Restorative Practice
Relationships are at the heart of everything we do in our school. We are committed to the building of positive and healthy relationships that support our wellbeing. Our hope is that we all feel valued and connected. Restorative Practice in our school provides a focus on developing positive relationships between all members of the school community.
The Philosophy of Restorative Practice is rooted in respect for human beings and recognition of the importance of good relationships between people. The understanding is that relationships can and should be restored when they have been harmed by conflict or wrongdoing.
We believe that the that embracing the Restorative Practice philosophy, will help us to sustain strong, happy communities by actively developing good relationships, by preventing conflict and by resolving conflict in a healthy manner when it does arise.
Restorative Practice is a process whereby children are given the opportunity to reflect on their behaviour and how they and others have been affected by it so as to help heal relationships which have been affected and prevent reoccurrence. For many of our children, using a familiar set of ‘Restorative Questions’ is useful.
Restorative Questions to address harm
- What happened?
- What were you thinking about at the time?
- What have your thoughts been since?
- Who has been affected by what you did?
- In what way have they been affected?
- What do you think needs to happen to make things right?
To help those harmed by others actions
- What did you think when you realised what had happened?
- What have your thoughts been since?
- How has this affected others?
- What has been the hardest thing for you?
- What do you think needs to happen to make things right?
The Restorative Practice Questions above are an important part of the Restorative Practice Approach. They are to be used as a support during restorative interactions and are one of many elements of the practice.
As part of our restorative practise journey, we have also started incorporating circle time sessions into our weekly routine. Facilitating circle time is an authentic and meaningful way of developing positive relationships, as well as social and emotional capabilities of children. Our goal is to enhance pupils’ feelings of belonging, self-worth and connectedness, which in turn will contribute to positive wellbeing.
Core Principles of Restorative Practice
