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.

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.

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.

Restorative Practices is culturally sensitive enabling participants to conduct processes and meeting in line with their own traditions and culture.

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.

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.

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.

‘The multi-academy trust has provided teachers with detailed suggestions for how to adapt every aspect of the curriculum.’…

OFSTED comments

‘Children make a good start in the early years because of good teaching’…

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‘Relationships between adults and pupils are extremely positive.’…

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‘Pupils feel very safe in school because of the school’s rigorous approach to keeping them safe’…

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‘Comprehensive subject plans identify the essential knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to learn over time.’…

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‘Leaders have embedded a carefully sequenced, knowledge-rich curriculum from the early years through to Year 6.’…

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‘Pupils contribute significantly to the successes of the school through their outstanding behaviour and readiness to learn’…

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‘Leaders help pupils to develop resilience and self-confidence in their learning.’…

OFSTED comments

‘In religious
education lessons, teachers provide opportunities for pupils to understand and appreciate the different life experiences of their friends.’…

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‘Teaching and learning are consistently good. As a result most pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics from often significantly below-average starting points’…

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‘Pupils with highly complex special educational needs receive outstanding levels of support.’…

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‘Staff morale is high, team spirit is very strong, and all are committed to continued improvement. This helps to explain why the school is continuing to improve’…

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‘Parents are overwhelmingly supportive, commenting very positively on the school’s many strong features’…

OFSTED comments

‘Leaders leave no stone unturned to ensure that the very diverse school population is treated equally and that there is a relentless focus on driving up pupil performance’…

OFSTED comments

‘ A well-developed
programme for relationships education helps pupils to understand the importance of tolerance and respect for others.’…

OFSTED comments

‘Pupils demonstrate outstanding levels of tolerance and respect for other pupils and adults’…

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‘Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to share experiences of their cultural beliefs and celebrations.’…

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‘The Clifton ‘Good Citizen’ programme helps pupils to develop the communication and interaction skills they need for
later life.’…

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‘Teachers use
rigorous assessments to make sure that all pupils make good progress.’…

OFSTED comments

‘The harmonious relationships among all groups, from a wide variety of backgrounds, are a strength of the school’…

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‘There is a strong sense of community in this school.’…

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‘The range of enrichment activities the school provides is excellent and contributes a great deal to pupils’ learning’…

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‘There is a very strong focus on checking on how well different groups of pupils are learning, so that any falling behind can be immediately helped to make better progress’…

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‘The highly successful promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is at the heart of the school’s work’…

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‘Teachers ensure that they enrich the curriculum through an extensive range of visits and experiences’…

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‘From the earliest stages in Reception, adults skilfully support pupils to explain their mathematical thinking.’…

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‘The introduction of a comprehensively sequenced phonics programme is helping children to establish successful early reading skills from the very start of Reception.’…

OFSTED comments

‘The excellent relationships between teachers and their pupils ensure lessons are purposeful and enjoyable’…

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‘Leaders have high expectations of behaviour for all pupils.’…

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‘Leaders ensure that pupils can develop essential life skills through activities such as learning to dress independently and simple food preparation’…

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‘Pupils are happy and they feel safe.’…

OFSTED comments