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Restorative Practices: An Alternative Approach
- Audience: Primary and Secondary Senior Leaders
- This training aims to develop an understanding of how restorative approaches can be adopted as a whole school approach to managing pupils’ behaviour, reducing exclusions and promoting positive skills and a positive school ethos
There will be two sessions held, delegates only need to attend one:
Monday 15th October 9am-12pm
Monday 29th October 1-4pm
With an on-going rise in exclusions, classroom disruption and bullying, many schools are turning to restorative practices (RP). RP help to create a harmonious learning environment to proactively build relationships, promote discipline and prevent harm and conflict occurring. It is used as a response by schools to enforce discipline whilst emphasising the value of positive relationships and active citizenship. RP promotes truth telling, taking responsibility and acknowledging harm as appropriate response to conflict and therefore creates accountability and enables learning and skill development to take place. Research suggests that punitive behaviour management systems are not effective on their own and can actually make situations worse as they can invoke anger, shame and resentment and do not address and seek to repair any underlying difficulties.
RP in schools has grown from grassroots lead by Head Teachers. The evidence of success in England and Wales comes directly from schools themselves. Head Teachers who implement RP see key benefits such as building a culture of respect and discipline in the school community, increased staff confidence to deal with a wide variety of discipline issues including classroom management, bullying and low-level disruptive behaviour and empowering pupils to take ownership of their actions to encourage self-discipline and responsibility to other learners and staff in the school community (RJC Schools Briefing Dec 2011).
When RP was implemented in a whole school approach in Hull they found:
• 45.6% reduction in incidents of verbal abuse
• 59.4% reduction in incidents of physical abuse
• 43.2% reduction in incidents of disruptive behaviour
• 78.6% reduction in racist incidents
• 50.0% reduction in incidents of theft
• 44.5% reduction in fixed term exclusions
• 62.5% reduction in total days’ staff absence which saved the school over £60,000 in the first 8 months (The City of Hull: Riverside Project, 2008)
Ofsted inspections have recognised the value of adopting RP in schools: “Pupils value the restorative practices that help them understand right and wrong, and encourage them to take responsibility for their actions.” Ofsted report Upton Primary School, Bexley (2010)
- Facilitator
- Venue & Travel Information
Lucy Charters, Principal Educational Psychologist, Rochdale Borough Council
Dr Lucy Charters, Principal Educational Psychologist
I started in education as a primary school teacher and after qualifying as an Educational Psychologist, began working for Rochdale Educational Psychology Service in 2003. I have particular interests in trauma-informed and attachment-aware approaches and am passionate about promoting psychologically healthy education systems.
Dr Jessica Stout, Specialist Practitioner Educational Psychologist
I qualified as an Educational Psychologist in 2020. Prior to this I worked in mainstream and specialist high schools supporting young people with social, emotional and mental health needs. I am a specialist practitioner for cared for children and work closely with the Virtual School. I am passionate about supporting children and young people to be heard and have their experiences understood and validated. I am particularly interested in the interrelated connection between physiology and psychology, attuned caregiving and interactions and the importance of relationships for health and wellbeing.
Dr Jo Lyons, Educational Psychologist
I qualified as an educational psychologist in 1998, prior to which, I worked as a teacher and deputy head teacher across both primary and secondary sectors. I have lived and worked in Rochdale most of my life and my own children attended local Rochdale schools. I am particularly interested in bereavement, loss, attachment and trauma, and how we can support the most vulnerable children and young people. Along with other professionals and significant adults, I seek to reflect collaboratively on how we might facilitate healthy relationships and enable children and young people to engage, thrive, feel safe and develop emotionally, socially and educationally.
Hopwood Hall College
Free parking is available onsite - just press the buzzer at the barrier and say you're here for a REAL Trust event.
How to get here
By Road: The Rochdale campus is 2.6 miles from junction 20 off the M62. Follow the signs for Rochdale town centre
By Rail: Rochdale train station is a ten minute walk from the Rochdale Campus through the town centre. It is also a Metrolink station, Manchester’s light railway system, which links Rochdale with Oldham, Bury and Manchester City Centre.
By Bus: The Rochdale bus station is approximately 5 minutes’ walk from the Rochdale campus. There are frequent bus services throughout the borough which terminate in Rochdale.