Aboriginal Learning, Wellbeing and Safety Action Plan

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Princes Hill Secondary College embraces the vision of the Marrung Aboriginal Education Plan and celebrates the culture, knowledge and experiences of First Nations Peoples. We are committed to creating and maintaining a school environment that empowers Koorie students to feel valued, respected and culturally strong.

Our school has a number of measures in place to ensure our community acknowledges and appreciates the strengths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. These measures are outlined below.

Princes Hill Secondary College encourages and actively supports a student’s ability to express their culture and enjoy their cultural rights in the following ways:

• equip staff, students, volunteers and the school community to acknowledge and appreciate the strengths of Aboriginal culture and understand its importance to the wellbeing and safety of Aboriginal children and students
• adopt measures to ensure racism is identified, confronted and not tolerated
• address any instances of racism within the school environment with appropriate consequences
• actively support participation and inclusion in the school by Aboriginal children, students and their families
• ensure school policies, procedures, systems and processes together create a culturally safe and inclusive environment and meet the needs of Aboriginal children, students and their families

Family and Community Perspectives and Feedback

We actively seek participation and feedback from Koorie students, families and Community by:   

• acknowledging the existing knowledge of Koorie students and their families and seeking their feedback on decisions that affect them, and on how well we are meeting their needs, through initial enrolment meetings, Student Support Groups, and during the development of Individual Education Plans
• working with our regional Koorie Engagement Support Officers (KESOs) for advice on how we can create a culturally inclusive learning environment and to build our capacity to provide support for individual Koorie students attending our school
• partnering with our local Aboriginal community to seek feedback and advice on existing and new actions we can take to support the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal students and children in our community

Training and Professional Development of Staff

To ensure our staff are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to create and maintain a positive and inclusive school environment we:

• ensure staff participate in Community Understanding and Safety Training (CUST)
• provide tailored training and professional development each year to build knowledge for specific staff based on any emerging or current areas of need
• ensure training and professional development equips teaching staff to deliver Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives within the classroom curriculum
• support teachers to work in their Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to map and develop teaching and learning activities within the Victorian Curriculum priorities to enable staff to build their confidence with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content and to recognise opportunities to draw upon Aboriginal pedagogies and practices within their classrooms
• ensure training and professional development equips staff with an understanding and appreciation of the strengths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and its importance to the wellbeing and safety of Koorie children and students

Curriculum and Learning

Princes Hill Secondary College supports the development of high expectations and individualised learning for Koorie students and creates a learning environment for all students that acknowledges, respects and values Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and identities. This includes: 

• implementing the Department’s Koorie Education Policy
• ensuring that all Koorie students have Individual Education Plans developed in partnership with students, families, and KESOs

Assemblies and Other School Events and Activities

We ensure our school events and activities acknowledge and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture by:   

• acknowledging the Country and Traditional Owners of the land on which our school is located at the start of every school assembly and meeting
• arranging Welcome to Country by local Elders at major school events such as the opening of new buildings or campuses at the commencement of the school year
• arranging incursions and excursions, and recognising key events and anniversaries that celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture

Built and Digital Environment

We ensure our built environment and website demonstrates an appreciation and acknowledgment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture through:

• displaying plaques/signs outside our main entrance that Acknowledge Country and Traditional Owners
• including an Acknowledgement of Country and Traditional Owners on our website home page

Community Feedback

We recognise that our school’s practices must be regularly reviewed and updated in partnership with our families and local communities. We encourage you to contact one of our Assistant Principals with any feedback, concerns or suggestions.

Consultation

Princes Hill Secondary College Student Council were consulted on 07 Nov 2022  at a Student Council meeting where feedback was given and incorporated. School council and general staff were consulted on 27 Mar 2023 

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