What is Bungendore Incluisve Play Scheme (BIPS)?
BIPS is a social, supervised, structured, multi-age inclusive play time session run by a number of different teachers during lunch times each day of the week.
The supervising teacher, who is an ACTIVE participant in the game, introduces a variety of activities that promote high participation, resilience, and cooperation.
The teacher assumes a significant role in modelling, and supporting students to in turn model positive social & cooperative skills. This is in addition to the bell court sandpit program, to support all students to be successful at break times throughout the school day.
BIPS is design to:
- provide supervised, structured play activities to assist in the development of social skills.
- provide opportunities for students to make friends and extend social networks, in a safe and comforting environment. Students are encouraged to form positive relationships with fellow peers that in turn become an extra support whilst out on the playground.
- provide positive role models for a range of students (being older students, teachers and their peers of their own age group).
- create leadership and/or peer tutoring opportunities for students K-6.
Who?
All students are welcome to attend BIPS. However, there will be a cap of 15-20 students per session. This is to allow the teacher to observe and engage with each student on the day. Each day, an attendance list will be distributed amongst classroom teachers (Kindergarten at this stage) to allow different students to attend the different groups each day. This allows us to target and support the students at point of need each day.
There are two ways that students can attend BIPS.
1. Teacher Nominated – this is where the classroom teacher nominates and encourages a particular student/s to attend BIPS that day, to support the behaviours and individual goals of the student that are being worked on in the classroom.
2. Student Nominated – this is where the student self nominates to attend BIPS, perhaps as a buddy for the teacher nominated student, or because they would like to attend as a different lunchtime activity. It is important to reiterate to students that there is a maximum number of participants each day, and is the responsibility of the classroom teacher to keep fair records of the attendance of the students in his/her own class.
How:
BIPS sessions begin with a welcome to and introduction of participants. Expectations and game requirements are explicitly and clearly articulated and modelled to participants. The game or activity commences – at times being interrupted to identify positive examples of play or interaction. The session concludes with a 'debrief' or reflective session where positive skills and behaviours are celebrated.
