All people have a right to feel safe and secure and to be free from harassment, discrimination and bullying. A focus on a supportive school environment is a part of the government’s agenda, and features in the document Learning Together.

The Refocussing the Supportive School Environment Project commenced in March 2000 and was completed in late 2003 when the Supportive School Communities Policy Framework 2003 – 2007 was released.

The aim of the project was to revise the present policy and to create a Supportive School Communities Policy Framework which described supportive, inclusive and equitable school environments.

Using a case study approach, Department of Education staff collected information from ten selected Tasmanian schools, through discussion with senior staff, teachers, students and the community, described current good practice and examined current literature in the area of supportive, equitable, inclusive education.

From this the Department published a book entitled Supportive School Communities: Learning from Experience [PDF 920KB], and in poster format, the Supportive School Communities Framework for Discussion which details the Elements of a Supportive School Community.

Policy Framework

The Supportive School Communities Policy Framework  draws on and links many departmental policies, statements, guidelines, programs and services.This policy is also available for download: Supportive School Communities Policy Framework [PDF 150KB]

The Framework was developed from a series of school consultations which highlighted existing highly effective practice in schools. These are documented in the publication Learning from Experience [PDF 920KB], and further documented in School Stories.

The Policy Framework was released in 2003. Since 2003 a significant emphasis on inclusive education in Tasmanian schools has shifted thinking to the extent where the language of this Policy Framework is now out of date and in need of review; however, the principles of this document remain the same.

Department of Education policies integral to the Supportive School Communities Policy Framework

This Supportive School Communities Policy Framework is formulated on the premise that the school community will be supportive if other key policies and practices are in place and they in turn can only succeed if they are implemented within a supportive context. The Diagram identifies many of the policies, programs and practices which together enhance the supportive, inclusive nature of school communities. The list is not exhaustive, and the relevance of some of these policies and initiatives will vary according to each school context.