Warriapendi Primary School

Warriapendi Primary School is a small, multicultural school made up of approximately 200 students in the suburb of Balga. We have students from a diverse range of backgrounds and contexts with over half of our students learning English as a second language. In order for our students to reach their full potential, academically, they need to be able to engage properly in the learning process. Since many of our students have experienced some form of trauma in their early lives, they often have difficulty managing their emotions, following rules, solving problems and working well with others. When students display one or more of these types of behaviours in a classroom, the teacher spends more time managing behaviour resulting in critical teaching time being sacrificed which impacts student learning. At Warriapendi, our vision is “Developing the whole child” because we believe that improved academic engagement is dependent on a child having well developed social and emotional skills.

We have been working with Di Wilcox to implement a whole school approach to the social and emotional development of our students that is embedded in the classroom and out in the playground. The Magic Coat provides a common language and approach that is consistent throughout the school. The CROWN values underpin our teaching and learning philosophy and are embedded in everything that we do. By displaying these important qualities, our students earn recognition and rewards that are celebrated within our community.

The Magic Coat Program has provided the tools and strategies to enable our students to deal with emotions in a fun and engaging way. The characters are relatable across all year levels and provide mental cues to assist them to cope with the challenges they are faced with. Thanks to the generosity of the Make a Difference foundation, our Kindergarten students have received story books that support them to start school, our teachers have received the Magic Coat teacher resources and classrooms have magic coats to wear. We are privileged to hear Di speak at special assemblies and work with our senior students to develop leadership qualities. The Year 6 students earn their CROWN badge and become mentors in the playground to help younger students navigate friendship issues by using the Treasure Map. Our senior students support all our students while on playground duty. The extra funding through the Make a Difference Foundation has contributed to the success of this program across our school.

Through the implementation of the Magic Coat program throughout the school and developing the whole child, we have seen a healthier school climate whereby our students can handle their emotions, avoid negative behaviours, make positive decisions and solve problems effectively. As a result, our teachers can focus on teaching resulting in improved academic performance.

Natasha Doyle
Principal 
Warriapendi Primary School