Ruskin Park Primary School was introduced to Living Ripples through the Principal Network, where several neighbouring schools had already partnered with Living Ripples and shared positive feedback about the process. While the school had previously used the Attitudes to School Survey, Acting Principal Shannon Young identified the need for more detailed and actionable data – particularly insights broken down by gender and year level. Living Ripples provided the level of granularity they were seeking, enabling the school to better understand specific areas of challenge.
Since implementing strategies informed by the Living Ripples data, the prevalence of incidents in the schoolyard has begun to decline – particularly during a time of year when staff are usually busy finalising reports. The wellbeing team, led by Katrina Tozer has taken a proactive approach, examining cohort-specific needs and meeting with teaching teams to unpack the data in detail. They conducted extensive research, explored year-level and gender differences, and made tailored recommendations for integration into wellbeing lessons. The team used the LR insights as the basis for an inquiry cycle aligned with High Impact Wellbeing Strategies, helping them identify and better support emerging issues within the Years 5–6 cohort.
A number of wellbeing initiatives have since been introduced. The Years 5–6 team shifted their focus to the key areas identified in the data, including students’ limited understanding of social skills such as fairness, and a sense of hopelessness around help-seeking. Living Ripples data showed that many students hesitated to reach out to teachers outside their own classroom, as they often felt unsure whether they would receive the follow-up support they needed. In response, the wellbeing team conducted focus groups to explore these perceptions further – discussing barriers to seeking help, perceived repercussions, and experiences of feeling powerless. This led to adjustments in yard-duty arrangements to reduce misunderstandings and increase clarity around support.
Teachers also developed a weekly “wellbeing afternoon,” during which students engaged in structured games (i.e soccer) while teachers guided them to unpack rules, build confidence, and strengthen social understanding. Students who preferred quiet indoor spaces engaged in calmer activities that supported social and emotional learning in a different way.
The school is also exploring external partners to further strengthen their approach, particularly for confidence-building, transition support for upper-primary students, and coaching-based interventions where students may feel more comfortable opening up during active sessions (e.g., basketball-based mentoring).
According to Shannon, one of the key differences Living Ripples brings is the ongoing support and expertise provided – rather than a one-off interaction. She noted that Living Ripple’s team “gets it,” with experience working across multiple schools and a deep understanding of the educational context. She has already recommended Living Ripple to other schools and suggested future adaptations to better suit younger learners.
Overall, Living Ripples has complemented the school’s existing wellbeing framework. While the Attitudes to School Survey offers valuable insights, the Living Ripples survey adds depth, allowing the team to analyse data from multiple perspectives and pinpoint specific issues with far greater clarity. This level of detail has enabled Ruskin Park Primary School to respond more effectively, develop targeted strategies, and strengthen student wellbeing across the school.
