Five Dock Public School ensures manners are at the core of their daily life

When it comes to manners at this primary school in Sydney’s inner west, follow the rules or pay the consequences.

Manners are free, says Five Dock Public School principal Amanda Dawkins, but students can pay the price if they choose not to use them.

Saying please and thank you, moving to the side when others are trying to pass, looking people in the eye when speaking to them and following instructions without eye rolling or huffing and puffing are some of the expectations for students at the school in Sydney’s inner west.

Respect is one of the four core values at the school, and its Positive Behaviour for Learning program sets it apart – ensuring appropriate behaviour is reinforced during weekly sessions while inappropriate behaviour has clear and predictable consequences.

“We have very clear and high expectations of our students and call me old fashioned but good manners go a long way,” Ms Dawkins said.

“Don’t forget to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and ‘excuse me’, don’t keep walking if someone’s talking to you – be respectful in all the interactions you have with staff and other students.

Five Dock Public School students Violet Tamest, Troy Tenoyo, Zara Pham, Fehoko Fotofili and Charlotte Hsu enjoy a positive learning environment at Five Dock. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“It’s what we expect from our kids, and it’s what we model ourselves in order to create a calm learning environment and a positive school culture.”

Don’t call Ms Dawkins strict, instead she’s “firm but fair”. The veteran teacher also shies away from the word “discipline” which while positive in almost any other setting, can have a negative connotation in schools.

Five Dock Public school principal Amanda Dawkins.

Sure there’s a system in place for those who flout the rules – a series of warnings followed by “reflection time” and other appropriate interventions – but there’s also rewards for positive behaviour.

With the support of the education department’s behaviour specialist unit, the school successfully manages any challenging behaviours from students.

“We brought it back to basics,” Ms Dawkins said.

“Do the children know the rules? Do they understand what the rules mean? What does it mean to respect someone?

“It is one thing to tell a child to be good, but what does ‘good’ look like? The support was explicit and systemic.

“We now have posters for different areas of the school, so the students understand what is expected of them, for example, how to move safely.”

Ms Dawkins said the school also reinstated an awards system.

“Students need recognition,” she said.

The school mantra helps students understand how to treat each other: “We do not have to be friends, but we do have to be friendly.”

Ms Dawkins is also an advocate for restorative practice, which puts the onus on students to be truly accountable for their behaviour and to repair any harm caused to others as a result of their actions.

Five Dock Public School students must follow the school’s core values. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“Respect everyone, participate safely, belong with pride and achieve your best – those are our core values,” she said.

“We want to build a culture where it’s okay to make a mistake, just admit to the mistake, apologise, help fix it and move on.”

The primary school caters for about 400 children and includes a support unit for children with autism and intellectual disabilities.

“We have a support unit with children with sensory needs and like all schools, also have children in mainstream classes with sensory needs who find a lot of people and noise challenging,” Ms Dawkins said.

“We also deal with societal issues – children dealing with domestic violence or their parents’ difficult breakups and more.

“What we do know is there’s no such thing as a naughty child, often they’re dealing with personal issues, and so one of the things we do well is build positive relationships and ensure they’re doing their best on any given day.”