Purpose of the program is connecting positive male and female Rugby League players to disengaged male and female students through an early intervention and proactive approach for engagement in the classroom, playground and social/ skills groups.
Program focus:
- This program is based around the Department's Respect program and uses a primary prevention approach that aims to reduce disrespect, disengagement and physical violence. We can achieve this by changing the students and community attitudes around respect and reinforcing the importance of education and connection to the school community.
- Phins Up 4 Learning has a three-pronged proactive approach where contracted Dolphin players work as Teacher Aides in the school in the following areas: improving literacy and numeracy skills, reinforcing respectful roles in teams and social games, social skill building and connecting to others through conversations and small sided-games.
- The program includes opportunities for the explicit and age-appropriate teaching of the skills and knowledge needed to develop positive and respectful relationships with peers, teachers and the wider community.
Literacy and Numeracy-
- Work in classrooms to assist teachers in delivering literacy and numeracy groups by; sitting with a student one on one, working with a small group, walking around assisting students as teacher explicitly teaches.
- Classroom teachers have the efficacy to have Phins Up aides work with individual students or small groups, this decision will be made by the class teacher driven by the classroom needs to support development of priority areas (literacy, numeracy, resilience).
Role in the playground-
- Players will start before school and be present on the oval or in the playground as an extra support for students.
- They join in with games and model positive communication and problem-solving skills.
- They bring a team-sport focus of working together towards a positive outcome, linking our PBL focus and Brain wise strategy of the week to their everyday language.
- These will be provided to the player/s by the line manager each Monday morning.
Social Skills Program-
- Small targeted group of students needing support to self-regulate.
- In the last session of the day the players work with a small group of students each, 3-5 and play small-sided games or have circle time discussions. The discussions are focussed on the importance of rules and how connecting positively with others helps us to feel happy and safe.
- This program is centred around the NRL resilience program and incorporates tips around mental and physical wellness.
Goals of program
Student engagement
- Male students have sporting male role models working with them one-on-one or in small groups to increase engagement in literacy and numeracy for boys.
- All students within the classroom have access to strong male role models, something lacking in families at increasing rates in low-socio areas.
- Students have male role models in the playground assisting them with resilience and rules around games and play.
- Students have male role models deliver the NRL resilience program and/or Rock and Water program.
- Program would move into hiring female role models in 2027 as well.
Outcomes so far-
- Increased attendance by 10.5% after 20 weeks
- Increased number of students now attending full days
- Behaviour incidents have reduced by 75% after 20 weeks