Standard 7 Engage professionally with colleagues,

parents/carers and the community

7.1 Meet professional ethics and responsibilities: Understand and
apply the key principles described in codes of ethics and conduct for the
teaching profession.
Code of ethics
The QCT has developed a code of ethics for teachers in Queensland
which outlines the professional conduct and behaviour required of
approved teachers in Queensland. It describes six values which underpin
the profession: integrity, dignity, responsibility, respect, justice and care.
Examples of how this is achieved include:
Acting in a professional and respectable manner in and outside of
the school
Treating all members of the community with respect
Demonstrating appropriate and respectable behaviour for students
to follow
Retrieved from:
http://qct.edu.au/standards-and-conduct/code-of-ethics
7.2 Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational
requirements: Understand the relevant legislative, administrative and
organisational policies and processes required for teachers according to
school stage.
The Queensland legislation of Anti-Discrimination Act (1991), the Inclusive
Education Statement (2005), the Disability Standards for Education (DSE)
(2005), Department of Education, Training and the Arts (DETA, 2010) all
intend to maximise inclusive education throughout the entire state.
Some relevant policies that are implemented into the education system at
Brookstead State School include:

The Responsible Behaviour Plan- This framework highlights the

values and expectations of the school, while promoting positive and
productive participation through responsible behaviour and
behaviour management.
Pedagogical Framework- At the core of the framework is the BSS
belief that: All students matter, every day; All students can achieve
high academic results; Quality practices within the school enhance
participation and learning.
Learning and Wellbeing Framework- An elaboration of this
framework is provided below.

Learning and Wellbeing Framework

This framework is organised into four categories. Learning Environment,
Curriculum and Pedagogy, Policies and Procedures and Partnerships. It is
developed to promote strategies for enhancing and optimising a positive
and supportive learning environment and wellbeing of the students in the
school, while encouraging a strong partnership between teachers,
students, families and all involved in the school community.
Learning Environment
BSS strives to promote a positive school ethos and rich learning
environment that is open, respectful, caring and safe, optimising learning
through a commitment to wellbeing.
This is achieved through the implementation of strategies such as:
promoting the school vision to empower our students to become
resilient life-long learners as active participants in a changing world
and authors of a sustainable future
promoting the school aim to create a safe, caring, tolerant and
disciplined environment where children, staff and parents
communicate effectively to provide purposeful learning through
excellent teaching adding value to all students everyday
Curriculum and Pedagogy
Curriculum that enhances wellbeing equips students with the knowledge,
skills, attitudes and strategies to understand and manage themselves and
their relationships.
Pedagogy that enhances wellbeing builds positive relationships.
This is achieved at BSS through the implementation of strategies such as:
ensuring teachers implement this framework as either part of a
whole school focus, planned class program or on an incidental needs
basis, e.g. in the playground as situations arise. The framework
focuses on community and school values, rules and expectations,
verbal and visual cues and prompts and self- management
strategies
developing students' visual and verbal cues and prompts to build
self-management strategies when in unstructured situations
Policies and Procedures
Policy intentions are transformed into action by school staff, students and
the wider community.
This is achieved at BSS through the implementation of strategies such as:
providing parents with up-to-date information about social and
emotional wellbeing through the School Newsletter

promoting and celebrating individual and school achievements

through both the school newsletter, school website and local media
promoting staff wellness and emotional development through
appropriate professional development and a variety of resources

Partnerships
Productive partnerships expand the knowledge, skills and resources
available in the school.
Productive partnerships are promoted through strategies such as:
creating a significant sense of recognition and belonging among all
groups within the school
establishing meaningful partnerships both within and outside the
school with a focus on providing the best education for all students
working with relevant support and community groups to meet the
needs of particular students and, if relevant, their families
Murray, M. M., & Mereoiu, M. (2016).
7.3 Engage with the Parents/Carers: Understand strategies for working
effectively, sensitively and confidentially with parents/carers.
Some strategies for teachers to work effectively, sensitively and
confidentially with parents include: Participating in on-going formal and
informal communication to create an effective partnership between
parents and teachers
Knowing the popular parenting literature.
Parents will notice and value your knowledge of popular or classic
parenting books.
Remembering that empathy and acceptance should precede
education.
If you dont hold your tongue and demonstrate empathy and respect,
parents are likely to tune out the available information
Being direct, honest and collaborative.
Handling parent questions directly will nearly always allay their concerns
about your competence.
Ask parents for their best explanation for their childs
misbehaviour.
Unfortunately, if the parent is not asked directly What do you think is
causing your childs misbehaviour? the parent may not share their
personal theory of the underlying problem.
Focus on parent strengths using compliments and validation.

Many parents are naturally insecure about their parenting, so the best
approach is one that is explicitly and repeatedly strength-based and
affirmative.
Offer clear and prescriptive advice, then step back and listen.
After giving advice, its very important to intentionally and systematically
listen for the parents reaction.
(ct.counseling.org)
Further strategies include:

Effective communication skills

Developing skills in communicating effectively with and listening to
parents (through letters, newsletters, report cards)
Acknowledging the wider family context
Showing that their child is valued as an individual
Respect the amount of involvement they want
Show responsiveness to immediate issues around their childs
education
Provide accurate and clear information
Ensure that only accurate information is shared
Provide clear, simple and accessible information and support when
needed
Responsiveness to their childs needs
Collaboratively develop interventions that relate to their childs
particular needs, if required
Provide access to appropriate support
Develop joint solutions to issues

Murray, M. M., & Mereoiu, M. (2016).

(Please refer to 3.4. for further examples)
7.4 Engage with professional teaching networks and broader
communities: Understand the role of external professionals and
community representatives in broadening teachers professional
knowledge and practice.
External professionals are employed to provide further support to extracurricular content and learning support for students with disabilities.
Some external professionals that attend Brookstead State Primary School
are:

An Advisory Visiting Teachers (AVT) that works closely with a girl with a
physical and intellectual disability, the parents and the teachers. The
purpose of the AVT program is to establish and maintain the most
supportive and effective learning environment for this girl as possible
(DET, 2016).
Advisory Visiting Teachers (AVTs) are teachers with specialist knowledge
and skills, who support the access, participation and achievement of
students with disability.
The department provides AVTs in the following disability areas to ensure
schools have access to specialist disability knowledge to ensure students
can access, participate and succeed at school:

hearing impairment

physical impairment

vision impairment

Regions may also provide access to advisory visiting teacher support in

other disability areas.
AVT Services
The main role of the AVT is to support school staff in enabling students
with disability to access and participate in the curriculum. The way this is
achieved may vary from region to region and from school to school.
AVTs provide a range of services. For example they may:

Work as a member of the educational team within an inclusive

environment

Provide professional development activities to members of school

communities

Assist with the implementation of departmental policies and

initiatives

Participate in educational planning, e.g. assist with making

educational adjustments to support the student's educational
outcomes

Provide program advice

Assist in the implementation of teaching and learning programs and

review of educational goals

Provide information on and model strategies for teaching and

learning for students with disability, e.g. team teaching with class
teacher

Provide specific information on the student's disability

Assist the team in understanding the educational implications of the

disability

Advocate for the supply of and training in the use of specialised

equipment

Monitor the use of recommended equipment including technology

resources

Assist education staff and families to access support networks.

A learning support teacher is employed by the school to withdraw certain

children from the day-to-day classroom practices to provide them with
extra learning support in the areas of need.
Specialist teachers come into the school once a week to teach The Arts,
HPE religion and library.