1. Restorative Practice
At Christ the Sower

2. Inflatable headteacher...

3. Principles
Our standard disciplinary systems fail to address the core relational issues, based instead on the principle that an offence is a breach of the school rules and an offence against the school, akin to our judicial system.
Our standard disciplinary systems ask 3 questions:
Who is to blame? What rule did they break? and What is the punishment?

4. Principles
…and then sometimes, the question “why did s/he do it and how can we stop it happening again?”
In general, they leave us with the feeling we have done something but we know we have actually fixed very little – and the relationship remains un-repaired.

5. Principles
Alternatively, Restorative Practice is grounded in the principle that when something happens, it harms and damages relationships. A different set of questions are asked:
What happened? Who has been harmed/affected? What do we need to do to repair that harm?

6. Principles
“It is only when I can take responsibility for what I have done and how that has affected you, that you will feel safe enough to tell me how I have harmed you and together we can explore what needs to happen to make amends”.
Rather than stigmatising and excluding students, it is saying - you are part of our community, we value you, but your behaviour in this instance is not OK. So what do we need to do to include you back into our Community?

7. Direction of Travel Informal/formal strategies at three levels…
The informal (and formal) preventative and proactive strategies and practices that build and strengthen relationships and develop community
Informal interventions (with their own specific language). Problem solving around day to day problems, difficulties and conflicts
Formal interventions to deal with significant issues of harm, with a focus on repairing relationships when something has happened to damage our community.

8. Principles we talk about…
We are learning what is important: Our words and actions affect others – this is our unifying principle of community. How is our practice (both as adults and children) helping to create the type of community we are trying to build? Poor actions do not have punishments, but they do have community consequences

9. Overview

10. Circles
So far, this has been the most significant part of what will be at least a 3 year journey.
Community-building is the key. Children who do not feel a sense of belonging to a community will have few worries about offending against that community.
Building a community means that you have a stake in its success, so all the strategies we use are geared to articulating a successful community.
Reinforcing and reinforced by the articulated values of the school – specifically the Golden Rules and a strong Christian ethos

12. Why Circles? How Circles? When Circles?

13. Informal interventions...use specific language

14. Informal interventions...use specific language

15. Restorative Practice – the future
Appointed two lead professionals to ensure we all stick to the good practice – Miss Ratcliffe, Mrs Hodgetts
Training implications for all staff, for head and for lead professionals
3 year program to “embedding” – parents will be more involved as we articulate the practice more.
All new staff to be inducted in this way of working, especially new support staff