This presentation will explore how Andamooka Primary School has used a trauma-informed whole of school approach alongside the Student Support Services (SSS) School Mapping Tool to ensure students learning and wellbeing needs can be met. The School Mapping tool is an Excel-based tool developed by the South Australian Department for Education Behaviour Support Educators. It provides a comprehensive overview of areas of support, concerns, disability, interventions, and transition information for students, classes, cohorts, and the entire school community. Through a trauma-informed lens, the tool has revolutionised the way in which Andamooka Primary School provides inclusive education and personalised support for their students. Join Bronte Stanford (Principal), Jodie Turpin (Behaviour Support Educator), and Robyn Simpson (Inclusive Educator) as they share their experiences and insights on the benefits of using the SSS School Mapping Tool to enhance student well-being and academic success.
Andamooka is a small community school based in the Far North of South Australia. It is situated in a fairly rugged and resilient Opal Mining Town and Began in 1947. There are currently 20 students enrolled from kindergarten to year 6 and it has an occasional care children’s service attached. Families in our community face a range of vulnerabilities and we have identified that all of our students have been impacted by trauma. 25% of our students identify aboriginal heritage and there are significant numbers with either verified or waiting to be assessed neurological diversity. We have been supported with training through the Berry Street Education Model and this informs all of our practice at the school. We explicitly teach the zones of regulation and have just been trained in restorative justice practises. The School Mapping Tool has transformed our approach and streamlined the individual approach to every student have to ensure they access to the right interventions to help them be successful in both learning and wellbeing. It is referred to weekly and has proven invaluable in help us to not only track the students’ progress, but assists in informing the evidenced based interventions that are applied for every student who is needing support.

In our human-centred and relational field of work, our dedication as educators to student wellbeing is unquestionable. But, what about in the times when this focus might inadvertently overshadow the equally crucial need for staff wellbeing, or in the constant pursuit of supporting our students’ wellbeing we neglect our own?

In our current school education climate this is particularly relevant. Australian schools are navigating one of the most complex times in their existence with a myriad of challenges: a national teacher shortage, high teacher attrition rates - up to 50% leaving in the first five years (Brandenburg et al., 2023) – excessive workloads, burnout and escalating mental health challenges among school staff. Australian principals are reporting alarming rates of ‘red flag’ incidents of violence (Principal Occupational Health and Safety Survey, 2022), and challenges including workload (89%), lack of recognition (71%), and negative school culture (47%) are three primary factors driving teachers away from our crucial profession.

Yet, we know that positive relationships between the staff, between students, and between staff and students lay the foundations to foster effective teaching and learning. This requires a school workforce who are safe, supported and well – the wellbeing of our school staff is paramount! School staff who feel recognised, safe, and perceive a supportive and positive whole-school culture have higher satisfaction and retention rates (AITSL, 2022).

This requires intention - we must cultivate the school environments that support all individuals, the whole workforce and staff involved in nurturing our young people.  We know that when we don’t look after the wellbeing of our staff, we cannot create the environment for positive relationships with our students and for effective teaching and learning to occur.

At MacKillop, we've garnered first-hand insights from our schools over a decade and have witnessed the profound effects of deliberately nurturing a holistic school culture that prioritises the wellbeing of both students and staff. Over that time, we've seamlessly integrated evidence, educational theory, social theory, psychology, neuroscience, and our frontline practice wisdom into the development of a comprehensive framework and a set of strategies to create our schools’ culture. These tools enable us to intentionally design the creation of safe, predictable, and supportive school cultures, which serve as the foundational bedrock for effective teaching and learning.  

Join us, as Justin delves into the tangible impacts of placing our whole school’s wellbeing, especially staff, at the forefront within our school communities.

Students who have experienced trauma can have difficulties with school attendance, academic achievement, engagement at school, and school connectedness (Roseby & Gascoigne, 2021). To support the learning and social development of students who have experienced trauma, it is essential that a holistic and systemic therapeutic approach is provided to the student and their school.

The Act for Kids Specialist Disability Support in Schools team works collaboratively with schools and students in Brisbane North.
This workshop will share the model and resources used by our multidisciplinary team (psychologist, occupational therapist and speech pathologist) to support schools to develop a holistic understanding of their students. This holistic understanding underpins the formation of responsive recommendations and adjustments to support the student’s access, participation and engagement at school. Once participants have an overview of the model and resources, they will be able to put their knowledge into practice using case studies with the knowledge and support of the presenters.

Learning objectives:
1. To understand the wholistic impact childhood trauma can have on a student's ability to engage in the classroom.
2. To understand strategies to support collaborative understanding of student needs, goal setting and intervention between therapeutic staff, school, and families.
3. To become familiar with some key trauma informed adjustments that can support students’ participation and connectedness at school.
4. To have a foundational experience in applying a model and resources to develop a more holistic understanding of student needs and trauma responsive practices