Restorative Practice
Restorative Practice enables the building, maintaining and repairing of relationships. The philosophy embodies a set of values and principles and a way of working with people that provides a common language and approach and enables the practice to be taught.
What are the key principles
Restorative Practice is underpinned by values of empathy, respect, honesty, acceptance, responsibility, and mutual accountability.
Restorative Practice has main goals are:
- Building and repairing relationships to work in ways that are respectful and engaging, enabling participants to develop understanding and empathy and the impact of their behaviour both positive and negative. Additionally to work in ways that enable participants to put right relationships when harm has been caused.
- Empowerment of individuals, groups and communities. Restorative Practices aims to support these groups to build confidence and control over their own lives. RP tries to meet the needs of community through strategies that build relationships and empower families, schools and communities to take responsibility for the well being of its members.
- Mutual Accountability – Restorative Practice provides opportunities for wrongdoers to be accountable to those they have harmed, and enable them to repair the harm they caused to the extent possible.
- Cultural Sensitivity – Restorative Practices is culturally sensitive enabling participants to conduct processes and meeting in line with their own traditions and culture.
- Shared responsibility – the approach builds on the knowledge, skills and resources in both formal helping agencies and services and informal family and community network to work together; sharing responsibility knowledge, skills and resources for the well-being and of children and young people.
Outcome and Solution Focused – Restorative Practice aims to focus on outcomes and solutions using the results for children as the basis for all action. This will increase the pro-social skills of those who have harmed others, address underlying causes and enable people to build on strengths. The outcome and decision in response to behaviour that has affected others may involve an appropriate sanction. This is discussed with all parties to ensure that the process is fair, mutually agreed and relevant to the nature of the behaviour.
Our restorative community equips our pupils with the skills to recognise and manage their own feelings and nurture their relationships within the school. Daily community circles ensure ALL pupils have a voice and thrive in an environment that promotes respect and appreciation of differences, therefore the school is a safe and happy place to be where pupils learn to resolve their problems in an effective and mature way.
Restorative questions scaffold our conflict resolution. Some of these are;
What happened?
What were you thinking about at the time?
What have your thoughts been since?
Who has been affected by what happened?
In what way have they been affected?
What do you think needs to happen next?
Working restoratively creates a safer, more productive and a more caring environment for all.
Thank you so much, our child couldn’t be happier.
We are very happy with the school and our child’s progress.
My child loves the school and enjoys her time here.
Pupils feel safe and cared
for in the school. Parents agree.
The teachers are always looking out for the children and they are nice to the children.
Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are excellent. They are respectful, considerate and polite. Pupils are incredibly thoughtful and look after one another
Pupils work hard to be positive role models and give support to others. They are
very proud of the work they do as restorative practitioners, play buddies and wellbeing ambassadors. This is a highly inclusive school.
Pearson Primary School has gone above and beyond the realms of every day teaching and learning in this challenging year. Thank you to the wonderful staff for all they do, both seen and unseen. Our child is happy, inspired, challenged, supported and making progress – what more could we ask for?
I would like to express my gratitude to the extent the school supports the festival of Eid Ul Adha. Not only by allowing the children a day to celebrate with their families but also by celebrating these events in the school as well.
I have had a lovely afternoon hearing the Year 1 children read so thank you. I was so impressed with the calmness and maturity of the children.
I have full faith in Mrs Clarkson and her wonderful team. They have bent over backwards over the past year to make sure my daughter has an education and I know they will continue to do so. They are amazing and I am so great full for their support for my child throughout the lockdowns. They have exceeded my expectations as they always go the extra mile.