Behaviour Management Strategies for Primary Schools

Behaviour Management Strategies for Australian Primary Classrooms

Effective behaviour management is one of the most important — and most challenging — aspects of teaching. The OECD's TALIS 2024 survey found that 62% of early-career Australian primary teachers reported classroom discipline as a significant source of stress, compared to 45% of more experienced teachers. At the same time, more than 80% of Australian primary teachers reported high self-efficacy in making expectations about student behaviour clear — suggesting the gap isn't knowledge, but having the right tools and support.

Australian schools are increasingly adopting evidence-based, whole-school approaches to behaviour. In NSW, all public schools were required to have a formal School Behaviour Support and Management Plan in place from Term 1, 2025, with clearly defined behavioural expectations, community consultation, and links to the Behaviour Code for Students. Victoria continues to expand its School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) programme, with applications for the 2026 intake opening in Term 3, 2025. And nationally, the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) released its Foundational Classroom Management Resources Handbook in 2024 — a comprehensive, evidence-based guide for Australian teachers.

This page covers proactive and reactive strategies, evidence-based frameworks, practical classroom tools, and resources to support students with complex behaviours. Whether you are an early-career teacher building your toolkit or an experienced educator refreshing your practice, you will find actionable strategies and ready-to-use resources here.

The most effective behaviour management happens before problems occur. AERO's classroom management research emphasises that proactive strategies — establishing routines, explicitly teaching expectations, and structuring the learning environment — prevent the vast majority of behavioural issues.

Key principle: Proactive strategies prevent roughly 80% of behavioural issues. Investing time in prevention at the start of the year (and reinforcing throughout) dramatically reduces the need for reactive responses later.

Establish Clear Expectations

• Define 3–5 positively stated school-wide expectations (e.g., "Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be a Learner") that are consistent across every classroom, playground, and corridor
• Explicitly teach what each expectation looks like in different settings — "Be Respectful in the library means using a quiet voice and putting books back where you found them"
• Revisit expectations regularly — not just at the start of the year, but after every holiday break and whenever behaviour drifts

Build Consistent Routines

Predictable routines reduce anxiety and eliminate many common behaviour triggers:

• Morning routine — bag unpacking, greeting, morning work, and transition to first lesson. A visual morning routine display helps students follow steps independently
• Transition routines — countdown timers, attention signals ("1-2-3, eyes on me"), packing-up procedures
• End-of-day routine — reflection, homework instructions, pack-up checklist, structured dismissal

Structure the Physical Environment

• Seating arrangements that minimise distraction and support the lesson type (rows for independent work, groups for collaboration)
• Clear sightlines so you can see every student from anywhere in the room
• Visual supports — classroom displays showing expectations, routines, and self-regulation strategies give students concrete reference points
• Designated calm space — a small, non-punitive area where students can self-regulate before returning to learning

Use Positive Reinforcement Strategically

AERO recommends reinforcing desired behaviour through specific, descriptive praise rather than generic statements:

• Specific praise: "Jayden, I noticed you put your hand up and waited — that shows great respect" (rather than "Good job, Jayden")
• Group acknowledgement: "Table 4 transitioned to their maths books in under 30 seconds — well done"
• Reward systems: Behaviour charts, token economies, class reward jars, and individual goal trackers — used as supplements to intrinsic motivation, not replacements for it
• Ratio aim: At least 4 positive interactions for every 1 corrective interaction

School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS)

SWPBS is an internationally recognised framework with extensive evidence demonstrating improved behavioural, wellbeing, and academic outcomes. In Australia, Victoria has been the leading adopter — the Department of Education supports 17 region-based SWPBS coaches who work with school teams to embed the framework's 7 essential features over a 3–5 year implementation period. Applications for the 2026 SWPBS intake opened in Term 3, 2025.

SWPBS uses a three-tier model:

1. Tier 1 (Universal) — Whole-school expectations, routines, and positive reinforcement that support approximately 80% of students
2. Tier 2 (Targeted) — Small-group interventions for the approximately 15% of students who need additional support (e.g., Check-In Check-Out, social skills groups, mentoring)
3. Tier 3 (Intensive) — Individualised behaviour support plans for the approximately 5% of students with complex needs, often involving functional behaviour assessment

Restorative Practices

Australia was one of the first countries in the world to implement restorative practices in schools, with the earliest academic research published in Queensland in 1996. Restorative practices focus on repairing relationships rather than punishing behaviour, using structured conversations, circles, and conferences.

The NSW Department of Education's Behaviour Support Toolkit includes detailed guidance on restorative practices as a whole-school approach that encourages supportive and respectful behaviour.

Key restorative strategies include:

• Affective statements — Naming the impact of behaviour ("When you call out, it's hard for others to hear the instruction")
• Restorative questions — "What happened? What were you thinking at the time? Who has been affected? What do you need to do to make things right?"
• Circles — Regular classroom circles for relationship-building, problem-solving, and community restoration
• Conferences — Structured meetings for more serious incidents involving all affected parties

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)

PBL is the NSW implementation of the SWPBS framework, used widely across NSW public schools. It shares the same tiered structure and evidence base. Schools implementing PBL define school-wide expectations, teach them explicitly, and use data to monitor behaviour patterns and target interventions. Learn more through the NSW Behaviour Support Toolkit.

