, sporting carnivals or on the school bus
• in person or online towards another student or school staff, at home or in the community – for example, threatening, harassing or bullying behaviour
• during camps or excursions that are provided by external agencies under authority of the school.

Schools work together with staff, students, parents, carers and the wider community to develop a local school behaviour code or policy that shares the school community values, expectations and how the school supports and responds to student behaviour.

All behaviour incidents require principals to consider a range of factors and decide the most appropriate response.

The suspension, exclusion and expulsion of students procedure (PDF 4 MB) outlines the procedures for take-home, suspension, exclusion and expulsion of students from Department for Education schools.

The procedure makes sure the use of take-home, suspension, exclusion and expulsion is:

• effective, consistent and fair
• follows what the law says (Education and Children’s Services Act 2019 and Education and Children’s Services Regulations 2020).

Take-home, suspension, exclusion and expulsion are not used as punishment. They are used:

• to help schools to be safe and positive learning environments for everyone
• when other actions have not helped support safe and positive student behaviour
• to help students, parents, carers and the school, work out what needs to happen to support safe and positive behaviour in the future.

Reconnection meetings and Directions Conferences

Reconnection meetings are requirements of the suspension, exclusion and expulsion of students procedure when a student:

• has had frequent take-homes
• has been suspended or excluded
• wants to return to school after an expulsion.

Directions Conferences are requirements of the suspension, exclusion and expulsion of students procedure for exclusion and expulsion.

Reconnection meetings

A reconnection meeting is an important process to:

• support the school, the student, and their parents or carers and others involved adults to work together
• help everyone to understand the behaviour expectations and work out what’s needed to support positive behaviour change
• help repair relationships that have been harmed by behaviours of concern.

Directions Conference

A Directions Conference is an important part of the exclusion and expulsion procedures.

A Directions Conference provides an opportunity for the student, their parents or carers to:

• hear the schools concerns about the behaviour
• respond to the concerns
• provide any other information that they would like the Principal to consider when deciding if an exclusion or expulsion should happen
• discuss how they would like to repair the harm that may have been caused by the behaviour.

Your child cannot be on school grounds while they are suspended, excluded or expelled

It's against the law for your child to be on school grounds while they are suspended, excluded or expelled. If your child comes on to school grounds, they are committing an offence.

You child can be on school grounds to attend:

• Directions Conference
• reconnection meeting
• mid-exclusion review meeting – this is a meeting to review progress half-way through an exclusion.

If your child has other good reasons to be on school grounds, for example to:

• get services provided on school grounds
• attend an agreed alternative learning program.

The Principal can approve this in writing.

Fact sheets and brochure for parents and carers

These fact sheets give you more information about take-home, suspension, exclusion, and expulsion:

• Take-home fact sheet for parents and carers (PDF 79 KB)
• Suspension fact sheet for parents and carers (PDF 86 KB)
• Exclusion fact sheet for parents and carers (PDF 94 KB)
• Expulsion fact sheet for parents and carers (PDF 94 KB)

Additional resource: brochure about suspension and exclusion (PDF 76 KB)

There are also translated versions of the fact sheets and brochure.

You cannot appeal against your child’s suspension. If you cannot resolve a disagreement with our child’s school about suspension, you can make a complaint to the Department for Education Customer Feedback Unit:

• phone 1800 677 435 (toll free)
• use the online feedback and complaints form.

You, your child or an adult acting on your request or on the request of your child can appeal against an:

• exclusion
• extension to an exclusion
• expulsion.

The process to appeal against an exclusion or expulsion from school is explained to you at the Directions Conference. You will be given the appeal paperwork.

If you decide to appeal the Principal’s decision, you must fill out the paperwork and give it to the Education Director at your local education office:

• within 5 school days of being told your child is excluded
• within 10 school days of being told your child is expelled.

If you don’t know which local education office to contact:

• ask your child’s school
• phone the Department for Education on 8226 1000
• search for your child’s school – the name of the Education Director, the education office and phone number are on the school’s listing.

You can find out more information about appeals and complaints from:

• your child’s school
• the local education office responsible for your child’s school
• the fact sheets below.