AERO's Classroom Management Framework

The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) released comprehensive classroom management resources in 2024, developed in consultation with Australian teachers, school leaders, and researchers. The framework emphasises:

• Explicitly teaching and modelling behavioural expectations
• Using reinforcement — both extrinsic (stickers, rewards) and intrinsic — to support target behaviours
• Adjusting instructional groupings, seating, and pacing in response to behaviour data
• Implementing a consistent whole-school approach that is culturally safe and inclusive

De-Escalation Techniques

When a student's behaviour is escalating, the goal is to reduce emotional intensity before attempting to address the behaviour itself:

• Stay calm — Your own body language, tone, and volume set the emotional temperature. Lower your voice rather than raising it.
• Give space — Move closer but don't crowd. Get down to the student's eye level if possible.
• Acknowledge the emotion — "I can see you're really frustrated right now" validates the feeling without endorsing the behaviour
• Offer limited choices — "You can take a break at the calm corner, or you can sit quietly and start when you're ready" gives the student agency
• Avoid power struggles — If a student refuses a direction, calmly restate the expectation and walk away briefly. Return to check in after 30 seconds.
• Use distraction or redirection — For younger students, redirecting attention to a different task can defuse tension quickly

Behaviour Charts and Visual Supports

Behaviour charts remain one of the most widely used tools in Australian primary classrooms. When used well, they make expectations visible and give students concrete feedback:

• Clip charts / traffic light systems — Students move up (positive) or down (warning) based on behaviour. Best used when the focus is on moving UP, not on public shaming for moving down.
• Individual goal charts — Students track progress toward a personal behaviour goal (e.g., "I will put my hand up to speak"). More effective for students with specific needs.
• Class reward systems — Marble jars, point charts, or whole-class goals that build collective responsibility
• Token economies — Students earn tokens for meeting expectations and exchange them for privileges or small rewards

Attention Signals and Transitions

Smooth transitions prevent most low-level disruption:

• Consistent attention signal — Clap patterns, call-and-response ("1-2-3, eyes on me / 1-2, eyes on you"), countdown from 5, or a hand signal. Pick one and use it every time.
• Fast finisher tasks — students who finish early and have nothing to do are a common source of disruption. Having fast finisher activities ready prevents downtime
• Transition warnings — "You have 2 minutes to finish up" gives students time to find a stopping point
• Timer on the board — Visual countdown timers reduce anxiety and increase compliance
• Explicit transition instructions — "When I say go, put your pencil down, close your book, and look at me. Ready? Go."

Building Relationships

Strong teacher-student relationships are the single most powerful behaviour management tool:

• Greet every student by name at the door each morning
• 2x10 strategy — Spend 2 minutes for 10 consecutive days having a personal conversation with your most challenging student (about their interests, not behaviour). Research shows this significantly reduces behavioural incidents.
• Know their world — Who are their friends? What are they interested in? What's happening at home?
• Repair after conflict — After a behavioural incident, circle back and reconnect: "Yesterday was tough. How are you going today?"

Some students need more than universal classroom strategies. The SWPBS tiered model provides a useful framework for thinking about escalating support.

Tier 2: Targeted Support (Approximately 15% of Students)

These students may respond to universal strategies inconsistently and need additional, targeted interventions:

• Check-In Check-Out (CICO) — A student checks in with a designated adult at the start of the day (to set goals) and checks out at the end (to review progress). This provides structure, connection, and accountability.
• Social skills groups — Small-group instruction targeting specific skills like turn-taking, managing anger, or joining a game. Often run by learning support or wellbeing staff.
• Behaviour contracts — Written agreements between the student, teacher, and family that outline specific expectations, supports, and consequences
• Mentoring programmes — Pairing the student with a trusted adult for regular one-on-one check-ins
• Social stories — Short, personalised narratives that describe a situation and model appropriate responses. Particularly effective for students with autism or social communication challenges.

It is worth noting that behavioural challenges and learning difficulties frequently co-occur — a student who acts out may be struggling with unidentified learning needs. For targeted strategies, see our learning difficulties classroom strategies page.

Tier 3: Intensive Support (Approximately 5% of Students)

Students with persistent, complex behaviours typically require individualised support:

• Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA) — A systematic process to understand the function of a behaviour (attention, escape, sensory, access to tangible). The NSW Behaviour Support Toolkit provides detailed FBA guidance
• Individual Behaviour Support Plans — Based on FBA findings, these plans outline specific antecedent strategies, replacement behaviours, and response protocols
• Wrap-around support — Collaboration with families, school counsellors, psychologists, and external agencies
• Environmental adjustments — Modified timetables, sensory supports, reduced transitions, or alternative learning spaces
• Trauma-informed practice — Recognising that many complex behaviours are trauma responses and adjusting expectations and responses accordingly

Connecting to SEL and Wellbeing

Behaviour management and social-emotional learning are deeply connected. Students who lack self-regulation, emotional literacy, or social skills often present with behavioural challenges. Embedding SEL activities alongside behaviour support gives students the skills they need to manage their own behaviour over time.

For relief and casual teachers, managing unfamiliar classes presents unique behaviour challenges. See our relief teacher resources for specific strategies on establishing authority quickly in a new classroom.